Experts, monitoring organizations, journalists have come together for the media freedom in Europe. Throughout 2014, the network members will monitor media freedom violations and draft a report at the end of the year.
The network members are as follows: H-Alter (Croatia), The Press Project (Greece), Vijesti (Montenegro), Mediapool (Bulgaria), Dilema Veche (Romania), Dnevnik (Slovenia), Radio Popolare (Italy), 24 Vesti (Macedonia), Beta (Serbia) and bianet (Turkey).
Media freedom and freedom of expression are the core of a democratic society. Despite this, in Europe journalists are sometimes threatened, censured or intimidated and this affects the citizens' right to information.
Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso (OBC), together with South East Europe Media Organization (SEEMO), Ossigeno Informazione, Professor Eugenia Siapera (Dublin City University) and a broad network of media partners in 11 European countries, will devote 2014 to studying the freedom of the press in Italy, South East Europe and Turkey as part of the "Safety Net for European Journalists" Project.
“OBC and its partners work together to establish a truly transnational public sphere, starting from the grass-roots and involving European citizens to discuss about a fundamental issue for democracy as media freedom,” Luisa Chiodi, OBC’s scientific director, said.
“With an innovative approach, we want to overcome the EU democratic deficit, strengthen the European political project and contribute to a citizens’ Europe.”
As part of the project, which is financed by European Commission-DG Connect – on Feb 1st the partners began monitoring and documenting in detail press freedom violations in Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Greece, the Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Turkey and Italy.
News and monitoring reports are being published, violations documented and a scientific research covers the 11 countries exploring the needs of journalists under threat. A manual will also be issued showing concrete ways to support the journalists at risk.
Next May, OBC will launch an online crowdsourcing platform to collect data on the issue while social media will function as loudspeakers to sensitize the European public about a widespread and serious problem.
* Click here to take a look at the project's presentation.
This publication has been produced with the assistance of the European Union. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso and its partners and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union. The project's page: Safety Net for European Journalists. A Transnational Support Network for Media Freedom in Italy and South-east Europe.
* Click here to read the article in Turkish.
