Campaign for the Safety of Journalists: National chapters Newsroom
Activities of Council of Europe
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Journalists Matter in Helsinki: dialogue, preparedness and new challenges for media freedom
The annual Journalists Matter seminar organised in Helsinki by Mediapooli, which chairs the Finnish National Campaign Committee under the Council of Europe campaign, brought together journalists, media representatives, law enforcement, public authorities, researchers, and civil society to discuss...
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The Steering Committee for Media and Information Society (CDMSI) Chair statement on World Press Freedom Day
Full text of the statement: The World Press Freedom Day is an opportunity to recall how essential it is for the Council of Europe and its member States to remain firmly committed to protecting journalists and safeguarding media freedom as core pillars of democratic societies. This year’s...
Journalists matter campaign annual conference in Chișinău
Journalists Matter: Preventing attacks on journalists and media freedom across Europe
Due to the growing evidence of deteriorating conditions for journalists and media freedom across Europe, in 2023 the Council of Europe launched the Council of Europe Journalists Matter campaign for the safety of journalists, a pan-European initiative to promote press freedom and protect...
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Focal Points meet in Chișinău to advance the Journalists Matter Campaign
National Focal Points from across Council of Europe member States gathered in Chișinău, Republic of Moldova, on 22 April 2026 for the 4th meeting under the Journalists Matter Campaign, hosted by the Moldovan Presidency to the Council of Europe Committee of Ministers. The meeting marked an...
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2025 progress and ongoing action - Journalists Matter Campaign
The Journalists Matter Campaign is making steady progress across Europe in protecting journalists and promoting press freedom. In 2025, the Campaign focused on the prosecution of crimes against journalists and measures to end impunity. You can now check the latest updates, achievements, and key...
International Day to end impunity for crimes against journalists
Marking International Day to end impunity for crimes against journalists, the Council of Europe has noted the continuing threats faced by media professionals across Europe and highlighted the organisation’s continued work to ensure accountability for crimes committed against them. Each year,...
High number of killings, detentions, and threats against journalists underline urgent need to fight impunity
International Day to end impunity for crimes against journalists
As the world marks the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, data from the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists paint a stark picture of the growing risks faced by media professionals. Against this background, the...
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The Journalists Matter Campaign meets the Platform for the Safety of Journalists in Vienna
On the margins of the International Press Institute (IPI) World Congress, the Journalists Matter Campaign, and the Secretariat of the Council of Europe Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (CDMSI), met with partners from the Council of Europe Platform for the Safety of Journalists...
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Journalists Matter Campaign at the Press Play Prague Film Festival
The Council of Europe’s Journalists Matter Campaign participated in this year’s Press Play Prague International Film Festival, themed “Journalists Under Pressure”. The collaboration underscored the intersection of culture, public awareness, and media freedom, drawing attention to the challenges...
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Finland’s media-led Journalists Matter Campaign committee meeting
A Journalists Matter mission to Helsinki showcased how Finland is protecting journalists and strengthening media freedom through a media-led National Campaign Committee, chaired by Mediapooli. The Committee brings together media companies, unions, authorities, and experts four times a year. Among...
Journalists Matter Campaign annual conference: Luxembourg announces action plan to protect journalists
The 2025 annual thematic conference of the Council of Europe ‘Journalists Matter’ Campaign for the Safety of Journalists brought together in Luxembourg on 29 April some 150 journalists, prosecutors, judges, media regulators, civil society and state authorities to examine the challenges in...
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National Focal Points advance work on journalists’ safety in Luxembourg
The third meeting of the National Focal Points to the Journalists Matter Campaign gathered representatives from across Europe to discuss ongoing efforts to improve the safety of journalists and strengthen media freedom. The meeting focused on progress made under the Campaign, particularly in...
Journalist safety campaign: improving cooperation between journalists and police at public events
As part of the Council of Europe's Campaign for the Safety of Journalists "Journalists Matter", a special seminar in Strasbourg is bringing together representatives of governments, police forces, press freedom organisations and associations of journalists to discuss the role of the police in...
