25 Amendments of Massimiliano SMERIGLIO related to 2022/2057(INI)
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1
Paragraph 1
1. Recalls that freedom of expression is a fundamental human right enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and includes the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authorities or commercial entities and regardless of frontiers; deplores, however, that some governments, commercial entities and individuals in positions of power around the globe are systematically threatening this right;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
1a. Highlights the essential role that journalists and editorial teams play to impart information, allowing the public to access reliable news, to sharpen their insights and hold opinions on issues of public interest; recalls that journalism has been considered an essential “third party” to ensure checks and balances in democratic systems while ensuring pluralistic, public and independent reporting on news ; insists in this respect that such role requires a safe environment for journalists and other media professionals to work and live;
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes with regret that there has been a rise in violence towards journalists and media professionals, which is increasingly happening in countries officially at peace including in the European Union and is creating a general sense of insecurity; deplores that 5763 journalists have been killed inbetween the 6th of January and the 20th of November 20221 , 78 journalists are being held hostage and 478 journalists are currently imprisoned over the world2 ; demands that all detained journalists be released immediately; _________________ 1 https://cpj.org/data/killed/2022/?status=Kill ed&motiveConfirmed%5B%5D=Confirme d&motiveUnconfirmed%5B%5D=Unconfi rmed&type%5B%5D=Journalist&type%5 B%5D=Media%20Worker&start_year=20 22&end_year=2022&group_by=location 2 https://rsf.org/en/number-journalists- arbitrary-detention-surges-20-488- including-60-women
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Strongly condemns the severe violations of the principles of the rule of law in some Member States, which are causing serious danger in relation to fundamental rights and freedoms, including media freedom; emphasises the link between deteriorating rule of law standards and violations of fundamental rights, amongst which attacks against journalists and free media, and the widespread collection of intercepted data with direct effects on silencing journalists, and calls on the Commission to use all available means to take action against these attacks;
Amendment 26 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Paragraph 2 c (new)
Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 d (new)
Paragraph 2 d (new)
2d. Highlights the crucial need of a safe environment for journalists to carry out their jobs; warns on the far-reaching effects of financial or political pressures on editors and journalists that can result in widespread self-censorship; in this context calls for the promotion of best practices to safeguard the editorial independence of media services including in their structural organisation and management, as well as measures to ensure the public disclosure of actual or potential conflicts of interest by any party having a stake in media service providers that may affect the provision of news and current affairs content; encourages at the same time the setting-up at national level of risk mitigation strategies to protect journalists covering protests and demonstrations;
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3
Paragraph 3
3. Highlights that the freedom of media and media pluralism have increasingly come under threat in recent years with the combined effects of digitalisation and related evolving revenue models, market consolidation and globalisation of media streams, and that hate speech, disinformation and propaganda are growing trends in the digital or online media landscape worldwide; notes that this trend has been intensexemplified by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war of aggression against Ukraine; believes that this situation should be considered a general threat to the values the European Union stands for as a global actor and to democracy as a whole; puts at risk the values the European Union stands for as a global actor and to democracy as a whole; recalls that a strong and independent media landscape requires economic sustainability of the media; in this context, welcomes the EU Media and Audiovisual Action Plan specific actions such as ‘NEWS’1a, aimed at facilitating access to finance through loans and equity finance for media services organisations, and countering the emergence of ‘news deserts’; _________________ 1a https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/HTML/?uri=CELEX:52 020DC0784&from=EN
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 b (new)
Paragraph 3 b (new)
3b. Acknowledges that the recent scandal of surveillance of journalists through spying software such as Pegasus or Predator is a direct attack to independence of medias and violates the protection of sources at the basis of the profession in order to collect information freely and reliably; looks forward to the conclusion of the European Parliament’s inquiry committee and its recommendations to better protect citizens and journalists from undue and oppressive use of such software in the future.
