The Council of Europe has launched a continent-wide Campaign for the Safety of Journalists to be run under the slogan “Journalists matter”, aimed at improving the safety of journalists and protecting media freedom across the continent, as well as raising awareness about the role journalists play in safeguarding a democratic and pluralistic society.

The campaign, expected to last until the end of 2027, addresses the continued degradation of press freedom across Europe, reflected in increasing cases of violence and intimidation against journalists and impunity of the offenders. The Council of Europe’s Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists has been reporting this trend over the years: it has registered more than 1,600 alerts concerning serious threats to the safety of journalists and media freedom in Europe since 2015.

Council of Europe Secretary General, Marija Pejčinović Burić, said: “It is almost impossible to think of a true democracy without diverse and independent media acting as “public watchdogs” and generating public debate. With the campaign, we aim to help governments to protect journalists so they can do their work without undue interference, free from intimidation and violence, and perform their essential role in society.”

The campaign’s main goal is to improve the safety conditions that journalists work in across Europe, notably through the adoption and implementation of national action plans for the protection of journalists and enhanced legal and institutional standards. Other crucial campaign objectives are setting up effective remedies at national level to address violations of media freedom, improving the investigation of crimes against journalists, and ensuring the proper sanctioning of perpetrators.

The campaign is mainly targeted at journalists, press councils, organisations active in promoting and protecting media freedom, media outlets, judges, prosecutors, law enforcement, public officials, politicians, civil society and educational institutions, but it will also reach a wider public.

The campaign was launched on the first day of an international conference organised in Riga, in the framework of the Latvian Presidency of the Council of Europe´s Committee of Ministers, under the theme “The Pen is mightier than the sword? Meeting today´s challenges to freedom of expression and the safety of journalists”.

More information:

• Speech by Hanne Juncher, Director of Information Society and Action against Crime
• Guidelines on the responsible implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) systems in journalism
• Guidance Note on countering the spread of online mis- and disinformation through fact-checking and platform design solutions in a human rights compliant manner and Explanatory memorandum