Activities of Alexis GEORGOULIS related to 2022/2057(INI)
Shadow opinions (1)
OPINION on the protection of journalists around the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter
Amendments (21)
Amendment 1 #
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 and regardless of frontiers; deplores, however, that some governments and individu, in Article 10 of the Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms of the Council of Europe and in Article 11 of the Charta of Fundamental Rights of the European Union; recalls that this fundamental human right includes the freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authorities and regardless of frontiers; stresses that the rights to freedom of expression and information are indispensable conditions for journalists, in order to assist citizens' active participation in a democratic society, for the realisation of the principles of transparency and accountability; recalls in positions of power around the globe are systematically threatening this rightthat public authorities have the duty not only to refrain from implementing restrictions on freedom of expression, but also the obligation to adopt a legal and regulatory framework which fosters the development of free, independent and pluralistic journalism, and the responsibility to ensure that journalists and their sources are protected by strong laws, the prosecution of perpetrators and ample security where necessary;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Paragraph 1 a (new)
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 b (new)
Paragraph 1 b (new)
1b. Is deeply concerned regarding the challenge sector-specific pathogenies that need relevantly sector-specific policy intervention, including in the online environment;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 1 c (new)
Paragraph 1 c (new)
1c. Is deeply concerned regarding the challenge sector-specific pathogenies such as already deeply established networks promoting the bribery of financially-dependent journalists to drive public opinion towards desired directions, against public interests;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2
Paragraph 2
2. Notes with regret that there has beenIs deeply concerned that journalists, especially female journalists, and other media actors are facing increasing violence, acts of aggression, intimidation, threats, harassment, pressure, self-censorship, public shaming and even assassination as a result of carrying out their job to protect the public interest; notes with regret that a rise in violence towards journalists and media professionals, which is increasingly happening in countries officially at peace and is, creating a general sense of insecurity; deploresis shocked that 57 journalists have been killed in 20221 , 78 journalists are being held hostage and 478 journalists are currently imprisoned2 ; demands that all detained journalists be released immediatelfrom the Member States and the EEAS to undertake everything in their power to achieve the immediate release of all detained journalists; recollects in this context the importance of its "Daphne Caruana Galizia Prize for Journalism", notes, however, that symbolism and public awareness are insufficient for improving the situation in the long term; therefore calls for effective protective measures and robust investigation and prosecution of criminal threats against journalists and other media professionals, drawing particular attention to threats against women journalists and journalists representing or reporting on equality; _________________ 1 https://cpj.org/data/killed/2022/?status=Kill ed&motiveConfirmed%5B%5D=Con firme d&motiveUnconfirmed%5B%5 D=Unconfi rmed&type%5B%5D=Jou rnalist&type%5 B%5D=Media%20W orker&star☆t_year=2022& end_ye ar=2022&group_by=location 2 https://rsf.org/en/number-journalists- arbitrary-detention-surges-20-488- including-60-women
Amendment 20 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 a (new)
Paragraph 2 a (new)
2a. Stresses that investigative journalism should be promoted as a form of civic engagement and as an act of civic virtue supported by communication, learning, education and training; deplores that journalists and whistleblowers have been subject to legal prosecution instead of legal protection when, acting in the public interest, they disclose information or report suspected misconduct, wrongdoing, fraud or illegal activity; calls on the Commission and Member States to protect whistleblowers, as whistleblowing is one of the most effective ways of uncovering corruption; whistleblowers often take on high personal risk and the absence of effective protection can discourage potential whistleblowers from reporting their concerns or suspicions for fear of unfair treatment, including retaliation, discrimination or disadvantage; protection should also extend to people facilitating the reporting, intermediaries and investigative journalists;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 2 b (new)
Paragraph 2 b (new)
2b. Notes that working conditions in the media sector are deteriorating and often journalists work in precarious conditions with regard to their contracts, salaries and social guarantees, which compromises their ability to work appropriately and thus hampers media freedom; underlines the importance of ensuring adequate working conditions for journalists and media workers, in full compliance with the requirements of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights and the European Social Charter;
Amendment 30 #
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 globalisation of media streams, and that disinformation and propaganda, as well as disproportionate actions to tackle them, are growing trends in the media landscape worldwide; notes that this trend has been intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic and the war against Ukraine; stresses that the internet and social media plays a significant role in spreading hate speech and fostering radicalisation leading to violent extremism, especially far-right violent extremism; in this context, is concerned about problematic developments of the administration of social media platforms that undermine the credibility of individual journalists, notably the recent changes in verification requirements for blue checkmarks on Twitter, which have the potential to damage the reputation of legitimate journalism and hence to increase the dissemination of disinformation; believes that this situation should be considered a general threat to the values the European Union claims to stands for as a global actor and to democracy as a whole; emphasizes the interdependency of media freedom with other freedoms of expression - such as of the arts and science - and their mutual prerequisite and equally fundamental importance for a liberal democracy;
Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 3 a (new)
Paragraph 3 a (new)
3a. Is concerned by recent developments of wire-tapping scandals throughout the EU, such as the ones investigated by the PEGA Committee; stresses that independent journalism cannot be achieved if journalists are being targeted by their governments, using spyware such as Predator or Pegasus spyware, allegedly used in countries such as Greece;
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4
Paragraph 4
4. Calls on the EUHighlights that the media play an essential role in democratic society, by acting as public watchdogs, while fostering citizens’ conscious participation in democratic life; emphasises that a critical use of media content is essential to people’s understanding of current issues and to their contribution to public life; therefore calls on the Commission and the Member States to re-evaluate the profound links between media freedom and democracy, and to identify pathways to rebuild safe spaces for information and communication with a particular focus on education for information and, media literacy and the promotion of and support for critical thinking especially at schools, and artistic freedom;
Amendment 45 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Reaffirms the need to independently monitor the media freedom and pluralism situation in the EU and globally, and therefore encourages the Commission and the Member States to implement and further enhance existing instruments, such as the Media Pluralism Monitor; calls on the EU to adopt and implement a media ownership regulatory framework in order to avoid horizontal concentration of ownership in the media sector and indirect and cross-media ownership, and to guarantee transparency;
Amendment 46 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 a (new)
Paragraph 4 a (new)
4a. Recognises the urgent need for journalists to know their rights and protection mechanisms; calls therefore on the Commission and the Member States to promote programs and policies aimed at fostering education of journalists, media actors and the general public on their rights and protection mechanisms, including but not limited to showcasing real examples and best practices;
Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 b (new)
Paragraph 4 b (new)
4b. Recognises the importance of democracy and education on media literacy; calls therefore on the Commission and the Member States to promote programs and policies aimed at fostering media and news literacy for journalists, media actors and the general public;
Amendment 51 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 4 c (new)
Paragraph 4 c (new)
4c. Calls on the Commission to promote as well online media literacy, investigating for public engaging and innovative means to this cause and under the logic of common policies intended to bridge the digital divide within and among the Member States along all its lines (wealth, gender, age, geographical and social conditions);
Amendment 52 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5
Paragraph 5
5. Believes that in order to improve its external governance and its credibility, the EU needs to lead by example and deliver on its domestic media policy ambitions; welcomes, in this context, the adoption of the Digital Services Act3 , and the recently published proposals for a 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; However, a lot more needs to be done; recalls that SLAPPs are lawsuits or other legal actions based on civil, administrative and criminal law, as well as the threats of such actions, initiated by state organs, business corporations and individuals who hold power of one kind or another against weaker parties, such as journalists, and others, who express criticism or transmit uncomfortable messages to the powerful, on public matters, and as a result bring about lack of information distribution and lack of freedom of expression by the media/journalists; _________________ 3 OJ L 277, 27.10.2022, p. 1.
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 a (new)
Paragraph 5 a (new)
5a. Stresses that media’s independence from political and economic powers and influences must be guaranteed; calls on the Commission and the Member States to provide appropriate, proportionate and stable funding for public service media, thus ensuring it can fulfil its cultural, social and educational role, and contribute to an inclusive information society, while guaranteeing its independence from governmental influences; highlights in this context the potential of the Creative Europe programme in promoting a free, diverse and pluralistic media environment by encouraging crossovers and cross-cutting activities supporting the news media sector, by providing support for new media professionals, and by enhancing the development of critical thinking among citizens by means of promoting media literacy; calls for further strengthening of these actions in the programme's next MFF cycle;
Amendment 65 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 5 b (new)
Paragraph 5 b (new)
5b. Suggests the development of media freedom indicators and media freedom tests, following the example of the recently developed youth indicators and youth tests;
Amendment 77 #
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; invitescalls on 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;
Amendment 81 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 a (new)
Paragraph 6 a (new)
6a. Stresses the need to have in place independent monitoring mechanisms, including rapid response mechanisms, to assess the situation of media freedom and media pluralism in the EU;
Amendment 83 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 b (new)
Paragraph 6 b (new)
6b. Asks the Commission to proceed to investigations for a mapping of the journalism sector in the EU and around the world in order to convey already established sector-specific pathogenies;
Amendment 84 #
Draft opinion
Paragraph 6 c (new)
Paragraph 6 c (new)
6c. Strongly asks the Commission to proceed to sector-specific policy interventions to address sector-specific pathogenies such as - but not limited to - deeply established networks promoting the bribery of financially-dependent journalists to drive public opinion towards desired directions, against public interests;