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Second meeting of National Focal Points under the Council of Europe 'Journalists Matter' Campaign
The second meeting on the National Focal Points to the Council of Europe Campaign for the Safety of Journalists- Journalists Matter took place in Strasbourg on 20-21 June 2024. After a first inaugural meeting National Focal Points under the Journalists Matter Campaign that coincided with the...
World Press Freedom Day
2024 election year: Secretary General urges governments to protect journalists to safeguard democracy
In a statement to mark World Press Freedom Day on 3 May, Council of Europe Secretary General Marija Pejčinović Burić said: “As millions of citizens in Europe and other continents vote in crucial elections in 2024, we must recall the critical role that journalists and quality media play in...
Journalists Matter Campaign introduced to the project launch promoting freedom of expression in Georgia
The Journalists Matter Campaign for the Safety of Journalists was presented during the launch of the new cooperation project “Supporting Freedom of Expression and Media in Georgia (SFEM-GE)”,in Tbilisi on 26 March. The launch event of the two-year project addresses the freedom of expression needs...
Meeting of the Secretariat of the Journalists Matter Campaign with the Partners of Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists
On the occasion of the launch of their 2024 annual report in Thessaloniki, Greece, the Secretariat of the Council of Europe Campaign for the Safety of Journalists – Journalists Matter, met with the Partners of the Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists (the...
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The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe recommends that member States strengthen support to safe and free journalism and to engage in the Campaign for the Safety of Journalists - Journalists Matter
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) adopted a Recommendation and a Resolution based on the Report Guaranteeing media freedom and the safety of journalists: an obligation of member States. The report, presented by Mr Mogens Jensen, the General Rapporteur for Media Freedom...
Local and regional media: Council of Europe Congress calls for more support to prevent local media deserts
Grassroots media play a key role in upholding local democracy, and authorities at all levels can and should take steps to strengthen grassroots media, finds a new report on local and regional media, presented by co-rapporteurs, Cecilia Dalman Eek (Sweden, SOC/G/PD) and Mélanie Lepoultier (France,...
First meeting of the National Focal Points for the Council of Europe Campaign for the Safety of Journalists
The first meeting of National Focal Points for the Council of Europe’s Campaign for the Safety of Journalists Journalists Matter took place at the National Library of Latvia, marking the official launch of the Campaign. The gathering provided a first opportunity for dialogue among representatives...
“Journalists matter”: Council of Europe launches campaign for the safety of journalists
The Council of Europe has launched a continent-wide Campaign for the Safety of Journalists to be run under the slogan “Journalists matter”, aimed at improving the safety of journalists and protecting media freedom across the continent, as well as raising awareness about the role journalists play...
Conference in Riga on freedom of expression and safety of journalists: campaign launch
The Latvian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Culture and the Ombudsman’s Office, together with the Council of Europe, are organising an international conference in Riga on 5 and 6 October on freedom of expression and the safety of journalists. Organised as part of the Latvian...
Workshop on the existing initiatives on the safety of journalists
On 1st and 2nd of June, the Media and Internet division of the Information Society Department of the Council of Europe is organising a workshop on the existing initiatives on the safety of journalists. This workshop is taking place in Strasbourg and brings together representatives of Council of...
The Council of Europe Campaign for the Safety of Journalists presented in Brussels
The Media and Internet Governance of the Information Society Department of the Council of Europe was represented by Ms Rodica Ciochina at the final conference Safety4Journalists, organized by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) on the occasion of World Press Freedom Day. During the...
Armenia
Armenia promotes awareness of press freedom and journalists’ safety through outreach and engagement activities
Throughout 2025, Armenian authorities continued efforts to promote awareness of press freedom, journalists’ safety and the role of the media in democratic societies. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Armenia engaged actively with journalists through annual foreign policy training...
Armenia strengthens national capacity on countering SLAPPs
As part of Armenia’s efforts to strengthen safeguards against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), a representative of the Ministry of Justice participated in the Council of Europe’s Training of Trainers on SLAPPs. The training focused on the characteristics of SLAPPs,...
