Journalists Matter, the Council of Europe Campaign for the Safety of Journalists is an initiative aiming to promote press freedom and protect journalists from violence, threats, and harassment while performing their duties.

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.

Logo of the Journalists Matter, Campaign for the safety of journalists

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.