2022/2057(INI) The protection of journalists around the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter
Lead committee dossier:
Progress: Procedure completed
| Role | Committee | Rapporteur | Shadows |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lead | AFET |
WISELER-LIMA Isabel ( EPP)
|
SÁNCHEZ AMOR Nacho ( S&D),
OETJEN Jan-Christoph ( Renew),
SATOURI Mounir ( Verts/ALE),
KARSKI Karol ( ECR),
KOULOGLOU Stelios ( GUE/NGL)
|
| Committee Opinion | CULT |
WALSH Maria ( EPP)
|
Sylvie GUILLAUME ( S&D),
Irena JOVEVA ( RE),
Diana RIBA I GINER ( Verts/ALE),
Alexis GEORGOULIS ( GUE/NGL),
Elżbieta KRUK ( ECR)
|
Lead committee dossier:
Legal Basis:
RoP 54
Legal Basis:
RoP 54Subjects
Events
2023/07/11
EP - Decision by Parliament
Details
The European Parliament adopted by 583 votes to 7, with 48 abstentions, a resolution on the protection of journalists worldwide and EU policy in this area.
Recent years have shown a decline in press freedom and a growing pattern of physical attacks, harassment, including online, and intimidation aimed at silencing and slandering journalists, in particular war correspondents, investigative journalists working to expose corruption, trafficking, corporate abuse, or wrongdoings of political actors, and journalists reporting on situations in certain totalitarian states or dictatorships.
According to figures published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), 1 668 journalists were murdered worldwide in connection with their work between 2003 and 2022. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 67 journalists were killed worldwide in 2022.
Protecting journalists against violence and intimidation
Recalling the essential role that journalists can play in promoting and safeguarding democratic values, human rights and fundamental freedoms, Parliament stressed the need to protect journalists from all types of violence. It stressed the importance of protecting the independence of journalists , safeguarding freedom of expression, ensuring media diversity and preserving the fundamental right of every citizen to be informed.
Members condemned all crimes, including physical attacks, kidnappings, torture, intimidation and hate speech, committed against journalists and media professionals worldwide, including within the EU. They also condemned all arbitrary detentions of journalists as well as all pre-trial detentions based on political motives or abusive laws.
Parliament recalled the essential role played by journalists, particularly political journalists and investigative reporters . It reaffirmed its concern about the state of media freedom in the world, given the abuses and attacks suffered by journalists and media professionals in many countries.
Expressing concern about the lack of specific policy or legal frameworks to protect journalists from violence and threats worldwide, Members called on countries around the world to adopt legislation and measures to create a legal environment to prevent and prosecute acts of repression against journalists and to ensure proper investigation and follow-up, including effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions . They called on the authorities to do their utmost to ensure that those responsible are held to account and to put an end to impunity.
Parliament deplored the fact that journalists and media professionals often work in precarious and deteriorating employment and security conditions . It called on the authorities to draw up national action plans, in close cooperation with journalists' organisations, to improve the working conditions of journalists. Journalists travelling to conflict zones should be adequately insured.
Recalling the obligation to protect freedom of expression , including for satirists and press cartoonists, Members deplored the increasing attempts by religious and state authorities to restrict freedom of expression and criticism by invoking religious or blasphemy laws. They also expressed their support for the work of whistleblowers and their editors, who expose abuses around the world.
Media independence, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs)
The report condemned, in the strongest possible terms, any attempt to silence independent media or undermine their freedom and pluralism and to restrict the public’s access to reliable information via internet shutdowns, illegal and/or disproportionate surveillance, blocking or filtering of online content. In particular, Members condemned attempts to control public service media and deplored the adoption by some non-EU countries of so-called foreign agent laws. They called on governments to effectively counter abuse and not misuse protective measures to prevent freedom of expression or enable censorship. They also condemned the growing use of surveillance equipment and spyware to monitor, intercept and censor the work of journalists.
The report condemned the use of SLAPPs and called for the Commission's proposal for a directive against SLAPPs against journalists in the EU to cover the external dimension of SLAPPs, in order to protect journalists based in the EU from abusive prosecutions by authorities in non-EU countries. It called for the EU to provide legal support and other assistance for journalists targeted by SLAPPs and to step up its action to protect journalists abroad through the activities of its delegations.
Members also made the following recommendations:
- the EU should encourage the use of media education to improve citizens' and societies' understanding of the societal role played by journalism and promote exchange programmes for journalists. Members reiterated their call for media literacy to be integrated into formal and informal settings, including school curricula;
- measures should be implemented to protect journalists from online and gender-based violence on social media and other digital platforms. Members stressed that women journalists are much more likely to be victims of online harassment than their male colleagues;
- EU delegations should make more public statements , either preventively or in response to serious violations or restrictions of the right to freedom of opinion and expression around the world, including attacks on journalists or their detention in countries outside the EU;
- the EU Special Representative for Human Rights should make the safety of journalists, media professionals and associated staff one of his main priorities in his relations with the authorities of third countries;
- the EEAS should: (i) put in place an emergency response plan to be implemented by EU delegations, based on a range of protective measures; (ii) develop a structured approach to support journalists facing digital threats;
- EU delegations, diplomatic missions of EU Member States and like-minded partners should take initiatives to communicate with and support journalists and independent media in countries outside the EU in order to facilitate their work and working conditions.
The Council is invited to impose targeted sanctions under the EU's global human rights sanctions regime (‘EU Magnitsky Act’) on individuals and entities committing human rights violations against journalists and media professionals.
Lastly, the Commission and Member States are invited to (i) promote sustainable measures to protect, fund and support media pluralism and independent journalism in all their agreements and partnerships with third countries; (ii) ensure that EU funding programmes are known and accessible to local civil society organisations working for the safety of journalists and their freedom of expression.
Documents
2023/06/01
EP - Committee report tabled for plenary
Details
The Committee on Foreign Affairs adopted an own-initiative report by Isabel WISELER-LIMA (EPP, LU) on the protection of journalists around world and the European Union's policy on the matter.
Recent years have shown a decline in press freedom and a growing pattern of physical attacks, harassment, including online, and intimidation aimed at silencing and slandering journalists, in particular war correspondents, investigative journalists working to expose corruption, trafficking, corporate abuse, or wrongdoings of political actors, and journalists reporting on situations in certain totalitarian states or dictatorships.
According to figures published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), 1 668 journalists were murdered worldwide in connection with their work between 2003 and 2022. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 67 journalists were killed worldwide in 2022.
Protecting journalists against violence and intimidation
Recalling that democracy cannot function in the absence of reliable and accessible information both online and offline, Members stressed the need to protect journalists from all types of violence and stressed the importance of protecting the independence of journalists, safeguarding freedom of expression, ensuring media diversity and preserving the fundamental right of every citizen to be informed.
Members condemned all crimes, including physical attacks, kidnappings, torture, intimidation and hate speech, committed against journalists and media professionals worldwide, including within the EU. They also condemned all arbitrary detentions of journalists as well as all pre-trial detentions based on political motives or abusive laws.
Expressing concern about the lack of specific policy or legal frameworks to protect journalists from violence and threats worldwide, Members called on countries around the world to adopt legislation and measures to create a legal environment to prevent and prosecute acts of repression against journalists.
The report called on the authorities to draw up national action plans , in close collaboration with journalist organisations, to improve the working conditions of journalists. Journalists travelling to conflict zones should be adequately insured. The media should provide journalists with the necessary training, particularly in safety and first aid.
Members called for effective monitoring toolkits to be developed in collaboration with journalists' organisations, and for the European External Action Service (EEAS) to continue to report regularly to Parliament on the overall situation regarding media freedom and violations of journalists' rights worldwide.
Media independence, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs)
The report condemned, in the strongest possible terms, any attempt to silence independent media or undermine their freedom and pluralism and to restrict the public’s access to reliable information via internet shutdowns, illegal and/or disproportionate surveillance, blocking or filtering of online content. In particular, Members condemned attempts to control public service media and deplored the adoption by some non-EU countries of so-called foreign agent laws. They called on governments to effectively counter abuse and not misuse protective measures to prevent freedom of expression or enable censorship. They also condemned the growing use of surveillance equipment and spyware to monitor, intercept and censor the work of journalists.
The report condemned the use of SLAPPs and called for the Commission's proposal for a directive against SLAPPs against journalists in the EU to cover the external dimension of SLAPPs, in order to protect journalists based in the EU from abusive prosecutions by authorities in non-EU countries.
Members also made the following recommendations:
- the EU should step up its action to protect journalists abroad through the activities of its delegations;
- the EU should encourage the use of media education to improve citizens' and societies' understanding of the societal role played by journalism and promote exchange programmes for journalists. Members reiterated their call for media literacy to be integrated into formal and informal settings, including school curricula;
- measures should be implemented to protect journalists from online and gender-based violence on social media and other digital platforms. Members stressed that women journalists, in particular, are also exposed to sexual harassment and violence;
- the EU Special Representative for Human Rights should make the safety of journalists, media professionals and associated staff one of his main priorities in his relations with the authorities of third countries;
- the EEAS should: (i) put in place an emergency response plan to be implemented by EU delegations, based on a range of protective measures; (ii) develop a structured approach to support journalists facing digital threats; (iii) encourage exchanges of views between law enforcement agencies and journalists in order to allow the latter to freely cover protests or demonstrations in countries hosting an EU delegation.
The Council is invited to impose targeted sanctions under the EU's global human rights sanctions regime (‘EU Magnitsky Act’) on individuals and entities committing human rights violations against journalists and media professionals.
Lastly, the Commission and Member States are invited to (i) promote sustainable measures to protect, fund and support media pluralism and independent journalism in all their agreements and partnerships with third countries; (ii) ensure that EU funding programmes are known and accessible to local civil society organisations working for the safety of journalists and their freedom of expression.
