The Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists, through which media freedom organisations and associations of journalists inform the Council of Europe and disseminate information on alleged violations of media freedom has two new partners – The Rory Peck Trust and the International News Safety Institute.
Tina Carr, Director of Rory Peck Trust and Anna Bevan, Assistant Director of the International News Safety Institute signed the agreement to join the platform with Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland.
“Rory Peck Trust and the International News Safety Institute are important additions to the Council of Europe Platform, due to the specific focus of their work on freelance journalism and the safety and security of journalists, in conflict and war zones. For us, partnership with media organisations, through the Platform, is essential: it allows us to have a better picture of media freedom in member states and to respond faster and in a systemic manner to developments”, said Thorbjørn Jagland following the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding.
The Platform was launched in December 2014, to facilitate dissemination of information on serious threats regarding media freedom and safety of journalists in member states, so that the Council of Europe could be alerted about threats in a systematic way and take timely and co-ordinated action when necessary.
Currently there are eight partner organisations entitled to post alerts to the platform, subject to their own verification processes. Since April 2015, when the platform became operational, partner organisations have issued 259 alerts in 34 member states. 66 alerts concern physical attacks on journalists, 59 alerts - the detention and imprisonment of journalists, 11 impunity cases, 31 concern harassment or intimidation of journalists, and another 92 - acts that have a chilling effect on media freedom.
