In 2022, Switzerland adopted its first National Action Plan on the Safety of Media Professionals. The plan's development commenced with a non-representative online survey conducted in February 2022, followed by a roundtable with media professionals in May 2022, and a subsequent meeting with the media industry in September 2022 to define the Action Plan's priorities.

Switzerland adopted a bottom-up approach, engaging various stakeholders at different levels to identify areas of action. Initially, media professionals and their employers were surveyed to understand the challenges they face. This information was further refined through a series of roundtables, workshops, and consultations with the Sounding Board.

The primary objective of the Action Plan is to elevate the issue of media professional safety to the public agenda and raise awareness among the wider society and politicians regarding the challenges faced by journalists. Four key areas of concern have been identified and will be prioritized in the implementation:

• Enhanced recognition for the role and profession of journalists and media professionals.
• Improved protection against threats and online hate speech.
• Strengthened physical protection for media professionals, both domestically and internationally.
• Increased understanding of the challenges posed by abusive lawsuits against journalists (SLAPPs).

The Federal Office of Communications (OFCOM) provides detailed information on the planned implementation measures on its website, with a dedicated page for the Action Plan.

One significant challenge encountered early in the process was the lack of a broad evidence base and well-structured data. In Switzerland, the safety of media professionals is often illustrated through individual cases or international comparisons, which complicates: clearly identifying and generalizing the threat situation; recognizing challenges specific to Switzerland, comparing developments over an extended period.

To address this, OFCOM will conduct an initial survey on the safety of media professionals as part of the National Action Plan. This survey, scheduled for publication in Q2 2025, aims to improve the overall assessment of the situation and inform potential follow-up actions to the National Action Plan.