“Where there is a lack of local media, democracy and human rights suffer. The decline of local media directly affects the exercise of free expression, access to information and media pluralism”, stressed Mélanie Lepoultier (France, ILDG), Deputy Permanent Rapporteur of the Congress on Human Rights, on 29 October 2024 in Strasbourg.

Speaking at the Conference on the Protection of Journalists, she recalled the key role of local and regional media as guardians of democracy. The Congress highlighted this role in its Recommendation 498 (2023) on ‘Local and regional media: watchdogs of democracy, guardians of community cohesion’. “These media follow political events on a more precise scale, close to the citizens they inform; they also hold local and regional elected representatives to account and enable ‘informed’ citizens to feel more involved in local political life,” underlined the Congress Rapporteur.

She also recalled that even small towns and cities were not immune to the effects of major political events, such as the conflict in the Middle East, hence the importance of protecting journalists throughout Europe.