The risks that journalists faced covering the war of aggression of Russia against Ukraine remained the most pressing concern related to the safety of journalists in Europe in 2024, according to the annual report of the partner organisations to the Council of Europe’s Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists. The report, entitled “Europe Press Freedom Report 2024: Confronting Political Pressure, Disinformation and the Erosion of Media Independence”, also identifies as serious threats the digital surveillance of journalists and its risks to source confidentiality, the transnational repression of journalists – notably, from Russia and Belarus -, and the trend towards media capture by governments in some countries.
The report warns of the rising threat of disinformation, including AI-generated content and state propaganda, used to manipulate public opinion and undermine independent journalism.
The platform partners address a set of recommendations urging the Council of Europe, the European Commission, and the 46 Council of Europe member states for stronger legal protection for journalists, safeguards against disinformation, and measures to combat media capture and surveillance. They call on governments and institutions to uphold press freedom through policy reforms, transparency, and stronger protections against threats and harassment.
In 2024, the platform partners published 266 alerts of physical attacks, intimidation, detention, impunity and other restrictive actions, slightly below the number of alerts in 2023 (285) but significantly above pre-COVID levels.
The countries with the highest number of alerts were Ukraine (40), most of them related to Russian-occupied territories or attributed to Russian forces, Russia (32), Türkiye (28), Serbia (20) and Georgia (18). Georgia experienced the sharpest rise in the alerts, more than threefold compared to the previous year- mainly due to attacks on journalists during pro-EU protests.
Seventy-eight alerts were related to attacks on journalists’ physical safety and integrity, compared to 52 in 2023, including the deaths of the Ukrainian journalist Viktoria Roshchyna, while in Russian custody, Reuters safety adviser Ryan Evans, and Kazakh journalist Aidos Sadykov. Except for acts of war brought on by Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, most physical assaults on journalists were connected to their coverage of public demonstrations and elections.
As of 31 December 2024, 159 journalists were held in detention across Europe, including 44 in Belarus, 30 in Azerbaijan, 29 in Russia (in addition to 28 in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine), 27 in Türkiye, and 1 in Georgia.
While abusive legal threats against media and journalists continued to raise concerns, the platform partners welcome the adoption of a Council of Europe recommendation on countering Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs), the enactment of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) and the anti-SLAPP EU directive’s implementation and trust they will contribute to creating a more favourable environment for media freedom.
“This year, specific chapters on three countries describe the marked deterioration in press freedom in Italy, Georgia and Slovakia,” said EFJ General Secretary Ricardo Gutiérrez. “A section is also devoted to the working conditions of journalists. It notes that of the 35 European countries analysed, barely four – Denmark, Germany, Ireland and Sweden – guarantee decent labour rights for journalists. The report points out that the growing precariousness of journalists, particularly freelancers and young journalists, increases their vulnerability to pressure and undermines their ability to cover the news freely and ethically. It is urgent for the authorities and social partners to support the establishment of robust labour protections for journalists, in order to guarantee public access to high-quality, independent journalism”.
In April 2025, the Safety of Journalists Platform will mark its 10th anniversary. Since its launching in 2015 until 31 December 2024, the Platform registered some 2, 000 alerts.
Download the report in English
Source: EFJ
