In his annual reports “State of Democracy, Human Rights and the Rule of Law”, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe assesses the freedom of expression in member states in respect of legal guarantees, protection of journalists and other media actors, media independence, plurality and diversity, and freedom of expression on the internet. These reports regularly identify trends and provide specific recommendations. 

Since April 2015 the Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists collects and disseminates information and alerts from civil society on the most serious concerns about media freedom and safety of journalists in Council of Europe member states in collaboration with a number of partner organisations. 

The Recommendation CM/Rec(2018)1 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on media pluralism and transparency of media ownership tackles the issues of media pluralism and diversity in the new multimedia environment where actors other than legacy media have come to the fore. Moreover, opaque media ownership and financing, media concentration and convergence pose a challenge to the plurality of ideas and the right of individuals to access and impart information.

 The Recommendation CM/Rec(2013)1 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on gender equality and media calls to combat sexist stereotypes and gender-based violence in media, and advocates gender equality in decision making and equal access and representation.

 The Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)4 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on the protection of journalism and safety of journalists and other media actors provides specific guidelines to member states to act in the areas of prevention, protection, prosecution, promotion of information, education and awareness rising. 

 Overview of adopted texts of the Committee of Ministers in the field of media

Criminal provisions on defamation still feature in the legislation of most Council of Europe member States. While the concept of defamation is to protect the reputations of individuals against injury, the concept must be brought in relation to freedom of expression and public debate.

Gender equality is a prerequisite for human rights, democracy and social justice. Equal access to media work and management posts for both sexes is indispensable and the presentation of men and women in the media must not undermine gender equality.

Hate speech has no universally accepted definition; the term is used to describe extremely negative discourse that constitutes a threat to social peace. The Media and Internet division works to raise awareness, to reduce the levels of acceptance and to develop policy consensus on instruments combating hate speech.

The aim is to foster an enabling environment for freedom of expression taking into account the challenges of a changing media environment. The projects provide human rights expertise and assistance to media and new- media actors, as well as guidance to governments and regulatory authorities in target countries. 

Since 2016 a special dialogue was established with national human rights mechanisms to better protect journalists. This dialogue with ombudsman institutions, press commissioners and non-governmental organisations focuses on exchanging good practices and strengthening national capacities to promote the safety of journalists. 

Media as facilitators of public debate are widely viewed as a key tool for managing the increasing diversity in society. When reporting on arrivals of refugees and migrants to Europe throughout 2015-2016 however, media have played a central role in framing these events as a “crisis”. This perspective contributed to negative and sometimes hostile attitudes amongst the public toward the newcomers. Two recent Council of Europe reports examine the role of media, the expectations and needs in the communication domain of migrants and refugees themselves, and the responses by community media.

The Council of Europe recognises the important role of public service media in upholding the fundamental right of freedom of expression, enabling people to seek and receive information, and promoting the values of democracy, diversity and social cohesion. It promotes the principle of sound governance as a decisive factor for public service media to deliver its vital contribution in the modern media environment.