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the EU and the Member States to re-evaluate the profound links between media freedom and democracy and identify pathways to rebuild safe spaces for information and communication with a particular focus onidentify pathways to rebuild safe spaces for information and communication including in the digital sphere, with a particular focus on fact-checking tools for media professionals and the spreading of best practices in the profession, making best use of new technologies such as the Journalism Trust Initiative 1a, professional training on digital skills, as well as empowering citizens through education on information and media literacy; _________________ 1a https://www.journalismtrustinitiative.org/ education for information and media literacy;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Expresses concerns about the so called ‘news fatigue’ , a growing lack of interest in seeking information especially from younger generations and the serious effects this may have on the future functioning of our democratic systems; recalls that citizens nowadays increasingly access news and editorial content through online platforms that influence access to information; calls for more media information literacy and digital literacy in educational curricula for younger generations in order to better equip them with methods on how to access effectively information, sort sources, debunk disinformation and address online incivilities with the objective of helping them to manage ‘infodemia’ while underlining the societal value of journalism and rebuilding trust in the media; in this respect, looks forward to the Commission’s mid-term review of the Digital Education Action Plan (2012- 2027);
Amendment 53 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that in order to improve its external governance, the EU needs to lead by example and deliver on its domestic media policy ambitions with full coherence and consistency; welcomes, in this context, the adoption of the Digital Services Act3 , and the recently published proposals for acalls for effective measures to be introduced in the future directive against ‘strategic lawsuits against public participation’ (the anti-SLAPP directive) (COM(2022)0177) and the European Media Freedom Act (COM(2022)0457), which are signs the EU is taking a more robust approach to media policies; _________________ , including training and funding for journalists and lawyers to be able and better defend journalists, and in the recently published European Media Freedom Act (COM(2022)0457) and accompanying Recommendation1a ; believes these texts are signs the EU is taking a more robust approach to media policies; takes the view that these could be inspirational for other regions in the world and contribute to set positive global standards; _________________ 1a https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal- content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:32022H16 34 3 OJ L 277, 27.10.2022, p. 1.
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Highlights the relevance of specific support for the protection of journalists and media independence and salutes dedicated actions in the Creative Europe programme, notably to foster rapid response mechanisms to protect journalists under threat;
Amendment 66 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Paragraph 5 c (new)
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Paragraph 5 d (new)
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 e (new)
Paragraph 5 e (new)
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6
Paragraph 6
6. Calls on the Commission to include suspension mechanisms in the EU’s multilateral and bilateral partnership or trade agreements; invites the Commission to support and monitor media freedom and use targeted sanctions or suspend agreements in the event of persistent and systematic violation of media freedom, including when these violations are taking place in the European Union;
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Invites the Commission to implement emergency visas for journalists at risk and engage in outreach to support journalists at risk via delegations abroad regarding in-country assistance and trial monitoring for non-EU states
Amendment 82 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Supports the creation for a Special Envoy of the UN Secretary-General for the Safety of Journalists enabling to increase prevention and raise the costs of crimes against journalists while providing concrete and rapid help towards the defence of journalists namely getting journalists released, establishing protective measures and contributing to the administration of independent justice against perpetrators.
Amendment 85 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7
Paragraph 7
7. Recalls that the Russian disinformation campaign before and during the war on Ukraine has triggered urgent sanctions that are partially being evaded by state mediacontrolled media outlets ; calls therefore for an appropriate and sustainable legal framework establishing a free information space protection mechanism based on the reciprocity of openness requirements; believes that this mechanism should be built on two pillars: 1) equal treatment – for all audio-visual outlets broadcasting on EU territory; 2) reciprocity – openness of public space for EU broadcasters in third countries and territories.
Amendment 87 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 a (new)
Paragraph 7 a (new)
7a. Underlines that safety of journalists and of journalism is as important in peacetime as in wartime; underlines however, the specific challenges that arose in the context of the war of aggression from Russia against Ukraine with the context of global disinformation campaign from Russian regime; calls the EU to keep supporting journalists fleeing censorship and state campaigns of propaganda in helping them to change territory, to continue operating from a safe place and to reinstall their independent media outside their country to continue providing freely reported and reliable information.
Amendment 91 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Paragraph 7 b (new)
Amendment 93 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 7 c (new)
Paragraph 7 c (new)
7c. More generally, encourages EU and national policies to address causes of distress and insecurity in the journalistic profession, should it originate in reporting under dangerous conditions or in other causes including denigration or intimidation.