Press Freedom in Europe: Time to Turn the Tide (2024)

Safety of Journalists platform 2024 report: serious concern about the use of spyware against journalists, abusive lawsuits and journalists in exile This publication presents the annual assessment of threats to media freedom and safety of journalists in Europe in 2023, by the partner organisations of the Safety of Journalists Platform.The report assesses the major issues undermining press freedom – including threats and intimidation, detention, restrictive legislation, abusive lawsuits, media capture and attacks on public service media - and issues recommendations to address them.In 2023, the platform partners published 285 alerts on serious threats or attacks to media freedom in Europe compared to 289 alerts in 2022. Although in 2023 the number of journalists killed and street violence against them decreased, the alerts on the platform show a growing diversity of threats, pressure and constraints under which journalists must do their work. The Platform was set up in 2015 by the Council of Europe in co-operation with associations of journalists and leading international NGOs active in the field of the freedom of expression, with the objective of improving the protection of journalists and better addressing threats and violence against media professionals in Europe.The Platform facilitates the dissemination of information on serious threats to media freedom, reinforces the Council of Europe’s response to the threats and the accountability of its member states. It enables the Council of Europe to be alerted in a timely and systematic way to these threats and to take co-ordinated and prompt action and policy responses when necessary.