Documents
2023/05/24
EP - Vote in committee
2023/03/02
EP - Committee opinion
Documents
2023/02/02
EP - Amendments tabled in committee
Documents
2023/01/10
EP - Committee draft report
Documents
2022/09/02
EP - WALSH Maria (EPP) appointed as rapporteur in CULT
2022/07/07
EP - Committee referral announced in Parliament
2021/07/14
EP - WISELER-LIMA Isabel (EPP) appointed as rapporteur in AFET
Documents
- Decision by Parliament: T9-0267/2023
- Committee report tabled for plenary: A9-0206/2023
- Committee opinion: PE737.240
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE742.328
- Committee draft report: PE740.635
- Committee draft report: PE740.635
- Amendments tabled in committee: PE742.328
- Committee opinion: PE737.240
Activities
Votes
La protection des journalistes dans le monde et la politique de l'Union européenne dans ce domaine - A9-0206/2023 - Isabel Wiseler-Lima - Proposition de résolution #
2023/07/11 Outcome: +: 583, 0: 48, -: 7
PPE
The Left
NI
ID| Amendments | Dossier |
| 299 |
2022/2057(INI)
2022/12/09
CULT
93 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 1. Recalls that freedom of expression is a fundamental human right enshrined in Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Amendment 10 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Demands, in addition to the release of all political prisoners- journalists, the unblocking without exception of all independent media in Belarus, blocked in 2018-2022;
Amendment 11 #
Draft opinion 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 12 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 c (new) 1c. Expresses serious concern about the shrinking space for civil society organisations, and the threat to journalists, human rights defenders and others – who communicate on important matters within the public interest that are critical of powerful members of society;
Amendment 13 #
Draft opinion 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 14 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 d (new) 1d. Believes that the EU and Member States should put in place measures aiming at ensuring news and other editorial media is based on public values and is open, democratic, sustainable and inclusive in which more women, people from racial and ethnic minorities, migrants and refugees, as well as members of LGBTIQ+ communities and people with disabilities, occupy creative and decision-making positions;
Amendment 15 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2.
Amendment 16 #
Draft opinion 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 and is creating a general sense of insecurity; deplores that 57
Amendment 17 #
Draft opinion 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
Amendment 18 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 2. Notes
Amendment 19 #
Draft opinion 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 and is creating a general sense of insecurity; deplores 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 and bloggers be released immediately; _________________ 1
Amendment 2 #
Draft opinion 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 20 #
Draft opinion 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 21 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Condemns in the strongest terms the assassination of David Beriain and Roberto Fraile in Burkina Faso on the 26 April 2021 are among the last of an increasing list of despicable assassinations of European journalists in Europe and abroad; notes that the OSCE reports that impunity prevails as, for example, fewer than 15 % of murders of journalists in the OSCE region are solved; calls on all European institutions and the Government of Burkina Faso to take all possible actions to end impunity and bring those responsible for their deaths to justice, recalls that accountability is a key element in preventing future attacks;
Amendment 22 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Further emphasises that non- physical violence, such as threats, harassment, surveillance, and intimidation journalists are subjected to is no less threatening to the media freedom, as it can lead to suppression of public information - either by enforcing a censorship or suppression by state authorities or private parties with power, or self-censorships when journalists wish to avoid penalties or reprisals; emphasises the need to safeguard journalists against every type of violence according to the EU Action Plan on Human Rights and Democracy 2020-2024;
Amendment 23 #
Draft opinion 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 24 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 a (new) 2a. Is concerned about the increase in hate speech, notably against independent media and journalists, civil society organisations, rights defenders, activists, whistleblowers, artists, and academics, especially those from marginalised groups including women, racialized people, LGBTIQ+ people and people with disabilities as well as others which has a significant psychological impact on those affected and creates a chilling effect and threatens freedom of expression and freedom of the press;
Amendment 25 #
Draft opinion 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 26 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) Amendment 27 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 b (new) 2b. Recalls that the digital environment poses increasing risk to journalists’ safety online including ransomware attacks on news media websites, the use of spyware and coordinated smear campaigns that are run and coordinated by State or non-State actors;
Amendment 28 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 2 c (new) Amendment 29 #
Draft opinion 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 3 #
Draft opinion 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
Amendment 30 #
Draft opinion 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 stand
Amendment 31 #
Draft opinion 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
Amendment 32 #
Draft opinion 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 are growing trends in the media landscape worldwide;
Amendment 33 #
Draft opinion 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 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; emphasizes that such phenomena can also have the effect of reducing trust in public institutions as well as affect legitimate media outlets and journalists; 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;
Amendment 34 #
Draft opinion 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 are growing trends in the media landscape worldwide; notes that this trend has been intensified by the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russian war 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;
Amendment 35 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Calls on the Member States to guarantee that the public service media is free from censorship and political influence; that supervisory boards are appointed by qualified non-partisan individuals that will act in the public interest and not that of any one political party or ideology; calls for funding mechanisms to support public interest media and investigative journalism that challenges corruption;
Amendment 36 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) Amendment 37 #
Draft opinion 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 38 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 3 a (new) 3a. Highlights in this regard the need to promote, support and invest in education focused on using the existing Media Information Literacy as a tool in Non-EU countries to ensure broader understanding of information received, ensure critical thinking and achieve the understanding of societal value of journalism;
Amendment 39 #
Draft opinion 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 4 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 – subparagraph 1 (new) Highlights that over the past years some governments have engaged in attempts to stifle dissent by attacking journalists and human rights defenders who live abroad through acts of transnational repression1a in which those governments reach across national borders to silence critical voices among diaspora and exile communities, disregarding international law, human rights and democratic values; _________________ 1a https://freedomhouse.org/report/transnati onal-repression
Amendment 40 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 41 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4.
Amendment 42 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 4. Calls on the EU and the Member States to
Amendment 43 #
Draft opinion 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 on education for information and media literacy; notes that ensuring media freedom should be included in all EU partnerships programs with third world countries, either through the bilateral agreements of as a part of regional development partnerships;
Amendment 44 #
Draft opinion 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 45 #
Draft opinion 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) 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 47 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Believes that civil society organisations play a key role in fostering media literacy and asks therefore the Commission and Member States to include them as stakeholders in initiatives dedicated to promote journalism and media literacy;
Amendment 48 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 a (new) 4a. Encourages the Commission to continue and expand its programmes to support independent journalists from Belarus and media outlets broadcasting from EU countries (in the Belarusian language) to audiences in Belarus;
Amendment 49 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 4 b (new) 4b. Draws attention to the essential role of the state media in Russia in indoctrinating the public with the language of hatred and propaganda in favour of the war of aggression against Ukraine; considers that the management and staff of these media outlets must be subject to appropriate personal sanctions;
Amendment 5 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) Amendment 50 #
Draft opinion 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) 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 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 53 #
Draft opinion 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
Amendment 54 #
Draft opinion 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 55 #
5a. Notes with concern that most EU countries are characterised by a high degree of market concentration with monopoly or oligopoly in the broadcasting sectors, oligopolies in newspaper industries and significant competition in magazine and book publishing; also notes that these main players co-exist with a myriad of smaller news media operators focusing on local or regional news or specialised in particular topics; believes that the Commission and Member States need to increase support for the media sector and should pay special attention to local and regional media operating in small markets;
Amendment 56 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Is concerned that media organisations are increasingly relinquishing their duty of care within and beyond the EU towards journalists employed by them or those producing the content they acquire; notes the increasing use of freelancers, particularly young journalists and media workers at the start of their career, to cover high-risk areas and conflict zones; is concerned by the precarious working and decreasing safety conditions under which freelancers operate from high-risk areas and conflict zones;
Amendment 57 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Emphasises that the current context of socioeconomic instability also has an impact on the media sector, especially on small and local media outlets and calls in this regard for better protection and support mechanisms; Stresses that more measures are needed to ensure the media sector’s sustainability in the context of growing reliance on social media as a source of information, and calls to increase the level of information and know-how about the EU by the different national media;
Amendment 58 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) Amendment 59 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Calls on the Commission and Member States to establish a permanent news media fund to support independent editorial coverage, safeguard the independence of European journalism, and guarantee the freedom of press and involve associated and partner countries outside the EU with a dedicated tool;
Amendment 6 #
Draft opinion 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 60 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 a (new) 5a. Welcomes the launch of the European Digital Media Observatory, a platform aimed at helping fact checkers and researchers to network and at providing media practitioners, teachers and individuals with information to help them to better understand fake news;
Amendment 61 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) Amendment 62 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Reiterates emphatically its repeated calls for the creation of a permanent European news media fund with a cross-border component to support critical voices in Europe, empower independent news coverage, safeguard the independence of European journalists and journalism, and guarantee the freedom of the press;
Amendment 63 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 b (new) 5b. Highlights that journalists also face threats in the online environment that consequently have affect freedom of expression; calls for dedicated training and formation for journalists to equip them with digital skills necessary to tackle cybersecurity risks and online threats;
Amendment 64 #
Draft opinion 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 65 #
Draft opinion 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 66 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 c (new) Amendment 67 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 c (new) 5c. Recalls that several international protection mechanisms and tools ensuring safety of journalists, such as European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights, training for journalists, protection mechanisms of UN, namely Special Rapporteurs and Universal Periodic Review, UN treaty bodies and UNESCO exist; in that regard calls on the Commission and Member States to increase their financing for creating their more prominent presence and effectiveness in their core purpose;
Amendment 68 #
5c. Calls for higher visibility of EU funding opportunities, as well as of European media hubs and partnerships that can have a positive impact in ensuring media freedom by sharing good practices and exchanges between journalists;
Amendment 69 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 d (new) Amendment 7 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Highlights that the largest number of journalists in Europe have been unjustly imprisoned in Belarus, including Andrzej Poczobut, a prominent journalist and activist of the Polish minority in Belarus, who was also included on Lukashenka's 'terrorist list';
Amendment 70 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 d (new) 5d. Reminds that a UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity have been adopted in 2012 and provides a comprehensive framework for holistic solutions for prevention of attacks, protection of journalists and prosecution of perpetrators; highlights that a High-Level Conference, held in Vienna in November 2022, to mark the 10th anniversary of the adoption called for reaffirm, recommit and reposition of the adopted action plan to increase its impact;
Amendment 71 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 e (new) Amendment 72 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 5 e (new) 5e. Calls on the Member States whom have not done so to join and actively participate in the Media Freedom Coalition, an intergovernmental partnership advocating for media freedom online and offline, and the safety of journalists;
