Council of Europe Media Freedom

30/03/2026

🔎 Defending Truth: journalists’ safety & quality journalism in focus

📅 On 23 April 2026, join us in for the conference

“Defending Truth: Comprehensive approaches to journalistic safety and quality journalism”, organised under the Moldovan Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.

As part of the Campaign, the event will explore how to move from reaction to prevention, addressing:
- journalists’ safety in the digital and disinformation era
- the role of quality journalism in building trust
- media literacy and youth engagement
- concrete national and European solutions

📅 Registration is open until 12 April here:

Organised under the Moldovan Presidency of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, the event aims to address one of the key conditions for resilient democracies: a safe, pluralistic, and trusted information environment. Independent and quality journalism is a cornerstone of democratic l...

13/03/2026

The Council of Europe is participating in the 2026 edition of the Voices - European Festival of Journalism and Media Freedom in Florence, joining journalists, policymakers, media professionals and civil society representatives from across Europe.

Through its , the Organisation is raising awareness about the importance of safe and enabling environments for journalists and promoting its work to strengthen the safety of journalists across member States.

Artemiza-Tatiana Chisca, Head of the Freedom of Expression and CDMSI Division, is contributing to the roundtable “Safeguarding media pluralism in the algorithmic era”, bringing the Council of Europe’s perspective to discussions on the future of media pluralism and platform governance.

(anglais seulement) The Council of Europe is taking part in the 2026 edition of the Voices – European Festival of Journalism and Media Freedom in Florence, joining journalists, policymakers,...

03/03/2026

03/03/2026

The Europe Press Freedom Report is out!
Available in En and 🇫🇷
👉 https://go.coe.int/LjTes

European Federation of Journalists - EFJ IFJ - International Federation of Journalists Association of European Journalists UK
ARTICLE 19 Reporters sans frontières / Reporters Without Borders / RSF Committee to Protect Journalists Index on Censorship International Press Institute International News Safety Institute

09/02/2026

The Council of Europe Division for Cooperation on Freedom of Expression has launched a call for provision of consultancy services for building societal resilience to disinformation, with a focus on one or more of the following areas: freedom of expression and the media, culture, education, and youth. (Framework contract until 31 December 2030)

Deadline for questions: 24 February 2026, 16:00 Strasbourg time
Deadline for tendering: 3 March 2026, 16:00 Strasbourg time.

Applications must be submitted through the Council of Europe e-procurement platform: https://eproc.coe.int/callfortenders/11013

17/12/2025

🛡️ Protecting journalists through cooperation: learning from the Netherlands

On 16 December, the Council of Europe’s campaign organised a study visit in Amsterdam to explore the
PersVeilig model - a national mechanism bringing together journalists, media organisations, police and prosecutors to respond to threats against journalists.

Hosted by the Dutch Journalists’ Union (NVJ), participants discussed how trust-based cooperation, clear protocols, a dedicated helpdesk and targeted training can improve both prevention and response.

The exchange focused on how such practices can inspire national coordination mechanisms in other countries, strengthening safety, accountability and press freedom.

👉 The Council of Europe continues to support concrete actions to protect journalists and safeguard democratic debate across Europe.

On 16 December 2025, the Journalists Matter campaign organised a one-day study visit to Amsterdam focused on the Dutch PersVeilig model for the safety of journalists. The visit was hosted at...

11/12/2025

📘 The Mid-Term Evaluation Report of the hashtag Campaign adopted by the hashtag , which was entrusted by the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers to coordinate this hashtag initiative. Prepared by an independent expert, the report draws on extensive surveys and interviews, confirming progress since 2023 - from active national focal points to deeper dialogue between journalists and authorities.

🚧It also highlights key challenges that require renewed attention: sustaining national structures, engaging media owners, enhancing visibility, and addressing growing threats such as online harassment, gender-based abuse, SLAPPs, and economic pressures on journalism.

💬The findings will guide discussions at the 2026 hashtag meeting and Campaign annual conference under the Moldovan Presidency, shaping its next steps.

Full report here:

Entrusted by the Committee of Ministers to launch and coordinate the Journalists Matter Campaign, the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (CDMSI) adopted...

10/11/2025

👏 New training to help protect journalists from abusive legal actions

The Council of Europe has launched a Training Programme on Countering SLAPPs — part of its efforts to defend freedom of expression and support journalists and others speaking out in the public interest.

Developed under the EU–Council of Europe Horizontal Facility for the Western Balkans and Türkiye, the course helps judges, prosecutors and lawyers identify and respond to abusive lawsuits in line with European standards.

📘 Materials are free to download and can be adapted to national contexts.
Users are encouraged to acknowledge the source, inform the Council of Europe, and involve certified trainers.

Together, we can strengthen the fight against SLAPPs and protect the right to speak up.

Read more: https://www.coe.int/en/web/freedom-expression/-/new-training-programme-helps-protect-journalists-from-abusive-legal-tactics

17/10/2025

🕯️ As we remember Daphne Caruana Galizia, 8 years after her assassination, we are reminded not only of her courage — but also of the responsibility her legacy places on all of us.

In the aftermath of her assassination, the Council of Europe sought to give meaning to the promise that such a tragedy should never happen again.

It developed and adopted Recommendation CM/Rec(2024)2 of the Committee of Ministers to member States on Countering the Use of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) — a concrete step to protect journalists and others who speak out in the public interest from legal harassment and intimidation.

Standards are available, the Council of Europe stands ready to support member States in their effective implementation.

🖋️

Republic Street, Valletta / Malta - 08/07/2019. Padlocks on a railing near the Victory Monument, Republic Street, Valletta, Malta. Messages demanding Justice for Daphne Caruana Galizi On 5...

22/09/2025

Disinformation is a growing challenge for democracies across Europe — undermining trust, dividing communities, and threatening democratic values.

To respond, the Council of Europe has launched RESIST - Strengthening Societal Resilience to Disinformation in Europe, a new project unveiled in Malta.

RESIST will bring practical tools and cooperation to help countries build stronger, whole-of-society strategies against disinformation.
EEA and Norway Grants

Learn more:

Disinformation is one of the most pressing threats to democracy in Europe, undermining trust in institutions and polarising societies. To counter this challenge, the Council of Europe today...

17/06/2025

✍️ Journalists Matter. So does their safety.

In an increasingly hostile environment for media professionals, the Council of Europe launched the hashtag campaign in October 2023 — a strong call to promote press freedom and enhance the protection of journalists across its member States.

Rooted in the Council of Europe’s 2016 Recommendation on journalist safety, the campaign is more urgent than ever. The 2025 Report by the Secretary General, Towards a New Democratic Pact for Europe (https://go.coe.int/y48DE), confirms that institutional responses to threats and violence remain largely ineffective — putting press freedom in a fragile state.

🎯 Goal: to mobilise member States to take real, coordinated action to ensure journalists can report freely and safely.

➡️ Free journalism is not a luxury. It’s the cornerstone of democracy. Let’s protect those who inform us, challenge us, and ultimately serve the public interest.

📣 Join the campaign, take action, and spread the word: hashtag
https://go.coe.int/EQMZc