How to protect journalists and other media actors? Implementation guide

In response to the alarming and unacceptable level of threats to journalists and media actors in Europe, and given the damaging effect on the functioning of democratic society, in April 2016, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe adopted Recommendation CM/Rec(2016)4 on the protection of journalism and safety of journalists and other media actors.

This document aims to assist member States in the implementation of selected areas of the protection and prosecution pillars of the Guidelines contained in the Appendix to the Recommendation and to provide guidance to other stakeholders such as journalists and other media actors.

The priority areas have been identified in consultation with civil society and journalists’associations througha questionnaire, taking into account the priorities set by various bodies/departments of the Council of Europe which work in the area of safety of journalists and the protection of journalism.

For each priority area identified in the Protection and Prosecution pillars of the Recommendation, the Implementation guide:

• Establishes indicators in order to generate baseline information against which progress in the implementation of the Recommendation can be assessed;
• Provides background information, including references tothe case-law of the European Court of Human Rights and to other sources;
• Highlights valuable practices in the area3which have emerged so far, taking into account both the input of journalists and journalist associations, as well as the contributions of memberStates;
• Makes suggestions to state authorities on possible ways to implement the Recommendation, including in cooperation with other relevant stakeholders;
• Offers a self-assessment tool for member States in the form of a questionnaire to help them review the state of implementation of the Recommendation in their respective jurisdictions