Journalists Matter : Council of Europe Campaign for the Safety of Journalists
As part of this Campaign, the Council of Europe is inviting everyone to support their cause, take action for their enhanced protection, while raising awareness about the importance of safeguarding journalists and their right to report the news freely and without fear. The Campaign is a 5-year project meant to cover all Council of Europe member States. It is open for voluntary contributions.
Objectives
- promoting the development of corresponding campaigns at national level;
- encouraging states to take measures towards the adoption of national Action Plan for the safety of journalists;
- providing help to the development of appropriate legal and institutional frameworks at national level;
- changing the situation effectively and significantly in practice.
Target groups
- Journalists will be called to play a crucial role in campaigning for their safety and media freedom in general;
- Press councils, national and international associations and institutions dealing with media freedom and journalists’ rights will be called to enhance their involvement in and support to the protection of journalists’ safety;
- Media outlets will be called to more effectively and actively contribute to protecting journalists’ safety;
- Judges, prosecutors, law enforcement and other relevant public authorities will be called to raise their awareness and enhance their capacity for a more effective protection of the journalists’ safety;
- Public officials, elected bodies and political parties will be called to improve the policies and legislations affecting journalists’ safety and the freedom of expression;
- Civil society, including relevant independent human rights institutions will be called to take proactive steps and sensitise public authorities and the society in general on the situation in the field.
- Educational institutions, including secondary schools and universities, to provide information about relevant aspects concerning the safety of journalists, engage in the discussion, provide inputs and increase awareness and sense of urgency to act against journalists’ threats to safety.
Expected results
- Journalists across Europe enjoy a safe environment they need to play freely and more assertively their role of “public watchdogs”.
- National Action Plans - where relevant - are adopted.
- Enhanced legal and institutional safeguards are in place.
- Effective remedies against the attacks against journalists and other media actors are set up.
- Better investigations of crimes against journalists and proper sanctioning of perpetrators are effective.
- Increased awareness of the positive role of journalists is acknowledged both by the general public and the decision makers in 46 member States.
2023
Launch of the Campaign in Riga (5-6 October, Riga, Latvia)
1st meeting of the National Focal Points (6 October, Riga, Latvia)
Workshop on the existing initiatives on the safety of journalists (1-2 June, Strasbourg, France)
2024
Annual Thematic Conference on Protection of Journalists (29-30 October, Strasbourg, France)
Seminar on the Role of the Police in the safety of journalists (26-27 September, Strasbourg, France)
Second meeting of the National Focal Points (20-21 June, Strasbourg, France)
Launch of consultations for the National Chapter of the Campaign (9 April, Ukraine)
Meeting with the Platform Partners (5-6 March, Thessaloniki, Greece)
Gala for excellence in journalism (29 February, Bucharest, Romania)
2025
Third meeting of the National Focal Points (April-May, Luxembourg)
Annual thematic conference on Prosecution of crimes against journalists - Luxembourg Presidency (April - beginning of May, Luxembourg)
2026
2027
Final review and closing event
As amply evidenced by the record number and variety of alerts received in recent years by the Council of Europe Platform for the protection of journalism and safety of journalists, journalists are the victims of a wide range of attacks impairing their everyday work.
