Democracy is too precious to be allowed to wither away, says OSCE Media Freedom Representative

VIENNA, 4 November 2022 – Over the past six months, we have witnessed the sharpest deterioration of media freedom since the establishment of the mandate of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) 25 years ago; no one can afford to look away, not to act and not to stand up.

“Democracy and media freedom are too precious to be allowed to wither away. It is our shared responsibility to turn our political commitments into reality, in order to preserve our common security, our democracies and a free information space,” said OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro at her bi-annual meeting with the Permanent Council in Vienna yesterday.

In the report, the Representative outlined worrying developments that led to this grim situation. With the ongoing war by the Russian Federation against Ukraine and with the continued systematic crackdown on independent journalism and media freedom in the Russian Federation and in Belarus, the picture of media freedom is bleak.

“Those who freely speak their minds, who seek the truth, who hold those in power to account are under attack. As the latest incidents against Dmitry Muratov and the Novaya Gazeta show, not even a Nobel Peace Prize can protect from attacks and illegitimate persecution,” Ribeiro said.

Journalists and media workers reporting from the conflict zones of Ukraine are working under the most dangerous and difficult conditions, taking high personal risks and facing immense safety threats. In addition, outside of conflict situations, the media are often targeted.

“To be a journalist today requires a lot of resilience and commitment, especially as anti-media sentiment and distrust towards the media is rising, and the pressure on media actors is increasing, be it of political, economic, legal or financial nature,” the Representative said. “The risks, threats and attacks that journalists face these days for doing their job make journalism a dangerous profession.”

In her report, the Representative discussed the recent activities and initiatives of her Office to tackle the manifold challenges for media freedom in the OSCE region, from countering disinformation to promoting safety of journalists; from content moderation and artificial intelligence in times of crisis to promoting media literacy.

The year 2022 was also marked by the work of the Advisory Group of Eminent Experts on Freedom of the Media that was established in commemoration of the 25 years of the RFoM mandate. The group discussed current and emerging trends and challenges and the way they affect media freedom; how social, economic, and environmental developments affect media freedom; and how the digital transformation shapes the media landscape. The outcome report and recommendations therein will serve as a guiding tool for the work ahead.

In ending the report to the Permanent Council, Ribeiro underlined that the coming years will be most challenging for those upholding the cause of freedom of the media.

“We will need vigilance, collaborative thinking and collective action. It is our shared responsibility to ensure media freedom.”

The Representative’s full report is available here.

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. She provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.