OSCE, Mijatovic: “Concerns about media freedom, more attacks on journalists”

“Governments must do everything possible to guarantee safety for the security of journalists. The threats made online, focused on journalists, is deteriorating an already worsened situation. Especially because of the method how journalists are being targeted”, Mijatovic said.

The German Foreign Minister, Frank Valter Steinmeier, whose country has the turn to preside the OSCE, underlined the importance of the free and independent media to develop democracy.

“Today we express our evaluation for journalists throughout the world who face violence with bravery, who stand against threats to document and report the truth. The free and independent media is an irreplaceable foundation for the free and democratic societies. It is up to the OSCE to play a decisive role in establishing and respecting mutual standards for promoting this principle”, he said.

The topic of the World Press Freedom Day, which was held this year in Helsinki, Finland, was access to information and basic freedoms, focusing especially on the relation between the press freedom, culture, transparency, the right to get informed and stable development in the digital era.

“Access to information is a basic human right. The members of the media would be unable to receive information regarding matters that are important for the public. In a time of crisis, this right is decisive to fight the wild elements of the propaganda”, Mijatovic added.

“Unfortunately, the times of conflicts are also times of propaganda and of distroed images. This is the reason why Germany, as leader of the OSCE, is paying special attention to the media freedom and the way how access to independent information should be obtained in a time of crisis”, Steinmeier said.

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