Press freedom in Europe under pressure, says report

Press freedom in Europe under pressure, says report
Credit: Belga

Journalists in Europe are under increasing pressure due to war violence, political influence, and strategic lawsuits, according to the 2024 annual report by the Platform for the Protection of Journalism of the Council of Europe, published on Wednesday.

The platform, a collaboration of fifteen international press freedom organisations, documented a total of 266 serious violations of press freedom in 2024. Most incidents were reported in Ukraine (40), Russia (32), Turkey (28), Serbia (20), and Georgia (18).

The report highlights that the war in Ukraine remains the most urgent threat to European journalists. In 2024, at least seven incidents were recorded where journalists came under fire, including the fatal incident in which Reuters security adviser Ryan Evans was killed in a Russian missile attack in eastern Ukraine.

The report also focuses on the situation in Georgia and Italy. In Georgia, the number of incidents tripled compared to previous years. The government introduced controversial legislation, including a 'foreign agents' law and a 'family protection law', which severely restrict media freedom. During pro-EU demonstrations, dozens of journalists were assaulted by riot police.

In Italy, political interference by the far-right government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in the public broadcaster RAI is increasing, while structural underfunding further undermines independence. Additionally, government members are filing defamation lawsuits against critical journalists, leading to self-censorship, according to the report.

The platform also expresses concern over spyware scandals and the rise of strategic lawsuits to silence critical journalists or citizens, known as SLAPPs.

On a positive note, the European Union passed legislation against SLAPPs in 2024, and a new European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) came into effect, aiming to better protect the independence of journalists from political and economic pressure.

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