News (Media)
Promoting Media Freedom: Focus on Western Balkans
Patrick Penninckx, Head of the Information Society Department of the Council of Europe made a key-note speech at the South East Europe Media Conference “The New Frontline: Working Together to Foster Media Freedom” organised by OSCE on 17 September 2020. Reviewing media freedom trends on a global,...
Council of Europe's work on information society presented to Ambassadors to Belgrade
Patrick Penninckx, the Head of the Information Society Department addressed the Ambassadors to Belgrade in a webinar on the 3rd of September 2020. He presented the work of the Council of Europe in the fields of freedom of expression, media freedom, data protection and artificial intelligence. He...
The impact of the health crisis on freedom of expression and media freedom - Report by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić
Over a year ago, the declaration adopted by the Committee of Ministers in Helsinki on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the Council of Europe stressed that "free and pluralist public debate is an essential condition for democracy and we must take firm action to reverse the recent...
Council of Europe publishes new Report on gender equality and media
A new analytical Report looking at the current legal and policy situation regarding gender equality and media has been jointly released by the Council of Europe’s Gender Equality Commission and Steering Committee on Media and Information Society. It examines the progress made since the adoption...
Updated course on Freedom of Expression available on the HELP platform
An updated version of the Council of Europe HELP (Human Rights Education for Legal Professionals) course on Freedom of Expression is now available on the HELP online platform. The course, which was initially developed in 2016, was updated, rebuilt and modernised jointly with the Council of Europe...
OSCE Human Dimension Meeting on Freedom of Expression, Media and Information
On June 23, 2020, P. Penninckx, Head of the Information Society Department, participated in the OSCE Supplementary Human Dimension Meeting on Freedom of Expression, Media and Information. In the area of freedom of expression, the OSCE and the Council of Europe pursue, within their distinct...
From pandemic to infodemic: countering disinformation amid COVID19
Patrick Penninckx, head of the Council of Europe Information Society Department, took part in an online exchange of views "From pandemic to infodemic: countering disinformation amid COVID19", organised by the Renew Europe group of the European Parliament on 4th of June 2020. Talking in a panel...
Online discussion on the impact of COVID-19 on media freedom
Media in times of crisis play an essential role and have a particular responsibility to provide accurate and reliable information to the public – such information are crucial for our health. The online discussion provided an opportunity to share experience among journalists, media professionals,...
LIBE exchange of views on disinformation in COVID-19 time
Patrick Penninckx, head of the Council of Europe Information Society Department, took part in an online exchange of views on disinformation in COVID-19 time, organised by the European Parliament Committee on Civil Liberties (LIBE) on 14th of May 2020. Talking to the members of the Democracy, Rule...
European Conference on the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the European Convention of Human Rights
An online conference to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) was hosted by the Norwegian city of Kristiansand on 5th of May. The audience was addressed by the President of the European Court of Human Rights, Linos-Alexandre Sicilianos, the former...
Importance of press freedom in times of pandemics
Protecting freedom of expression and media freedom in times of a pandemic is of vital importance. In almost all European countries people have been living in confinement for almost two months, a situation which has profoundly impacted on our communities, economies, families and daily lives. We...
COVID-19 and media freedom: human-rights compliant responses
The COVID-19 pandemic that has spread across the world since the beginning of 2020 poses a serious threat to the health, lives and future of all of us. Governments, health authorities and countless professionals are working tirelessly to contain the outbreak and to ...
Freedom of expression and information in times of crisis
Statement by the Council of Europe’s Committee of experts on media environment and reform (MSI-REF) The evolving coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic is causing a public health emergency. In this time of great public concern, it is of particular importance for member states to recognise the crucial...
Supporting Quality Journalism through Media and Information Literacy
The Council of Europe has recently published the Study on supporting quality journalism through media and information literacy prepared by the Committee of Experts on quality journalism in the digital age, rapporteurs Martina Chapman and Markus Oermann. The study analyses some 70 media and...
Last call for quality journalism? – International conference in Ljubljana
How can the sustainability of quality news be ensured? Which are the responsibilities of actors such as online platforms, educators, regulators, civil society and academia with regard to preserving quality journalism? To search for answers to these questions and to tackle other challenges that...
Chair of the CDMSI at the World Forum for Democracy
On 6 November 2019, ambassador Thomas Schneider, the Chair of the Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (CDMSI) contributed to the Lab of the World Forum for Democracy on "Building Resilience to Disinformation". The Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (CDMSI) is...
Threats to media freedom and journalists’ security in Europe presented at the LIBE hearing in Brussels
On 6 November, Head of Information Society Department, Patrick Penninckx intervened in a hearing on Freedom of Expression and Combating hate speech online and offline held by the Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs on Media Freedom in Brussels. He presented the Council of...
Meeting of the drafting group ahead of 2020 ministerial conference in Cyprus
The working group was set up to assist the Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (CDMSI) in preparing the draft resolutions in view of the ministerial conference « Artificial intelligence – Intelligent politics Challenges and opportunities for media and democracy » which will take...
CALL FOR REGISTRATION: (Last) call for quality journalism – Ljubljana, 28-29 November 2019
Conference on quality journalism and media and information literacy co-organised the Council of Europe and the Slovenian Ministry of Culture will take place in Ljubljana, National Gallery of Slovenia, on 28-29 November. The internet and digital technology have brought the world to our fingertips,...
Supporting media legislation reform in Montenegro
On October 1, 2019, Patrick Penninckx, head of the Information Society Department, met Aleksandar Bogdanovic, Minister of Culture of Montenegro, in Cetinje, in order to discuss about the current legislative reform of the media policy area, and the Future co-operation between the Council of Europe...
"Everyone has the right to freedom of expression"
Art. 10 European Convention on Human Rights
Search tool
Publications
Adopted texts
Leaflets
Videos
Events
related coe websites