Amendment 73 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 Amendment 74 #
Draft opinion 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; calls on the Commission to make access to EU funds for media and news organisations conditional to the fulfilment of their duty of care, in particular, by complying with paragraph 16 of the Recommendations on the protection of journalism and safety of journalists and other media actors from the Council of Europe;
Amendment 75 #
Draft opinion 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, strengthen and monitor media freedom
Amendment 76 #
Draft opinion 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 77 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 6. Calls on the Commission to include suspension mechanisms in the EU’s multilateral and bilateral partnership or trade agreements;
Amendment 78 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Stresses that it is essential to ensure and maintain the independence of private and public service media from any internal and external political interference, whether from governments, powerful interest groups or third countries; believes it is crucial therefore that any funds earmarked for the media and channelled through Member States be conditional on a process that guarantees fair and objective distribution in support of independent quality journalism and respects the rule of law;
Amendment 79 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 6 a (new) 6a. Calls on the Commission to dedicate specific support on EU wide training on safety for journalists working in Europe and abroad, as well as editors, to be developed by unions and associations; with a special focus on female and freelance journalists;
Amendment 8 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 a (new) 1a. Recalls that transnational repression remains a global threat to journalists around the world and that insufficient tools exist to protect its intended targets;2b _________________ 2b Freedom House Report: Defending Democracy in Exile Understanding and Responding to Transnational Repression https://freedomhouse.org/sites/default/file s/2022- 05/Complete_TransnationalRepressionRe port2022_NEW_0.pdf
Amendment 80 #
Draft opinion 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 81 #
Draft opinion 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 82 #
Draft opinion 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 83 #
Draft opinion 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) 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;
Amendment 85 #
Draft opinion 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
Amendment 86 #
Draft opinion 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 media; 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
Amendment 87 #
Draft opinion 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 88 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Stresses that in some Member States political parties use media as vehicles to disseminate disinformation, while in others conglomerates with a large market share may exercise political interference; considers increased transparency and fact-checking obligations as remedies to counteract these practices; welcomes initiatives such as the Media Ownership Monitor and the Media Pluralism Monitor;
Amendment 89 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Calls on the Member States and media organisations to guarantee that journalists can carry out their work to the highest standards by ensuring fair remuneration, good working conditions, the protection of journalistic sources, providing with quality training for both contractual and freelance media professionals
Amendment 9 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 1 b (new) 1b. Calls on the EU and the Member States to educate and raise awareness about the threat of transnational repression and to adopt measures to constrain the ability of states to commit acts of transnational repression, to increase accountability for perpetrators of transnational repression, and to provide protection for at-risk journalists, exiles and diasporas;3c _________________ 3c Freedom House Policy Recommendations on Transnational Repression https://freedomhouse.org/policy- recommendations/transnational- repression
Amendment 90 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 a (new) 7a. Highlights the need to strengthen codes of ethics and journalistic standards established by press and media councils and support solidarity and collaboration between journalists and media outlets to improve journalist safety;
Amendment 91 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 b (new) Amendment 92 #
Draft opinion Paragraph 7 b (new) 7b. Strongly believes that in order to fulfil their role as watchdogs of democracy journalists should be able to enjoy decent working conditions and should be able to work safely and without threats or harassment; warns against the increasing precariousness of journalists often forced into false freelance contracts that cuts costs and undermines standards; is of the strong opinion this sector must be protected through stronger labour regulation;
Amendment 93 #
Draft opinion 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.
source: 739.696
2023/02/02
AFET
206 amendments...
Amendment 1 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 4 — having regard to the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression of 13 April 2021 on disinformation and freedom of opinion and expression and that of April 2022 titled "Reinforcing media freedom and the safety of journalists in the digital age",
Amendment 10 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas every human being has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; whereas this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any medium and regardless of borders; whereas democracies can only function when citizens have access to independent
Amendment 100 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 a (new) 2 a. Recalls that the freedom to practice journalism without malign and deliberate restrictions is testament to the values of democracy and that therefore allowing for the unrestricted practice of journalism contributes to democratic values;
Amendment 101 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Recalls the essential role played by political and investigative journalists in
Amendment 102 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Recalls the essential role played by political and investigative journalists in fighting against human rights violations by performing their role as watchdogs for democracy and the rule of law through the collection of reliable and relevant information, thereby exposing
Amendment 103 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Recalls the essential role played by political and investigative journalists in fighting against human rights violations by performing their role as watchdogs for democracy and the rule of law through the collection of reliable and relevant information, thereby exposing state repression, corruption, criminal networks, war crimes and crimes against humanity, and all kind of human rights abuses, which
Amendment 104 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Recalls the essential role played by
Amendment 105 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 3. Recalls the essential role played by political and investigative journalists in fighting against human rights violations by performing their role as watchdogs for
Amendment 106 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Condemns the abuses, crimes and deadly attacks still being committed against journalists and media workers because of their activities; Condemns the attempts to intimidate and deport international journalists; Calls to refrain from also treating family members of suspected journalists as potential suspects and using administrative or other sanctions against them;
Amendment 107 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 a (new) 3 a. Regrets the British Home Secretary decision to extradite Julian Assange to the US, where he could be sentenced to 175 years in prison from 17 charges related to the Espionage Act Extradition and condemns the pressure applied by the United States in relation to the extradition of a whistleblower;
Amendment 108 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 b (new) 3 b. Notes with concern that according to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) 67 journalists have been killed worldwide in 2022, in addition to those who have been threatened, subjected to violence or arbitrary imprisonment; reiterates the importance of these crimes being fully investigated and those responsible brought to justice; calls on all the European institutions to commit themselves by means of concrete acts and declarations sto avoid at all cost impunity for these crimes;
Amendment 109 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 b (new) 3 b. Urges the authorities to do their utmost to prevent such violence, to ensure accountability and avoid impunity and to guarantee that victims and their families have access to the appropriate legal remedies;
Amendment 11 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas every human being has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; whereas this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any medium and regardless of borders; whereas democracies can only function when citizens have access to independent information; whereas media freedom and pluralism are crucial components of the right to freedom of expression and information; whereas key democratic tasks of the media include strengthening transparency and democratic accountability; whereas journalists play an essential role in promoting democratic values, human rights and fundamental freedoms; whereas journalism is based on and can promote democratic values, human rights and fundamental freedoms;
Amendment 110 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 3 c (new) 3 c. Strongly condemns all unjustified jailing of journalists and all provisional detentions based on political criteria; calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all jailed journalists who are being held without proof of individual involvement in committing a crime or with no charges being brought against them;
Amendment 111 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Reiterates its continued deep concern about the state of media freedom in the word in the context of the abuses and attacks still being perpetrated against journalists and media workers in many countries, as well as the growing denigration of them in public, which particularly impacts political, investigative and cross-border journalism; Expresses particular concern for the situation of media organisations, journalists and professional organisations in North Korea, Eritrea, Iran, Turkmenistan, Myanmar, China, Vietnam, Cuba, Iraq, Syria, Palestine, Yemen, Egypt, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, which are classified by the NGO Reporters Without Borders as the worst situations worldwide;
Amendment 112 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Reiterates its continued deep concern about the state of media freedom in the word in the context of the abuses and attacks still being perpetrated against journalists and media workers in many countries, as well as the growing denigration of them in public, which particularly impacts political, investigative and cross-border journalism; notes with concern and stigmatises the practice of some authorities of searching the homes and workplaces of journalists or subjecting them to telephone and digital device checks in order to trace the sources of information, which must be protected in the same way as the journalists themselves;
Amendment 113 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 4. Reiterates its continued deep concern about the state of media freedom in the word in the context of the abuses and attacks still being perpetrated against journalists and media workers in many
Amendment 114 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Agrees with the recent joint statement by High Representative Josep Borrell and Vice-President Vera Jourova on the international day to end impunity for crimes against journalists, highighting that "work needs to start at home"; in this regard, highlights with deep concern that the number of threats and attacks against journalists within the EU has been on the rise in the past years, including assassinations; calls on the Commission and the Member States to step up their work in support of the protection of journalists, including within the European Union, also with a view of strengthening the EU's credibility when engaging with third countries on press freedom;
Amendment 115 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Condemns authoritarian regimes, like Iran, that are restricting journalists and the civil society from reporting what is happening on the ground; calls on the Commission to provide EU-based communication providers to offer safe tools to the citizens and residents of those countries;
Amendment 116 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 4 a (new) 4 a. Regrets the widespread online abuse and the censorship of LGBTQI+ stories and voices in many countries, including Azerbaijan, Hungary, Poland, and Russia, resulting in infringements of journalists’ right to freedom of expression;
Amendment 117 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 118 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Reiterates its concern about the lack of specific legal or policy frameworks protecting journalists and media workers from violence, threats and intimidation at global scale; calls on public figures and authority representatives to refrain from denigrating journalists in public, as this undermines trust in the media across society; underlines the important role of journalists in reporting on protests and demonstrations and calls for them to be protected so that they can carry out their jobs without fear;
Amendment 119 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Reiterates its concern about the lack of specific legal or policy frameworks protecting journalists and media workers from violence, threats and intimidation at global scale; calls on public figures and authority representatives to refrain from denigrating journalists in public, as this undermines trust in the media across society; underlines the important role of journalists in reporting on protests and demonstrations and calls for them to be protected so that they can carry out their jobs without fear; calls on third countries to enact legislation and policies with the objective of preventing, protecting and prosecuting cases of repression of journalists, as well as to involve them in these processes so their experiences and knowledge can be reflected in the outcome;
Amendment 12 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas every human being has the right to freedom of
Amendment 120 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Reiterates its concern about the lack of specific legal or policy frameworks protecting journalists and media workers
Amendment 121 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5. Reiterates its concern about the lack of specific legal or policy frameworks protecting journalists and media workers from violence, threats and intimidation at global scale; calls on public figures and authority representatives to refrain from denigrating journalists in public, as this undermines trust in the media across society; underlines the important role of journalists in reporting on protests and demonstrations and calls for them to be protected so that they can carry out their jobs without fear, reprisal or harassment;
Amendment 122 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 5.
