Public Media Alliance, International Organisations sign Declaration on Safety for Journalists

As part of measures to curb the spate of violence and intimidation against Journalists around the world, public service Media companies and international organisations have signed the Brussels Declaration, a statement affirming safety for Journalists.

The declaration was drafted as an initiative of CBC/Radio Canada, VRT and RTBF.

The document is seen as a concerted effort to halt the dangerous evolution of violence against Journalists and submits that ‘Freedom of the press is a universal Human Right, we must unite to protect it.’

According to research conducted by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (supported by the European Commission), more than 900 attacks on Journalists were perpetrated in Europe in 2020. Alarmingly, several countries were even confronted with the assassination of Journalists. This makes 2020 and 2021 years to be remembered as violent years for the Media.

Brussels Declaration

VRT and RTBF therefore decided to dedicate the annual conference of Public Broadcasters International (PBI), which they are co-organising in Brussels, Belgium, to the role of public service Media in democratic systems. The conference will lay the emphasis on the Brussels Declaration.

The Brussels Declaration is in line with the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and endorses the right to a democratic society, with a free and secure press and Media.

All signatories to the Brussels Declaration commit themselves to adhering to five important principles and to actively promote and implement them.

The five principles are:

• We improve the safety of Journalists and other Media staff;
• We stand up for the independence of public Broadcasters;
• We encourage well-informed democratic debate;
• We support a strong and diverse News Media landscape;
• We promote diversity, fairness and inclusion; within our own organisations and in the society we serve.

European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová explained that: ‘The pandemic has showed more than ever that information is a public good. It has also showed the need to do more to protect those who inform us. Two weeks ago the European Commission presented, for the first time ever, recommendations to Member States to improve the safety of Journalists. Today public Broadcasters make a series of commitments to better protect Journalists. This is a very important and welcome step. By working together, we can change the situation on the ground. Public Broadcasters have a special role to play and I am pleased that they are ready to play this role.’

The CEO of the VRT, Frederik Delaplace for his part said: ‘Freedom of opinion entails the freedom to form that opinion based on independent and reliable information. Whoever threatens the press is undermining that vital source of reliable information. In recent years we have been alarmed by attacks on the press. Those attacks were often verbal but some were physical as well. That is enough to give us all the shudders. Being a reliable source of information is a core task of public Broadcasters, such as the VRT. That reliability is put at jeopardy when our Journalists and employees are being threatened. We must not let that happen. We must take action to protect our press and that’s exactly why the VRT, together with RTBF and CBC, is taking the lead in creating this Brussels Declaration.’

In his own remarks, Administrator-General of the RTBF, Jean-Paul Philippot opined that: “the issue of the safety of our Journalists and technical staff in the exercise of their work shows the key role they play in making our society a place of autonomy and choice.  Threatening them verbally, or worse, physically, is the same as directly endangering the freedom of thought of each one of us. It is essential for Public Service Media to remain independent, to ensure pluralistic information and the widest diversity of opinions. The latest events should remind us that being able to have certified and verified information is at the heart of our democratic society, and anything that weakens the press puts it at risk.“

For her part, President and CEO, CBC/Radio-Canada, Catherine Tait while commenting on the need for the declaration, said: ‘The rise of online abuse targeting Journalists, especially women and racialised Journalists, is an urgent issue that requires our urgent attention. With our colleagues at RTBF and VRT, we’re launching the Brussels Declaration and calling on our peers in News and allies around the world to join us.

 She added that Journalism is vital to democracy, explaining that Journalists and Media professionals must be able to do their work without unconscionable attempts to silence them.

PR/Lateefah Ibrahim