Media News - Wednesday, June 10, 2009

European press freedom charter launched

In an effort to counter increasing worries about infringement of press freedom by governments in Europe, both within the EU and beyond, the editor-in-chief of Germany's weekly Stern magazine, together with EU media commissioner Viviane Reding on Tuesday celebrated the launch of the European Charter on Freedom of the Press. Speaking to journalists in Brussels, Ms Reding expressed her concern about threats to media freedom in 'the east' but was reluctant to acknowledge similar worries emanating from Italy. The charter, while having no legal teeth and being largely a symbolic document, should begin to have some effect at the point of accession to the EU, as it is intended to be made a condition of entry for EU candidate countries in future accession negotiations. The ten-article charter requires, amongst other assurances, that journalism in all media be 'free of persecution, repression and of political interference by government.' The charter is an initiative of the Stern editor, Hans-Ulrich Joerges, Ms Reding and other editors-in-chief of European newspapers and originated during a discussion between the commission and the newspapers in 2007. Some 150 prominent journalists from 28 European states have signed the document, but all journalists are encouraged to do so at the document's online home. (EU Observer)

• Home |
• Seminars  |
• Events |
• Media Landscape |
• Newsroom|
• Media News|
• Resources

Terms of service and Privacy policy.

Copyright © 1992- 2011 European Journalism Centre. All rights reserved.

Valid XHTML and CSS.

European Journalism Centre

Sonneville-lunet 10
6221KT Maastricht
The Netherlands

Tel. : +31 43 325 40 30
Fax : +32 2 400 42 20

E-mail: info[at]ejc.net