Amendment 123 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Deplores the fact that journalists and other media workers often work in precarious conditions, which compromises their ability to work in a safe and enabling environment; stresses that adequate working conditions for journalists and media workers are crucial to fostering high-quality journalism, allowing journalists to fulfil their missions and upholding the right to information and the right to be informed; stresses in this regard the need for adequate funding of the media;
Amendment 124 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 5 a (new) 5 a. Supports existing international alert mechanisms for journalists in danger; stresses the need to strengthen preventive mechanisms, measures and policies with a gender-sensitive approach; Is of the opinion that the EU can increase its presence when it comes to protecting journalists abroad through the work of its delegations, both by working directly with journalists and through its communication strategies;
Amendment 125 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6.
Amendment 126 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Deplores the fact that journalists and media workers often work in precarious conditions, which compromises their ability to work in a safe and enabling environment; deplores the increasingly widespread practice of precarious, underpaid employment contracts with no health nor legal protection, stressing that this condition has serious repercussions on the actual independence of journalists; stresses that adequate working conditions for journalists and media workers are crucial to fostering high-quality journalism, allowing journalists to fulfil their missions and upholding the right to information and the right to be informed;
Amendment 127 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Deplores the fact that journalists and media workers often work in precarious conditions, as well as temporary and unstable contracts, which compromise
Amendment 128 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 6. Deplores the fact that journalists and media workers often work in precarious conditions, which compromises their ability to work in a safe and enabling environment; stresses that adequate working conditions for journalists and media workers are crucial to fostering high-quality journalism, allowing journalists to fulfil their missions and upholding the right to information and the right to be informed; call in this regard on the Member States to put in place concrete measures in order to support and encourage independent and high-quality journalism;
Amendment 129 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 a (new) 6 a. Recalls that media organizations worldwide have a duty of care towards journalists employed by them or producing the content these organizations acquire; underlines that journalists should receive the necessary training, particularly safety and first aid, from media organizations; stresses that special attention should be given to freelance and young journalists as this category is particularly increasing and many endure precarious labour and safety conditions;
Amendment 13 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A a (new) A a. whereas journalists and independent media play an important role in a democratic society and freedom of information is a fundamental right recognised by the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the EU;
Amendment 130 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 6 b (new) 6 b. Calls on media companies operating in third countries to respect due diligence and labour obligations regarding employed journalists, as well as those from which they acquire journalistic content; further stresses the importance of these companies respecting the rights and freedoms of their employees as well as ensuring minimum and dignified working conditions; recalls the importance of the EU corporate sustainability due diligence mechanism and its application to media companies in order to ensure human rights protection in this sector;
Amendment 131 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Recalls the need to pay particular attention to satire and humour, which are used by press cartoonists to promote democratic values, such as freedom of speech and expression and to defend human rights and fundamental freedoms and to protest against crime, corruption and abuses of power, and which are used in evidencing and combating censorship; Recalls the right to freedom of expression and opinion of cartoonists;
Amendment 132 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Recalls the
Amendment 133 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 7. Recalls the need to pay particular attention to satire and humour, which are used by press cartoonists to inform, promote democratic values, defend human rights and fundamental freedoms and protest against crime, corruption and abuses of power, and which are used in evidencing and combating censorship;
Amendment 134 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 7 a (new) 7 a. Deplores the increased attempts by religious and state authorities to restrict freedom of expression and criticism under the guise of religious or blasphemy laws, especially in the case of satire, mockery or criticism in the form of journalistic or creative work and expression;
Amendment 135 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 8. Highlights the importance of ensuring the safety and well-being of journalist fact checkers, who are particularly targeted because they constantly reveal mis- and disinformation, and by doing so, often expose facts that people have put a lot of effort into hiding or distorting; ask the Commission to build tools to address this issue, such as a legal framework for targeted media outlets and effective means for them to operate;
Amendment 136 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8 a. Denounces the growing use of surveillance equipment to monitor, intercept and censor the work of journalists; condemns the involvement of States and private actors in this illicit surveillance, which among others violates the right to privacy and the protection of the sources of journalists; calls for a moratorium on the export of cyber- surveillance tools from the EU Member States to third countries; calls for all allegations of surveillance of journalists to be independently investigated and prosecuted, and for the perpetrators to be held accountable;
Amendment 137 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8a. Underlines the conceptual difficulties associated with the notions of the 'objectivity' or 'truth' of facts, which can be seen from various perspectives and to different extents, and can be interpreted differently depending on the intellectual context in which they are placed; stresses the need to exercise extreme caution when legislating on issues such as disinformation or the manipulation of facts with a view to ensuring that such legislation cannot become an instrument with which to restrict political expression;
Amendment 138 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 a (new) 8 a. Acknowledges the crucial role that investigative journalists can play as watchdogs for democracy and the rule of law; notes that the highest level of protection of investigative journalists and whistle-blowers is in the vital interests of society as a whole;
Amendment 139 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 8 b (new) 8 b. Points out that whistle-blowers have proved to be a crucial resource for investigative journalism and for an independent press, and that guaranteeing the confidentiality of sources is fundamental to freedom of the press; stresses, therefore, that whistle-blowers contribute to democracy, transparency of politics and the economy, and an informed public;
Amendment 14 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas a journalist is an individual who
Amendment 140 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Regrets the absence of reliable data on the situation of journalists facing hostile working environments; pays tribute to organisations such as Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Frontline, the International Federation of Journalists and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, to name but a few, for their support for journalists and media workers in situations of danger that could threaten their security and well-being; calls on the Commission to develop holistic and sophisticated methodologies to seek ways of capturing data over longer periods time and for different types of violations against journalists; asks for effective monitoring toolkits to be developed; calls to set up an independent and impartial regulatory body, in cooperation with journalists’ organisations, for monitoring, documenting and reporting on violence and threats against journalists and to deal with the protection and safety of journalists;
Amendment 141 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 9. Regrets the absence of reliable data on the situation of journalists facing hostile working environments; pays tribute to organisations such as Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Frontline, the International Federation of Journalists and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists, to name but a few, for their support for journalists and media workers in situations of danger that could threaten their security and well-being; calls on the Commission to develop holistic and sophisticated methodologies to seek ways of capturing data over longer periods time and for different types of violations against journalists; asks for effective monitoring toolkits to be developed and for the EEAS to report annually to Parliament on the global state of media freedom and violations of the rights of journalists worldwide;
Amendment 142 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 9 a (new) 9 a. Highlights that it is often thanks to journalists that serious human rights violations, war crimes, and other atrocities taking places in the context of armed conflicts are brought to the attention of the public and of decision makers; condemned in the strongest possible terms deliberate attacks, kidnapping and torture of journalists reporting on conflicts, as well as failure to protect and them; calls for effective investigations and prosecutions of those responsible for crimes against journalists, including supporting the starting of ICC invistigation on the killing of Palestinian- American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) on May 11, 2022, while covering an IDF raid in the West Bank town of Jenin and wearing a protective vest that read “press” on the front and back;
Amendment 143 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the attempts by public authorities and actors from the private sector to silence independent media or undermine their freedom and pluralism; warns against practices that indirectly subdue such media by means of financial patronage and condemns, in particular, attempts to control media public service; expresses serious concern about monopolistic and oligopolistic practices related to media ownership and recalls that, as stated by the UN Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression, concentration of media ownership is a practice that runs counter to democracy and pluralism, as it impedes the diverse expression of the various sectors of society;
Amendment 144 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the attempts by public authorities to silence independent media or undermine their freedom and pluralism; warns against practices that indirectly subdue such media by means of financial patronage and condemns, in particular, attempts to control media public service; calls on governments to effectively counter abuse and to not misuse protective measures to prevent freedom of expression and not to enable censorship; recommends that governments allow freedom of social and political dialogue and critique, rather than blocking communication websites and social media without a legal premise;
Amendment 145 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the attempts by public authorities to silence independent media or undermine their freedom and pluralism; warns against practices that indirectly subdue such media by means of financial patronage and condemns, in particular, attempts to control media public service; deplores the adoption by third countries of so-called foreign agents laws which are being used to silence and repress journalism; stresses that the EU must uphold the protection of journalist and freedom of opinion and expression as one of its main priorities, and to this end, lead a pact and work in alliance with other democracies and like- minded partners;
Amendment 146 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 10 10. Condemns, in the strongest possible terms, the attempts by public authorities to silence independent media or undermine their freedom and pluralism and to restrict the public's access to reliable information via internet shutdowns, surveillance, blocking or filtering online content and through requests for content removal to platforms; warns against practices that indirectly subdue such media by means of financial patronage and condemns, in particular, attempts to control media public service;
Amendment 147 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Condemns the use of SLAPPs to silence or intimidate journalists and outlets, including by the authorities of third countries against EU-based journalists and media, and to create a climate of fear to suppress their reporting; welcomes, in this regard, the Commission proposal for a directive against SLAPPs targeting journalists in the EU
Amendment 148 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Condemns the use of SLAPPs to silence or intimidate journalists and outlets and to create a climate of fear to suppress their reporting; welcomes, in this regard, the Commission proposal for a directive against SLAPPs targeting journalists in the EU
Amendment 149 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 11. Condemns the use of SLAPPs to silence or intimidate journalists and outlets and to create a climate of fear to suppress their reporting; welcomes, in this regard, the Commission proposal for a directive against SLAPPs targeting journalists in the EU, and asks the Commission and the European External Action Service (EEAS) to encourage third countries, principally like-minded partners who have not yet done so, to take similar initiative at national level and to engage on this matter at international level; calls for additional support in legal assistance for journalists being the target of SLAPPs, and for the EU to develop comprehensive guidelines for prosecutors tackling SLAPPs and to provide them and judges with training on the matter;
