Council of Europe Publications
Foreword: Media freedom in Europe
The media play an enormously important role in the protection of
human rights. They expose human rights violations and offer an arena
for different voices to be heard in public discourse. Not without reason,
the media have been called the Fourth Estate – an essential addition
to the powers of the executive, the legislature and the judiciary.
However, the power of the media can also be misused to the extent
that the very functioning of democracy is threatened. Some media
outlets have been turned into propaganda megaphones for those in
power. Others have been used to incite xenophobic hatred and violence
against minorities and other vulnerable groups.
The purpose of journalism is not to please those who hold power or to
serve as the mouthpiece of governments. Journalists report, investigate
and analyse, they inform us about politics, religion, celebrities, the arts,
sports, revolutions and wars. They entertain and sometimes annoy us.
But most important of all, they are “public watchdogs”.
This role is fundamental for democracy. Free, independent and pluralistic
media based on freedom of information and expression are a
core element of any functioning democracy.
Freedom of the media is also essential for the protection of all other
human rights. There are many examples where the misuse of power,
corruption, discrimination and even torture have come to light because
of the work of investigative journalists. Making the facts known to
the public is often the first, essential step in redressing human rights
violations and holding those in power accountable.
Public authorities, civil society and the international community, as
well as media owners and journalists’ organisations, all have important
roles to play that reach from law enforcement, education, monitoring
and setting universal standards to ethical conduct and self-regulation.
The way in which national legislation enshrines media freedom and its
practical application by the authorities reveals the state of democracy
in the country concerned.[…]
+info:
http://www.coe.int/t/commissioner/Activities/themes/MediaFreedom/MediaLandscape2111.pdf
