Journalist safety platform of the Council of Europe issues an annual report on press freedom

The Council of Europe’s platform for the protection of journalism and the safety of journalists released ‘War in Europe and the Fight for the Right to Report,’ an annual report that provides a glimpse of the situation in Europe regarding media freedom and journalist safety, as well as recommendations for action.

Online mob harassment, which creates environments that legitimise violence against the press, is a major concern. Governments worked to turn public and private media into propaganda vehicles, while also creating hostile economic and political conditions for independent media and restricting the freedom of social platforms to publish, often disguised as safeguarding online safety and combating hate speech, terrorism, or ‘fake news.’

The Council of Europe updated its ‘soft law’ principles for addressing hate expression online in 2022. The second overall strategic goal was to ensure online and offline freedom of expression. The Committee of Ministers has also adopted new ‘soft law’ guidelines on preventing hate speech online, ensuring fair election coverage.