The members of the EU Council’s Audiovisual and Media Working Party discussed, on Thursday 28 April, the French Presidency’s draft conclusions on the protection and safety of journalists.
Concretely, the document calls for institutionalising regular discussions on the subject in the framework of the European News Media Forum and evaluating existing pilot projects and preparatory actions to support media freedom and pluralism.
In addition, the draft conclusions push for more funding, via funds from the ‘InvestEU’ programme, for independent journalism and investigations.
Furthermore, the draft conclusions call, among other things, for encouraging “initiatives for online news media labelling based on European standards and independently-established criteria”, supporting the implementation of projects concerning the protection of women journalists and journalists from minority groups, promoting online safety and the digital empowerment of journalists, and focusing on training both for established actors and in journalism schools.
Finally, the document also stresses - in the context of the Russian invasion of Ukraine - the importance of helping journalists and media professionals working in Ukraine, and of supporting in financial, legal and professional terms - including through a reception process - journalists and media professionals in exile from Ukraine, Belarus and Russia.
The draft conclusion comes as World Press Freedom Day is marked on Tuesday 3 May. On this occasion, MEPs will hold a debate in the Parliament on the issue of safety of journalists and media professionals.
See the document: https://aeur.eu/f/1gb
Tribute to journalists covering the war in Ukraine
On the eve of World Press Freedom Day, the High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, paid tribute, on Monday 2 May, to journalists around the world.
“Many independent and committed journalists and media workers around the world keep exposing injustice in their own countries and contribute to building a better future. Many of them despite daily harassment, violence and intimidation, both online and offline”, he recalled, underlining that the EU was on their side.
The High Representative highlighted the “brave journalists, camera crews, reporters, photographers and bloggers (who) are risking their lives to keep us informed about Russia’s unprovoked and unjustified military aggression against Ukraine” and the “courageous” independent media and journalists in Russia and Belarus who strive to report on the war and “atrocities” in Ukraine despite the risk of long prison sentences and prolonged arrests.
See the statement: https://aeur.eu/f/1g9 (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant and Thomas Mangin)