Birmingham and Coventry National Union of Journalists

More Determination is Needed to Make Human Rights Real

• "Europe must move with more determination from rhetoric to enforcement of human rights standards" stated the Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Thomas Hammarberg, when presenting the last annual report of his mandate.

Remaining problems which I feel must be addressed with determination and energy.

2.2 Freedom of the media
Media policy - in relation to freedom of expression and the protection of individual integrity - has been one of the major themes on which the Commissioner's work focused in 2011.

To raise awareness about the need for free, independent and pluralistic media, and because of the strong connection between media freedom and other human rights, a series of Media Freedom Lectures was launched during 2011. Six themes were chosen, corresponding to the broader concerns that have emerged in relation to freedom of expression in the course of the Commissioner's work: ethical journalism; access to official documents; protection of journalists from violence; public service media; social media; and media pluralism. Eight experts were invited to present their personal assessments of trends and problems concerning one of these topics. Their assessments were compiled in a publication entitled Human Rights and a Changing Media Landscape launched in London on 8 December. In his foreword, the Commissioner draws specific conclusions concerning each topic and underlines that there is a need for stronger protection of media freedom and freedom of expression in Europe today. The purpose of the book is to contribute to a more thorough public debate on media developments and their impact on human rights in a constantly changing media landscape.
Read the full report here . . . .