Amendment 15 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas a journalist is an individual who, on a professional basis, observes, describes, documents, investigates and analyses events, statements, policies and any proposals that could affect society, with the purpose of systematising such information and gathering and analysing facts to inform segments of society or society as a whole;
Amendment 150 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11 a. Calls on the EU and the Member States to enact emergency visa programs to create a pathway specifically for journalists at risk; stresses the importance of facilitating the resettlement process for journalists at risk and supporting their work in exile;
Amendment 151 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 a (new) 11 a. Condemns the targeting of journalists by malign spyware; underlines the importance to provide redress to journalists who have been targeted with spyware;
Amendment 152 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 11 b (new) 11 b. Calls for special attention to be paid to ensuring the continuity of the work of journalists and media professionals working in conflict zones, as very often they are financially prevented from continuing their important work as a result of conflicts;
Amendment 153 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 Amendment 154 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 12. Welcomes actions aiming to raise awareness about the full range of EU and other international protection mechanisms and tools that can be urgently deployed in support of journalists in danger that are already available to EU/UN staff, organisations devoted to the protection of journalists and civil society organisations (CSOs); calls for a substantial increase in the funding of these protection mechanisms and tools by the EU and the Member States;
Amendment 155 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 a (new) 12 a. Urges the EU, Member States and international organisations to further promote already-existing protection mechanisms and to ensure that they are known and accessible to journalists and relevant civil society organisations in third countries, paying special attention to those in remote areas;
Amendment 156 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 12 b (new) 12 b. Welcomes and encourages further projects resembling Reporters Without Borders’ digital vest app, which should be available in other EU languages besides Spanish, or the Hannah Arendt Initiative aiming at protecting journalists in situations of danger by setting-up an emergency program for averting immediate threats to media workers in their countries of origin in a targeted and rapid manner; calls on the Commission and the EEAS to support these sorts of initiatives and develop an early warning mechanism with tailor-made guidelines for journalists to follow when they are at risk;
Amendment 157 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 13. Invites the EU institutions to promote the use of media literacy as a tool to support citizens’ and societies’ broader understanding of the societal role of journalism and to promote exchange programmes for journalists; calls, in particular, for the promotion of programmes and policies aimed at fostering media and news literacy for journalists and media actors throughout the EU and abroad; considers that strengthening journalism is essential to prevent disinformation, polarisation and violence and can strengthen democracies by enabling political participation;
Amendment 158 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13 a. Encourages EU Member States to promote the continuous development of competences and skills in all professions relevant for the protection of journalists and other media professionals in partner countries, in particular for law enforcement authorities, judges and prosecutors, as well as for all relevant authorities involved in digital safety;
Amendment 159 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 13 a (new) 13 a. Reiterates its call for the EU to establish a European Democratic Media Fund to support independent journalism in (potential) enlargement and European neighbourhood countries and in candidate and potential candidate countries;
Amendment 16 #
Motion for a resolution Recital B B. whereas a journalist is an individual who
Amendment 160 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Insists on enhancing collaboration between online platforms and law enforcement authorities so as to effectively address the spread of messages that incite hatred or instigate violence towards journalists and media workers, taking into account the fact that
Amendment 161 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Insists on enhancing collaboration between online platforms, governments and law enforcement authorities so as to effectively address the spread of messages that incite hatred or instigate violence towards journalists and media workers, taking into account the fact that women are particularly targeted; calls on the need to implement measures to protect journalists from online and gender-based violence on social media and other digital platforms; stresses the importance of promptly removing online comments or reactions that undermine the safety of journalists in order to curb their uncontrolled spread;
Amendment 162 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Insists on enhancing collaboration between online platforms and law enforcement authorities so as to effectively address the spread of messages that incite hatred or instigate violence towards journalists and media workers, taking into account the fact that women are particularly targeted; stresses the importance of promptly removing online comments or reactions that undermine the safety of journalists in order to curb their uncontrolled spread; urges third countries authorities to investigate and prosecute cases of online harassment and abuse;
Amendment 163 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Insists on enhancing collaboration between online platforms and law enforcement authorities so as to effectively address the spread of messages that incite hatred or instigate violence towards journalists and media workers, taking into account the fact that women are particularly targeted; stresses the importance of promptly removing online comments or reactions
Amendment 164 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 14. Insists on enhancing collaboration between online platforms and law enforcement authorities so as to effectively address the spread of messages that incite hatred or instigate violence towards journalists and media workers, taking into account the fact that women are particularly targeted;
Amendment 165 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 a (new) 14 a. Highlights that in recent years hate speech and discrimination in the media, both online and offline, as well as cyber-violence against journalists, have become increasingly widespread, thus threatening media freedom, freedom of expression, information and pluralism; recalls that online hate speech can incite offline violence and online harassment; emphasizes that especially female journalists also face sexual harassment and sexual violence and are much more likely to experience online harassment than their male colleagues;
Amendment 166 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 b (new) 14 b. Underlines the need for enhanced multilateral engagement and coordination on the safety and effective protection of journalists, media workers and associated personnel, with a view to set a comprehensive policy approach that encompasses the pillars of prevention, protection and prosecution; Calls on the EU Commission to take a leading role in establishing and protecting freedom of speech and expression, most notably in relation to the practice of journalism world wide;
Amendment 167 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 14 c (new) 14 c. Calls on the EU and its Member States to further step up their commitment to combat impunity for crimes against journalists, media workers and associated personnel in partner countries but also in local and EU journalistic organizations and staff, and to launch concrete initiatives in view of appointing a UN Special Representative for the Protection of Journalist Worldwide;
Amendment 168 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Calls on the EU delegations to apply the EU human rights guidelines on freedom of expression online and offline in a uniform and consistent manner as they pertain to protecting journalists and defending press freedom; strongly
Amendment 169 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Calls on the EU delegations and EU Member States’ diplomatic missions to apply the EU human rights guidelines on freedom of expression online and offline in a uniform and consistent manner as they pertain to protecting journalists and defending press freedom; strongly encourage the EEAS and Member States to undertake all efforts to promote, harness and share examples of good practices, especially with EU officials prior to assignments in third countries;
Amendment 17 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas states have obligations to safeguard the fundamental rights associated with journalists, such as the right to freedom of expression and opinion, the right to life and the right to personal dignity; whereas international human
Amendment 170 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 15. Calls on the EU
Amendment 171 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15 a. Calls on the EU and Member States to exert political and diplomatic pressure to change the policies and practices of third countries to discourage or even ban women from pursuing carriers in journalism;
Amendment 172 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 15 a (new) 15 a. Calls for the strict enforcement and monitoring of the EU dual-use goods regulation and ensure that no EU export can be made which enables authoritarian regimes to target or attack journalists;
Amendment 173 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to always weigh the option of voiced public action against silent diplomacy; highlights the importance of building civil society’s understanding of the EU delegations’ modus operandi; encourages, in this regard, the EU delegations to make, to the extent possible, more public statements, both pre-emptively and in response to serious violations of or restrictions on the right to the freedom of opinion and expression; recalls the importance of the EU Delegations in this regard as those implementing the EU mechanism for protection of Human Rights Defenders, which includes journalists, as well as EU dedicated programmes to support independent media and journalists’ safety; highlights the need for the EEAS and the EU Delegations to count with the appropiate financial and personnel resources in order to better tackle the challenges that journalists face worldwide;
Amendment 174 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to always weigh the option of voiced public action against silent diplomacy
Amendment 175 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 16. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to always weigh the option of voiced public action against silent diplomacy; highlights the importance of
Amendment 176 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 16 a (new) 16 a. Denounces the unrelented persecution of Julian Assange for his invaluable contribution to exposing war crimes and to promoting transparency and accountability of State actors; condemns his continued detention in the United Kingdom; warns against his extradition to the USA where he risks being exposed to further, serious human rights violations, and calls on the British authorities to immediately release him; calls on the US authorities to drop the espionage and all other charges against him that relate to his publishing activities as part of his work with Wikileaks; holds that the public interest of certain information under secrecy provisions may outweigh the interests of secrecy and justify its disclosure; expresses its fullest admiration and support to whistleblowers and their publishers exposing abuse around the world;
Amendment 177 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Calls on the EEAS to establish an urgency response plan to be followed by the EU delegations with a range of protective tools, such as the issuing of statements, coordinating trial monitoring, conducting prison visits, visiting the homes or offices of at-risk journalists, raising cases urgently with the authorities, using bilateral dialogues to raise press freedom concerns, facilitating rest and respite opportunities for at-risk or traumatised journalists, supporting temporary relocation and/or evacuation, providing physical accompaniment in extreme situations, and seeking to advocate and build the capacity of local law enforcement, judicial and governmental authorities to protect journalists, including by pushing for full accountability for abuses of press freedom; calls for particular attention to be paid to journalists held hostage as well as to the protection of family members of targeted journalists;
Amendment 178 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Calls on the EEAS to establish, a
Amendment 179 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 17. Calls on the EEAS to establish an urgency response plan to be followed by the EU delegations with a range of protective tools, such as the issuing of statements, reacting to public smear campaigns, coordinating trial monitoring, conducting prison visits, visiting the homes or offices of at-risk journalists, raising cases urgently with the authorities, using bilateral dialogues to raise press freedom concerns, facilitating rest and respite opportunities for at-risk or traumatised journalists, supporting temporary relocation and/or evacuation, providing physical accompaniment in extreme situations, and seeking to advocate and build the capacity of local law enforcement, judicial and governmental authorities to protect journalists, including by pushing for full accountability for abuses of press freedom;
Amendment 18 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas states have obligations to safeguard the fundamental rights associated with journalists, such as the right to freedom of expression and opinion, the right to life and the right to personal
Amendment 180 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17 a. Calls on the EU Representative for Human rights to make it one of theír highest priorities to ensure the safety of journalists, media workers and associated personnel in their interlocutions with third country authorities; Deplores the lack of attention given by the EU High Representative and Vice President of the European Commission to specific cases of illegitemately arresting, prosecuting or restricting the rights of journalists, and their inaction in the protection of journalists whose lives are in immediate danger;
