Is the EU doing sufficient to guard journalists?

When Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered on October 16, 2017 in a automotive bomb assault individuals had been shocked, not solely throughout Europe however world wide.
But the Maltese reporter who was famend for her investigations into corruption and cash laundering wasn’t the one one. In the 4 years since her demise, different colleagues together with Jan Kuciak from Slovakia, Giorgos Karaivaz from Greece and Peter de Vries from the Netherlands have additionally been killed. In Europe — the continent that’s thought-about a comparatively protected haven for media professionals.
Julie Majerczak, head of the Brussels workplace of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), instructed DW that regardless that that’s nonetheless the case, the scenario has been steadily deteriorating within the final couple of years. “And journalists being murdered is only the tip of the iceberg,” she mentioned.
According to the European Commission, 900 media professionals had been attacked within the European Union in 2020. Some of those assaults had been bodily, however in addition they included insults and harassment — particularly of ladies, each offline and on-line.
Journalists more and more feeling the stress
These findings don’t come as a shock to Manuel Delia. The Maltese investigative blogger and activist who led anti-government protests following Caruana Galizia’s homicide not too long ago determined to go away his residence nation together with his household for an undisclosed location.
He was being focused with threats by these accused of complicity in Caruana Galizia’s homicide; he obtained numerous nameless cellphone calls, and faux web sites had been arrange in his identify to destroy his popularity.
The homicide of Caruana Galizia has had a “paradoxical effect” on journalism in Malta, he instructed DW. The undeniable fact that a lot of the suspects have been charged and their crimes uncovered was an indication that it doesn’t work out properly for individuals who killed journalists. “That makes us feel safer,” he mentioned.
But on the similar time, Delia mentioned, he and different journalists have been depicted as traitors and threats to Malta’s democracy in media shops owned by the governing Labour Party. And this “isolation,” as Delia phrases it, has given criminals the chance to place additional stress on them by way of blogs or spoof web sites or emails.
“These days are probably the hottest times in the last four years,” mentioned Delia. “Will this end up in physical violence? It has once, so I cannot make any promises.”
Polish investigative journalist Wojciech Ciesla has additionally seen the stress mounting on these journalists who report critically on his nation’s ruling right-wing Law and Justice celebration (PiS). Ciesla, who works with Investigate Europe, a multinational analysis group, mentioned issues have dramatically modified since PiS got here to energy in 2015.
“I think Poland is currently following Viktor Orban’s steps in Hungary toward limiting the freedom of the press,” he mentioned, referencing the Hungarian prime minister’s systematic efforts to grab management of the nation’s media, management political narratives and dismantle pluralism. Every day is a wrestle to entry info, Ciesla added, with the federal government deciding who has “the privilege” to learn.
EU pledges to ‘protect those who create transparency’
The experiences of reporters like Delia and Ciesla haven’t gone unnoticed in Brussels. The European Commission, the EU’s govt physique, has not too long ago promised to take extra motion.
EU Commission head Ursula von der Leyen devoted a whole a part of her State of the European Union speech in September to the liberty of the press. “Information is a public good,” she mentioned. “We must protect those who create transparency — the journalists.”
That similar day, the commissioner liable for upholding the rule of regulation within the EU, Vera Jourova, introduced a bundle of suggestions to assist EU nations observe by means of with that vow. She confused that it was the primary time media freedom and security had been positioned so excessive on the European agenda.
Specific measures included the creation of impartial nationwide assist providers, together with assist traces, authorized recommendation, psychological assist and shelters for media professionals going through threats.
Delia mentioned it was good to see that EU establishments “have stepped up the alarm” and shone the highlight on how necessary journalism is for democracy.
The Maltese blogger has is hopeful concerning the legislative proposals that EU officers have pledged to current in 2022. Among them is the European Media Freedom Act, which goals to guard the independence of media. It’s not but clear what measures this bundle will comprise, however Majerczak of RSF mentioned it could most likely sort out hidden state assist for pro-government media, for instance by means of commercials.
“What we absolutely need are legislative measures that are followed by sanctions if breached, not only recommendations,” mentioned Majerczak. She fears — as do journalists Delia and Ciesla — that stern phrases aren’t sufficient to make an impression on some EU governments.
“I’m thinking of Poland, Hungary, Malta, Greece and Bulgaria for example,” she mentioned, singling out Bulgaria as “the worst EU student.”
In RSF’s 2021 World Press Freedom Index, the jap European state ranked 112 out of 180 nations. According to RSF, the few outspoken journalists in Bulgaria are subjected not solely to harassment by the state, but in addition intimidation and violence.

Anti-SLAPP initiative goals to counter abusive litigation
Delia has additionally pinned his hopes on one other initiative the EU Commission is planning to place ahead subsequent yr which goals to guard journalists and human rights activists in opposition to abusive litigation, or so-called strategic lawsuits in opposition to public participation (SLAPP).
When Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered in October 2017, the investigative journalist had 47 SLAPPs pending in opposition to her. These intimidation lawsuits are sometimes used to threaten and silence media employees — an enormous downside, particularly for individuals who work independently or for small analysis entities.
“The person charged with killing Daphne wanted to sue me in the UK for over 70 million pounds [€82 million or $95 million],” mentioned Delia. “That would have been my last day in journalism.”
“I have little reason to be optimistic. My country is less democratic than it used to be,” he mentioned.
But not less than, he added, EU establishment initiatives are moving into the fitting course.