"There is a worldwide increase in hostility against journalists who report for external audiences, which especially impedes reporting from conflict areas and on important social and political matters. Some political leaders have sought to discredit and delegitimize both journalists from abroad and l
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ocals doing foreign correspondence, by branding them as threats to state security or spreaders of false information. When taking arbitrary actions and applying disproportionate restrictions on journalists reporting for external media, state authorities are breaching their obligations under international law. Mobilizations to strengthen protections for journalists’ safety and stamp out impunity have won increased support from governments, the legal community and other stakeholders; but the importance of protecting foreign correspondents merits more international attention." (Key trends, page 1)
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"This chapter examines the root causes, development, and corrosive effects of the progressive “capture” of influential media by populist governments and other vested interests in Central and Eastern Europe over the past 20 years. Many countries in the region have proved vulnerable to media captu
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re due to the weakness and partisan manipulation of democratic institutions in post-communist societies. In Russia, Hungary, and Poland, political forces have variously used oppressive laws and arbitrary penalties, intimidation and coercion, and regulatory and financial controls as well as inducements to gain a dominant share of media markets, advance their self-interested goals, and propagate their hold on power. The widespread instrumentalization of the media for political and economic gain represents an existential challenge to media diversity and the ethical principles of journalism, and has undermined media independence and the essential role of a free press as a public watchdog. Governments and their allies have promoted unethical practices by captive media including falsehoods and propaganda, biased reporting, intense pressures to self-censor, and smear campaigns aimed at discrediting opponents and suppressing critical voices. This analysis exposes the extent of the damage done and the immensity of the task of restoring conditions for media freedom to flourish." (Abstract)
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"The present study brings together a unique collection of open testimonies from 20 journalists working in different member states of the Council of Europe. Each of these journalists spoke about the risks and pressures they perceived and experienced in exercising their profession, as well as their st
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rategies to build resilience and carry on in their “mission to inform”. At times, the price these women and men have had to pay for standing by their obligation to inform the public in an impartial and complete way was enormous, ranging from intrusions and limitations on private and family life, to putting their lives at risk. This was, for example, the case of Daphne Caruana Galizia, who reported fearlessly on sensitive issues, notably corruption, and who was murdered just 10 days after giving a powerful interview for this book. This was the last interview Daphne Caruana Galizia ever gave. A sample of 20 interviews cannot be representative of the situation in the Council of Europe member states. The merit of these interviews is to further exemplify different forms of interference with press freedom already identified in the 2017 study, as well as journalists’ perceptions regarding the dangers of the profession and the strategies they employ to persevere in their work." (Foreword)
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"This book sets forth the issues to be considered by the OSCE participating States when evaluating what they can do to improve the climate for journalists in their countries. It also provides a practical guide which presents the steps they can take to ensure a media-friendly environment." (https://w
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ww.osce.org/fom/85777)
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"It's time to confront the tide of violence used by governments against journalists, argue two fighters for media freedom." (Abstract)
"The origins of World Press Freedom Day arise from a declaration signed by a group of African journalists who gathered at a UNESCO seminar on “Promoting an Independent and Pluralistic African Media” that was held in Windhoek, Namibia from 29 April to 3 May 1991. Subsequently, painstaking lobbyin
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g led to the proclamation of 3 May as an international day on press freedom by the United Nations General Assembly in 1993. This publication aims to commemorate the 20th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day by illuminating the trajectory of this important international event from its origins, following the historic Windhoek Declaration, to the present day. Issues of media freedom, safety of journalists, impunity, gender in the media, pluralism, independence and access to information, as well as the role of the Internet and other 21st century media developments are also covered." (Back cover)
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"The Initiative on Impunity and the Rule of Law is a global project of the Centre for Freedom of the Media (CFOM) at the University of Sheffield and the Centre for Law, Justice and Journalism (CLJJ) at City University, London. Our aims are to provide an independent platform to assess the effectivene
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ss of existing legal, political and institutional safeguards against violence directed at journalists because of their professional work; and to present the case for more effective international mechanisms to counter such crimes of violence and to end impunity." (Abstract)
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