Amendment 181 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 17 a (new) 17 a. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to further stregnhten their capacity building suppport by assisting third countries in developing and enacting legal frameworks favourable to the protection of journalists, freedom of expression and freedom of information;
Amendment 182 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18 a. Urges the EU to call for an immediate moratorium on the development, export, sale and use of spyware until robust regulations are implemented to guarantee its use in line with international human rights standards and to safeguard journalists; where governments continue to engage in the use or sale of this technology, call for public reporting and consultation about spyware purchases and exports; consider the use of targeted actions to hold accountable those who have spied or facilitated spying on journalists through the sale or use of spyware, and to deter future spying;
Amendment 183 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 18 a (new) 18 a. Calls on the EEAS to encourage exchange of views between law enforcement forces and journalist to allow for uninhibited reporting and other media activities covering protests or demonstrations in countries with EU delegations and to establish a common understanding on the rights of journalists;
Amendment 184 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Calls on EU delegations, EU Member State diplomatic missions and like-minded partners to engage in proactive outreach to and support for journalist communities in third countries with a view to supporting their work and working conditions, to make regular assessments of the press freedom environment in each respective third country, including ongoing or emerging risks to journalists, and to seek ways to put in place either measures that could prevent abuses from occurring or protection measures, including providing demonstrable, effective administrative and visible moral support to journalists at risk of harassment, prosecution or injury; recommends the establishment of a point of contact for journalists to seek protection and support; recommends that this point of contact is free of charge, easily accessible for journalists (and, when needed, their families) and operate in a transparent manner;
Amendment 185 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Calls on EU delegations, EU Member State diplomatic missions and like-minded partners to engage in proactive outreach to and support for journalist communities in third countries with a view to supporting their work and working
Amendment 186 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 19. Calls on EU delegations, EU Member State diplomatic missions and like-minded partners to engage in proactive outreach to and support for civil society, media outlets and journalist communities in third countries with a view to supporting their work and working conditions, to make regular assessments of the press freedom environment in each respective third country, including ongoing or emerging risks to journalists, and to seek ways to put in place either measures that could prevent abuses from occurring or protection measures, including providing demonstrable and visible moral support to journalists at risk;
Amendment 187 #
19. Calls on EU delegations, EU Member State diplomatic missions and like-minded partners to engage in proactive outreach to and support for journalist
Amendment 188 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19 a. Stresses that visas are a key tool to access the territory of the Member States in a safe manner and that, in order to effectively assist journalists at risk, the Commission should take a proactive role towards the establishment of an EU-wide scheme for issuing short-term visas for such media professionals; underlines the need for Member States to make visa requirements and conditions less stringent for journalists in need of emergency evacuation; calls on Member States to raise the level of awareness among officials in relation to the particular needs and challenges of applications by journalists;
Amendment 189 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19 a. Emphasises that it is essential that journalists are guaranteed the necessary conditions to contribute to an open, free and fair public debate, which is a key aspect of helping society counter disinformation, information manipulation and interference;
Amendment 19 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas states have obligations to safeguard the fundamental rights associated with journalists, such as the right to freedom of expression and opinion, the right to life and the right to personal dignity; whereas international human rights law establishes that the protection of journalists includes preventing all forms of discrimination without distinction of any kind, including race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, and property, birth or other status; whereas the inadequate protection offered to journalists, as well as the growing hostility displayed towards them by public figures, are substantially undermining their basic freedoms;
Amendment 190 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 a (new) 19 a. Calls on the Council and the EEAS to impose targeted sanctions under the EU Global Human Rights Sanctions (the EU Magnitsky Act) against individuals and entities responsible for human rights violations against journalists and media workers;
Amendment 191 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 19 b (new) 19 b. Recalls that advances in media freedom and freedom of expression are a crucial part of EU's accession process; recalls that candidate countries with solid and competitive media environments are more prone to move swiftly in EU accession negotiations; in this respect, welcomes the support channelled through the European Endowment for Democracy (EED), but believes more action needs to be taken to support independent journalism in areas influenced by malign foreign actors, such as Russia and China; therefore, reiterates its call to establish a specific European Democratic Media Fund to support journalism in enlargement and European neighbourhood and candidate countries; is concerned about the extend of Russia propaganda in some EU candidate and potential candidate countries; condemns the opening of the office of Russia Today in Belgrade and the launch of its online news service in Serbian language; urges the Serbian authorities to counter hybrid threats and align with the Council’s decision on the suspension of the broadcasting activities of Sputnik and Russia Today;
Amendment 192 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20.
Amendment 193 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 20 20. Calls on the Commission and the Member States to promote sustainable measures
Amendment 194 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to ensure that EU funding programmes are known and accessible to local CSOs active on journalist safety and freedom of expression and, when appropriate, to encourage and support them to apply to such programmes and to play a lead role in shaping and implementing relevant projects; underlines the need to ensure a balance between EU funding for projects to promote journalist safety and to support media development, in line with the NDICI’s thematic programme on human rights and democracy and its multiannual indicative programming and related indicators; reiterates its call to simplify the application process in order to mak
Amendment 195 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 21. Calls on the Commission and the EEAS to ensure that EU funding programmes are known and accessible to local CSOs active on journalist safety and freedom of expression and, when appropriate, to encourage and support them to apply to such programmes and
Amendment 196 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21 a. Calls for an appropriate and sustainable legal framework establishing a free information space protection mechanism based on the reciprocity of openness requirements; believes that, as proposed by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), this System for the protection of democratic information spaces 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 197 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21 a. Calls for an appropriate and sustainable legal framework establishing a free information space protection mechanism based on the reciprocity of openness requirements; believes that, as proposed by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), this System for the protection of democratic information spaces should be built on two pillars: 1) equal treatment – for all audio-visual outlets broadcasting in the EU; 2) reciprocity – openness of public space for EU broadcasters in third countries.
Amendment 198 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21 a. Highlights the importance to ensure that EU support for media development is not limited to providing skills to journalist and media workers, but also enables obtaining technical work equipment, which is regularly voiced by independent journalists from third countries;
Amendment 199 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 21 a (new) 21 a. Calls on the Commission to propose the creation of an EU insurance scheme dedicated to insuring European journalists travelling to conflict zones;
Amendment 2 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 5 a (new) – having regard to Article 4 of the Third Geneva Convention referring to ‘war correspondents’, Article 79 of additional Protocol I on ‘measures of protection for journalists’ and the other articles protecting such professionals as civilians in times of armed conflict,
Amendment 20 #
Motion for a resolution Recital C C. whereas states have obligations to safeguard the fundamental rights associated with journalis
Amendment 200 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Strongly encourages increasing support for funding programmes, statements and public events aimed at enhancing monitoring and protection mechanisms of the UN
Amendment 201 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 22. Strongly encourages increasing support for funding programmes, statements and public events aimed at enhancing protection mechanisms of the UN and the Inter-American Court on Human Rights in consultation with journalists and CSOs supporting journalists; stresses that some crimes against journalists and media workers should be investigated by the International Criminal Court and calls on the EU and the Member States to provide the necessary support for the investigation;
Amendment 202 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22 a. Welcomes the Partnership on Information and Democracy gathering 50 States from all regions, which calls for the establishment of democratic safeguards in the communication and information space and recognises the right to reliable information; supports the implementation of the Partnership on Information and Democracy’s recommendations in order to inform EU action in support of partner countries in this field;
Amendment 203 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22 a. Pays tribute to all those who lost their lives and suffered attacks in the exercise of their freedom of expression both online and offline and stands by all those who have the courage to speak up against injustice, corruption and unlawfulness;
Amendment 204 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22 a. Urges Member States to lead by example regarding the protection of journalists when performing their duties, and the concomitant observance of the human rights to freedom of expression and information that integrate the basis of democracy;
Amendment 205 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 a (new) 22 a. Encourages member states to develop national and regional capacities to prevent, protect and prosecute attacks against journalists;
Amendment 206 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 22 b (new) 22 b. Calls on private sector companies, notably in the digital sector, to conduct effective and thorough due diligence to prevent or mitigate any adverse impact on freedom of expression, media pluralism and rights of journalists resulting from their operations, products or services;
Amendment 21 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas professional journalists have a mission to provide the public with information on general or specialised topics of interest as responsibly and as objectively as possible; whereas adequate working conditions mean avoiding undue internal and external pressure, dependency, vulnerability and instability, and hence the risk of self-censorship; whereas it is important to consider the societal role played by all media workers and support staff, as well as community media workers and so-called citizen journalists;
Amendment 22 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas professional journalists have a mission to provide the public with information on general or specialised topics of interest as responsibly and as objectively as possible; whereas the need to distinguish berween facts and opinion is a widely accepted standard of journalistic practice; whereas it is important to consider the societal role played by all media workers and support staff, as well as community media workers and so-called citizen journalists;
Amendment 23 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas
Amendment 24 #
Motion for a resolution Recital D D. whereas
Amendment 25 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas the decline of media freedom and the rise in threats to the safety of journalists is a worldwide trend, most sharply evident in backsliding democracies and recalcitrant totalitarian States; whereas recent years have shown a growing pattern of intimidation aimed at silencing journalists, in particular war correspondents; whereas th
Amendment 26 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas recent years have shown a growing pattern of intimidation aimed at silencing journalists, in particular war correspondents; whereas by gathering and disseminating reliable information about armed conflicts, journalists carry out a crucial mission of public interest; whereas this is a situation that requires urgent action to uphold the essential role of the independent media in ensuring transparency and accountability;
Amendment 27 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas recent years have shown a growing pattern of
