|
Association of European Journalists |
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
UK Section |
||||||
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|
|
|||
|
“Goodbye to
Freedom?” – European journalists’ report says media freedom
under threat in Europe |
||
|
7 November 2007 EMBARGOED UNTIL MIDNIGHT, FRIDAY 9 NOVEMBER
2007 The Association of European Journalists publishes Media Freedom Survey exposing serious barriers in 20 countries Media freedom is weak and under threat from growing political and economic pressures in many parts of Europe. That is the conclusion of a new Survey of Media Freedom in 20 European countries by the Association of European Journalists, a network of media professionals across the continent. The Survey, entitled Goodbye to Freedom? says that restrictive laws, unjustified political interventions, jail, death threats and in some cases even murder have been used to limit or suppress media freedom within Europe. It is written by journalists in 20 countries of the Council of Europe, the democracy and human rights organisation which requires its members to uphold media freedom and freedom of expression. The AEJ Survey covers challenges and setbacks for media freedom in the past year across Europe from Russia to Spain. It includes ten long-standing member states of the European Union, six states which joined the EU in the past three years, two aspiring members – Croatia and Turkey – and two states of the former Soviet Union, Russia and Armenia. |
|
The countries
included are Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech
Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands,
Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey and the UK. Miklos Hararszti, the Representative on Freedom of the Media for the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) said: I warmly welcome the publication of the AEJ Media Freedom Survey, which will help draw the public's attention to the dangers that the media faces today. To mention only a few of these threats, violence and intimidation against media workers, the criminal prosecution of journalists for publishing sensitive information, and public broadcasters' lack of independence are all obstacles to legitimate media freedom in old and new democracies alike. My Office is glad to cooperate with the AEJ for the benefit of media democratisation in East and West Europe and in all 56 member countries of the OSCE. Goodbye to Freedom? A Survey of Media Freedom across Europe is edited by William Horsley and published by the Association of European Journalists. William Horsley is the AEJ Media Freedom Representative and a former BBC news correspondent. He is also Chairman of the AEJ's UK Section. For further information, see Survey page and the news item, AEJ Media Freedom Workshop |
|
|
|
|