Press Freedom Day: EU underlines support to global press freedom
Brussels, Belgium (PANA) - While the preservation of free, independent and pluralistic media is vital for resilient and healthy democracies, press freedom is at stake in most parts of the world today, says a statement issued on Tuesday by the European Union (EU) to mark this year’s Press Freedom Day.
“Journalists, media workers and all those who bring independent quality information to the public, shed light on the gross human rights violations and atrocities and hold those in power to account increasingly face discredit, threats and attacks, including through disinformation,” the EU High Representative asserted in the statement issued ahead of the occasion observed annually on 3 May.
According to the statement, reporters in an attacked Ukraine, journalists in Belarus and Afghanistan, independent media in the Middle East and North Africa, local journalists in Central America, the Nobel Prize laureates in the Philippines and Russia and many other media workers worldwide, including in Europe, continue to pay a high price for exercising their profession.
“Women journalists are particularly vulnerable to threats and increasing attacks, both offline and online. They are exposed to stigmatisation, sexist hate speech, trolling, sexual and gender-based violence and even murder. 73% of women journalists have experienced online threats, abuse and harassment in the course of their work. We have never seen as many women journalists in detention as today,” the EU High Representative pointed out.
As a staunch defender of the right to freedom of expression, the EU has condemned all forms of threats and violence against journalists and supported media workers in danger through local missions and via dedicated programmes, such as the ‘Safejournalists’ platform in the Western Balkans, the Support to independent media and fundamental freedoms project in Cambodia and the Media Resilience programme in Afghanistan.
In parallel, the EU gave the assurance that it is taking action within the Union: countering Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP), regulating digital services and markets, and proposing an EU Media Freedom Act.
“Simultaneously, we are building up critical capacity to counter foreign information manipulation and interference, and to help citizens in Europe strengthen their resilience to disinformation, manipulation and propaganda, with initiatives such as the EUvsDisinfo platform and the European Digital Media Observatory.
“Defending and promoting press freedom is a universal mission that knows no borders. The EU will remain committed to engage with governments, the media and civil society, both in international fora as well as at the local level, to take initiative and strengthen press freedom around the world,” the High Representative added.
-0- PANA AR/MA 2May2023
