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 current challenges linked to journalist safety and media freedom.

The discussions focused on online harassment, preparedness against hybrid threats, trust in media, public interest journalism, and cooperation between media and authorities.

Among the topics addressed was the growing escalation of online violence against women in the public sphere, particularly women journalists and public communicators. It was highlighted how digital abuse increasingly translates into offline harm and contributes to a chilling effect on freedom of expression, especially in the context of AI-driven disinformation and misogynistic online campaigns.

The seminar also featured discussions on online harassment targeting journalists, as well as presentations by representatives of the Swedish Media Publishers’ Association and Swedish police. They presented a pilot project launched in Sweden to strengthen cooperation between local police and media actors through regional dialogue meetings involving police, municipalities, local newspapers, and publishers’ associations, with the aim of improving prevention and response to threats against journalists.

Even in a country consistently ranking among the strongest in Europe for press freedom and safety of journalists, as is Finland, participants stressed that continuous dialogue and awareness-raising remain essential. The Helsinki seminar illustrated the core objective of the Journalists Matter campaign: fostering practical cooperation, exchange of good practices, and stronger coordination among all actors involved in protecting journalism and democracy.