Freedom of expression and freedom of the media, offline and online, are basic preconditions for a democratic and diverse society. Media play a key role in providing accurate, reliable information to foster people’s understanding and ensure informed participation in public debate. The Council of Europe promotes an enabling environment for freedom of expression, underpinned by legal guarantees for independence and diversity of media and for safety of journalists and others working in the media.
 

The Media and Internet division works on a range of freedom of expression issues, such as the protection of journalism and the safety of journalists, building a favourable environment for quality journalism, defamation issues, gender equality in the media, and the fight against hate speech. The division issues publications on relevant topics and organises activities, such as conferences, seminars and other events to foster discussions on how to best preserve freedom of expression and information in Europe, also assisting the work of the Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (CDMSI). Its actions are based on the case law of the European Court of Human Rights and other key legal texts such as the Tromsø Convention on access to official documents and include a combination of standard-setting activities, technical assistance through cooperation programmes and monitoring activities. Input from civil society is particularly important and there are various ways for NGOs to get involved.