Amendment 28 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas recent years have shown a growing pattern of intimidation aimed at silencing journalists, in particular war correspondents and journalists reporting on situations in certain totalitarian states or dictatorships; whereas this is a situation that requires urgent action to uphold the essential role of the independent media in ensuring transparency and accountability;
Amendment 29 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas recent years have shown a decline in press freedom and a growing pattern of intimidation aimed at silencing journalists, in particular war correspondents and journalists engaged in professional missions in zones of armed conflict; whereas this is a situation that requires urgent action to uphold the essential role of the independent media in ensuring transparency and accountability;
Amendment 3 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 11 a (new) — having regard to the Commission’s European Democracy action plan of 3 December 2020,
Amendment 30 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E E. whereas recent years have shown a growing pattern of intimidation aimed at silencing journalists, in particular war correspondents and investigative journalists working to expose corruption; whereas this is a situation that requires urgent action to uphold the essential role of the independent media in ensuring transparency and accountability;
Amendment 31 #
Motion for a resolution Recital E a (new) E a. whereas political authorities deliberately ban the access to conflict zones for journalists, to monopolise outgoing information, silence whistle blowers, cover-up human rights abuses and control public opinion; whereas in numerous cases journalistic correspondents face multiple difficulties and deliberate obstruction in accessing a country or a specific area in which conflicts or dire human rights abuses take place; whereas the inability to access these areas erodes the quality of reporting of local developments, which enables greater disinformation campaigns and misinformation in the offline as well as in the online media;
Amendment 32 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas the challenges that journalists encounter in undertaking their work are manifold, including restrictions on movement, such as deportations and denial of access to a country or a particular area, travel bans, arbitrary arrests and detention, torture, sexual violence, particularly against female journalists, confiscation of and damage to equipment, information theft, illegal surveillance and office break-
Amendment 33 #
Motion for a resolution Recital F F. whereas the challenges that journalists encounter in undertaking their work are manifold, including restrictions on movement, such as deportations and denial of access to a country or a particular area, arbitrary arrests and detention, violation of due process guarantees; sentencing on trumped-up charges; torture, sexual violence, particularly against female journalists, confiscation of and damage to equipment, information theft, illegal surveillance and office break-
Amendment 34 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas investigative journalists working to expose corruption are being particularly targeted; whereas there is no definition of ‘corruption’ at international level, which makes it difficult to harmonise international rules for prosecuting people for it and complicates cooperation among countries to bring to justice those who commit the crime of corruption, leaving the journalists who reveal those crimes, and their families, unprotected;
Amendment 35 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas investigative journalists working to expose corruption a
Amendment 36 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G G. whereas investigative journalists working to expose corruption are being particularly targeted; whereas journalists require direct, immediate and unencumbered access to information from public administrations to properly hold the authorities to account;
Amendment 37 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) G a. whereas international human rights law provides strong protection for whistle-blowers, journalistic sources and public interest reporting; whereas, according to the report of the UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression of 20 April 2022 on disinformation and freedom of opinion and expression, the continuing efforts of the United States to prosecute Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks, raise concerns that the Espionage Act charges could establish a precedent for punishing not only whistle-blowers but also journalists, without considering whether their reporting is in the public interest;
Amendment 38 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G a (new) G a. whereas those who report serious violations of international law face persecution, including judicial persecution; whereas they may be accused of undermining state security; whereas any authoritarian regime can convict an independent journalist on charges of undermining state security;
Amendment 39 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G b (new) G b. whereas the whistleblower Julian Assange, is persecuted in the US for for publishing information about serious human rights violations, including torture and murder commited in Iraq and Afghanistan;
Amendment 4 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 15 a (new) — having regard to the Daphne Caruana Prize of the European Parliament, established in December 2019 as a tribute to Daphne Caruana Galizia, a Maltese anti-corruption investigative journalist and blogger who was killed in a car bomb attack in 2017, and which rewards on a yearly basis outstanding journalism that promotes or defends the core principles and values of the European Union such as human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, rule of law, and human rights,
Amendment 40 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G c (new) G c. whereas, echoing the Council of Europe, whistleblowing is a fundamental aspect of freedom of expression and plays an essential role in detecting and reporting irregularities and wrongdoing, and in strengthening democratic accountability and transparency; whereas whistleblowing represents a key source of information in the fight against organised crime, in investigating, identifying and publicising cases of corruption within the public and private sectors and in detecting tax avoidance schemes set up by private companies; whereas the adequate protection of whistleblowers, as well as the promotion of a culture of acknowledgement of the important role played by whistleblowers in society, are preconditions for ensuring the effectiveness of such a role;
Amendment 41 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G d (new) G d. whereas the Partnership on Information and Democracy gathering 50 states from all regions (half of them are members of the European Union) calls for the establishment of democratic safeguards in the communication and information space and recognises every citizen’s right to reliable information;
Amendment 42 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G e (new) G e. whereas the Partnership on Information and Democracy underlines that access to reliable information must be protected and promoted to enable democratic participation and the exercise of freedom of opinion and expression;
Amendment 43 #
Motion for a resolution Recital G f (new) G f. whereas the civil society-led implementation body of the Partnership, the Forum on Information and Democracy, has developed a series of recommendations in order to address the issue of the information chaos that the EU could use to support efforts of democratic countries outside the Union;
Amendment 44 #
H. whereas technological innovation has increased the capacity of individuals, governments and other bodies to spy on journalists, compromise their digital security and force censorship upon them; whereas such attacks may include compromising journalists’ accounts, locking them out of their accounts, subjecting them to intrusive malware, targeting them with hateful and violent content and gathering and publishing personal information about them online; whereas targeted surveillance
Amendment 45 #
H. whereas technological innovation has increased the capacity of
Amendment 46 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas technological innovation has increased the capacity of individuals, governments and other bodies to spy on journalists, compromise their digital security and force censorship upon them; whereas such attacks may include compromising journalists’ accounts, locking them out of their accounts, subjecting them to intrusive malware, targeting them with hateful and violent content and gathering and publishing personal information about them online
Amendment 47 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H H. whereas technological innovation has increased the capacity of individuals, governments and other bodies to spy on journalists, compromise their digital security and force censorship upon them; whereas such attacks may include compromising journalists’ accounts, locking them out of their accounts, subjecting them to intrusive malware, targeting them with hateful and violent content, publicly discrediting them and gathering and publishing personal information about them o
Amendment 48 #
Motion for a resolution Recital H a (new) H a. whereas journalists face increasing harassment and endangerment to their safety and their lives on online platforms, such as forums, social media websites, through e-mails and chat websites, by individuals with malign intents and by some governments, most notably the governments of a country or region in which these journalists are active and attempt or succeed in exposing human rights issues, corruption of government or private corporation individuals or highlight attempts to mislead public opinion through disinformation, intimidation and misinformation campaigns; whereas an increased number of journalists is killed outside of armed conflict zones, many of them reporting on topics related to corruption, trafficking or political wrongdoing; whereas local journalists covering local stories constitute by far the greatest number of victims;
Amendment 49 #
Motion for a resolution Recital I I. whereas according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, in 2022, 6
Amendment 5 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 16 a (new) — having regard to the Commission Recommendation C(2021) 6650 of 16 September 2021,
Amendment 50 #
Motion for a resolution Recital I I. whereas according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, in 2022, 66 journalists were killed and 64 were reported missing; whereas, in line with the data published by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), 1,668 journalists have been killed worldwide in connection with their work between 2003 and 2022 and a total of 533 journalists are detained in accordance with RSF’s 2022 annual round-up of violence and abuses against journalists;
Amendment 51 #
Motion for a resolution Recital I I. whereas according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, in 2022, 66 journalists were killed and 64 were reported missing; whereas the UNESCO 2021-2022 freedom of expression report released on 17 January 2023 notes the deaths of 86 journalists last year, amounting to one every four days, up from 55 killings in 2021;
Amendment 52 #
Motion for a resolution Recital I I. whereas according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, in 2022, 66 journalists were killed and 64 were reported missing; and, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), 533 journalists are currently detained for carrying out their journalistic activity;
Amendment 53 #
Motion for a resolution Recital I I. whereas according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, in 2022, 66 journalists were killed and 64 were reported missing; and, according to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), 533 journalists are currently detained for carrying out their journalistic activity;
Amendment 54 #
Motion for a resolution Recital I I. whereas according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, in 2022, 66 journalists were killed and 64 were reported missing; whereas according to Reporters Without Borders, 533 journalists are currently detained for carrying out their journalistic activity;
Amendment 55 #
Motion for a resolution Recital J J. whereas the safety of journalists is crucial to guarantee their ability to do their job properly; whereas the protection of journalists and journalistic sources, including whistle-blowers, varies between countries and in most does not include providing effective protection against retaliation, defamation charges, threats, intimidating lawsuits or other negative consequences;
Amendment 56 #
Motion for a resolution Recital J J. whereas the safety of journalists is crucial to guarantee their ability to do their job properly; whereas robust international measures to protect journalists and address impunity for crimes against journalists are lacking; whereas the OHCHR calls for the establishment of an international taskforce on the prevention, investigation and prosecution of attacks on journalists;
Amendment 57 #
Motion for a resolution Recital J J. whereas the safety of journalists is crucial to guarantee their ability to do their job properly; whereas countries have to be guarantors of the integrity of the journalists operating on their territory;
Amendment 58 #
Motion for a resolution Recital K K. whereas the COVID-19 crisis has highlighted the essential role played by journalists in providing citizens with reliable and verified information; whereas greater effort must therefore be made to ensure safe and suitable working conditions for journalists and media workers; whereas certain governments have unjustly used COVID-19 restrictions as a method to illegitimately restrict the work of journalists, especially with regards to their reporting on human rights violations;
Amendment 59 #
Motion for a resolution Recital K a (new) Ka. whereas there is a conceptual difficulty surrounding the notion of the 'truth' of a fact, in particular because of the various perspectives and consequences in which a fact can be grasped and the various meanings or interpretations that can be attached to it without however making it untruthful or misleading;
Amendment 6 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 19 a (new) — having regard to the awarding of the 2021 Nobel Peace Prize to journalists Maria Ressa and Dmitri Mouratov, respectively from the Philippines and Russia, as a recognition of their outstanding efforts to safeguard freedom of journalists,
Amendment 60 #
Motion for a resolution Recital L L. whereas fact-checking is a specific journalistic activity that involves verifying facts or challenging official narratives, with the goal of tackling disinformation or revealing misinformation both off- and online; whereas fact checkers operate in a world in which the circulation of information is extensive and in which algorithms polarise debates
