The Council of Europe's Journalists Matter Campaign has released its 2024 leaflet, highlighting the updates and achievements in the ongoing mission to protect the safety of journalists.

2024, the year dedicated to  the Protection pillar of the Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)4 on the protection of journalism and safety of journalists and other media actors saw significant progress, including operational measures of protection, media and information literacy initiatives, trainings, and awareness campaigns. Key achievements include the appointment of 38 Campaign Focal Points across member States, the setting of 23 domestic coordination structures in the area of journalists’  safety, 15 out of which created since the Campaign was launched.

Notable events included the Gala of Excellence in Journalism in Bucharest, honouring journalists in conflict zones, as well as a specialised seminar on police collaboration for journalist protection and the annual conference on Protection of journalists - multistakeholder dialogue, held in Strasbourg. The Campaign’s footprint also expanded with the launch of a National Chapter in Ukraine, highlighting the unique challenges faced by journalists in conflict areas.

Launched in 2023, this Campaign underlines the essential role of journalists in democracy and urges member States to take meaningful action against threats faced.

 Read more about the Journalists Matter Campaign progress