Amendment 61 #
Motion for a resolution Recital M M. whereas the rapid growth of online and social media has amplified mis- and disinformation, as well as the spread of fake news, seeking to discredit credible sources of information and targeting journalists, fact checkers and media workers who are endeavouring to limit this spread; whereas an increasing number of people are turning to the internet and social media to keep themselves informed;
Amendment 62 #
Motion for a resolution Recital M a (new) M a. whereas the concentration of power of media conglomerates, platform operators and internet intermediaries, and media control by economic corporations and political actors risk causing negative consequences for the pluralism of public debate and access to information and having an impact on the freedom, integrity, quality and editorial independence of journalism and broadcast media;
Amendment 63 #
Motion for a resolution Recital M a (new) M a. whereas disinformation and misinformation can have severe consequences on human rights protection and can present a significant threat to the values of democracy and individual freedoms; whereas fake news often preys on emotions and is created to attract attention, thereby spreading more easily and quickly than non-fake news;
Amendment 64 #
Motion for a resolution Recital M a (new) M a. whereas activities to fight disinformation are considered a matter of public interest;
Amendment 65 #
Motion for a resolution Recital N N. whereas according to the Commission, political journalism is particularly at risk, as social shocks or
Amendment 66 #
Motion for a resolution Recital O O. whereas
Amendment 67 #
Motion for a resolution Recital O O. whereas the killing, forced exile and imprisonment of journalists, cartoonists, bloggers and media workers continue to be a widespread phenomenon, as does impunity for these actions; whereas online spaces are increasingly becoming a hostile environment and violence against female journalists has been intensifying;
Amendment 68 #
Motion for a resolution Recital O a (new) O a. whereas often the detained journalists have been denied the right of access to a lawyer and are being kept in inhuman conditions in which they are being threatened and mistreated; whereas the right to independent and transparent access to justice is a core component of the rule of law and the right to a fair trial must be ensured;
Amendment 69 #
Motion for a resolution Recital P P. whereas in addition to violence against and intimidation
Amendment 7 #
Motion for a resolution Citation 19 a (new) — having regard to the Resolution of the EU-ACP Joint Parliamentary Assembly ‘on the impact of social media on governance, development, democracy and stability’ (ACP-EU/102.745/19/fin.) of 28 November 2019,
Amendment 70 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Q Q. whereas media capture, a lack of institutional transparency, hate speech and disinformation are increasingly being exploited for political purposes to intensify social polarisation; whereas these practices are used by totalitarian regimes to hold on to power;
Amendment 71 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Q Q. whereas media capture, a lack of institutional transparency, hate speech and disinformation are increasingly being exploited for political purposes to intensify social polarisation, most notably by anti- democratic political movements and actors;
Amendment 72 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Q Q. whereas media capture, a lack of institutional transparency, hate speech and disinformation are increasingly being exploited for political and economic purposes to intensify social polarisation or to pursue private economic interests;
Amendment 73 #
Motion for a resolution Recital Q a (new) Q a. whereas well-funded and strong public media service are guarantors of democratic societies; whereas, however, public service media and its journalists have been facing a number of growing challenges, including political and market pressure, as well as cuts in government spending, further compounded by the COVID-19 pandemic;
Amendment 74 #
Motion for a resolution Recital R R. whereas transparency of media ownership
Amendment 75 #
Motion for a resolution Recital R R. whereas transparency of media ownership and funding is an absolute precondition for ensuring media pluralism and independent journalism;
Amendment 76 #
Motion for a resolution Recital S S. whereas female journalists face gender-specific forms of violence, such as sexual and online harassment; whereas online harassment and abuse are often highly sexualised, based not on the content of victims’ work, but on their physical traits, cultural backgrounds or private lives; whereas these threats may lead female journalists to self-censor and have a chilling effect on press freedom and
Amendment 77 #
Motion for a resolution Recital S S. whereas female journalists face gender-specific forms of violence, such as sexual and online harassment; whereas online harassment and abuse are often highly sexualised, based not on the content of victims’ work, but on their physical traits, cultural backgrounds or private lives; whereas these threats may lead female journalists to self-censor and have a chilling effect on press freedom and freedom of expression; whereas experts have consistently found evidence that women are in the minority across media sectors, particularly in creative roles, and are severely underrepresented at senior decision-making levels; whereas several countries discourage or even ban women from pursuing carriers in journalism;
Amendment 78 #
Motion for a resolution Recital S a (new) S a. whereas the 2018 Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) report on Women Journalists and Freedom of Expression states that the discrimination faced by journalists is often manifested in relation to their gender, race, ethnicity, religion, belief, age, class, and sexual orientation or gender identity; whereas LGBTIQ+ journalists are at a higher risk of online attacks; whereas online attacks frequently exacerbate offline safety threats; whereas these threats may lead to self-censor and have a chilling effect on press freedom and freedom of expression;
Amendment 79 #
Motion for a resolution Recital T T. whereas in several countries, strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) are used by political and financial actors for the purpose of silencing critical voices or scaring journalists into halting investigations into corruption and other matters of public interest; whereas SLAPPs are a serious threat to democracy and fundamental rights, such as freedom of expression and information, as journalists can be prevented or penalised for speaking up on issues of public interest; whereas this is
Amendment 8 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas every human being has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; whereas this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any medium and regardless of borders; whereas democracies can only function when citizens have access to independent information; whereas media freedom and pluralism are crucial components of the right to freedom of expression and information; whereas
Amendment 80 #
Motion for a resolution Recital T T. whereas in
Amendment 81 #
Motion for a resolution Recital T T. whereas in several countries,
Amendment 82 #
Motion for a resolution Recital T a (new) T a. whereas the UN Plan of Action on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity aims to create a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers, both in conflict and non-conflict situations, with a view to strengthening peace, democracy and development worldwide; whereas dedicated adequate financial and human resources are needed for a proper implementation of the UN Plan of Action;
Amendment 83 #
Motion for a resolution Recital T a (new) T a. whereas it should put in place measures aimed at ensuring that the media is based on public values and is open, democratic, sustainable and inclusive, and that it is an environment in which more women, people from racial and ethnic minorities, migrants and refugees, members of LGBTIQ+ communities and people with disabilities occupy creative and decision-making positions;
Amendment 84 #
Motion for a resolution Recital U U. whereas the spread of misinformation, fake news, propaganda and disinformation creates a climate of global scepticism among the population with regard to information in general, which exposes journalists to distrust and poses a threat to freedom of information, democratic debate and the independence of the media, and has increased the need for high-quality media sources; whereas the public online space of journalistic information needs to be distinguished from other online environments that don’t follow the same legislation, rules and ethics of journalism; whereas the online space should be regulated in order to protect journalists and citizens from propaganda, fake news and disinformation;
Amendment 85 #
Motion for a resolution Recital U U. whereas the spread of misinformation, fake news, propaganda and disinformation, notions that are by their nature complex to define and subject to acts of political instrumentalisation, creates a climate of global scepticism among the population with regard to information in general, which exposes journalists to distrust and poses a threat to freedom of information, democratic debate and the independence of the media, and has increased the need for high-quality media sources;
Amendment 86 #
Motion for a resolution Recital V V. whereas data analysis and algorithms are having an increasing impact on the information made accessible to citizens; whereas several countries have adopted
Amendment 87 #
Motion for a resolution Recital V a (new) V a. whereas the Partnership on Information and Democracy gathering 50 states from all regions (half of them are members of the European Union) calls for the establishment of democratic safeguards in the communication and information space and recognises every citizen’s right to reliable information;
Amendment 88 #
Motion for a resolution Recital V a (new) V a. whereas a growing number of European journalists are forced to travel to conflict zones without insurance as the inscurance companies refuse to cover their stay;
Amendment 89 #
Motion for a resolution Recital V a (new) V a. whereas funding of political activities and politicians inside the European Union by malign foreign actors continues to be revealed by journalists;
Amendment 9 #
Motion for a resolution Recital A A. whereas every human being has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; whereas this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any medium and regardless of borders; whereas democracies can only function when citizens have access to independent information; whereas media freedom and pluralism are crucial components of the right to freedom of
Amendment 90 #
Motion for a resolution Recital V b (new) V b. whereas the Partnership on Information and Democracy underlines that access to reliable information must be protected and promoted to enable democratic participation and the exercise of freedom of opinion and expression;
Amendment 91 #
Motion for a resolution Recital V c (new) V c. whereas the civil society-led implementation body of the Partnership, the Forum on Information and Democracy, has developed a series of recommendations in order to address the issue of the information chaos that the EU could use to support efforts of democratic countries outside the Union;
Amendment 92 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Underlines that every human being has the right to freedom of opinion and expression and that this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any medium and regardless of borders; recalls th
Amendment 93 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Underlines that every human being has the right to freedom of opinion and expression and that this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any medium and regardless of borders; recalls the essential role that journalists play in promoting democratic values, human rights and fundamental freedoms, notably through scrutinising the activities of public authorities and elected officials;
Amendment 94 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Underlines and insists that every human being has the right to freedom of opinion and expression and that this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any medium and regardless of borders as laid out in the UN Declaration on Human Rights; recalls the essential role that journalists can play in promoting democratic values, human rights and fundamental freedoms;
Amendment 95 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Underlines that every human being has the right to freedom of opinion and expression and that this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any medium and regardless of borders; recalls the essential role that journalists play in promoting and safeguarding democratic values, human rights and fundamental freedoms;
Amendment 96 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 1. Underlines that every human being has the right to freedom of expression, opinion and
Amendment 97 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 a (new) 1 a. Condemns all crimes against journalists, media workers and associate personnel around the world, including in the EU; expresses its concerns over the high level of impunity worldwide for these crimes and calls for those responsible to be held accountable through the conduct of independent, timely and effective investigations in line with international obligations and the rule of law; underlines the right of victims to have access to appropriate remedies and legal counsel throughout their defence;
Amendment 98 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 1 b (new) 1 b. Underlines the duty of public authorities to protect freedom of expression and journalists’ safety by providing an appropriate legal environment, taking criminal threats against journalists seriously, vigorously prosecuting the perpetrators of any attack and ensuring appropriate investigation and follow-up, including the application of effective, proportionate and dissuasive sanctions; calls on the European Commission to engage with public authorities in all countries where it is present, in an effort to exchange best practices on the protection of journalists;
Amendment 99 #
Motion for a resolution Paragraph 2 2. Recalls the fact that democracy cannot function without available and accessible trustworthy information
source: 742.328
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History
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