The International Press Institute (IPI) today marks the publication of a new annual report by the Council of Europe’s Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists, which outlines major threats to media freedom across the continent in 2024.
The report, entitled “Europe Press Freedom Report 2024: Confronting Political Pressure, Disinformation and the Erosion of Media Independence”, was produced by the partner organisations to the Council of Europe’s Platform, of which IPI is a member.
The report – available to download here – concludes that the risks that journalists faced covering the war of aggression of Russia against Ukraine remained the most pressing concern related to the safety of journalists in Europe in 2024.
It also identifies as serious threats the digital surveillance of journalists and its risks to source confidentiality, the transnational repression of journalists – notably, from Russia and Belarus – and the trend towards media capture by governments in some countries.
Oliver Money-Kyrle, IPI’s Head of European Advocacy, said: “For ten years the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Safety of Journalists has been campaigning for improved safety for journalists and stronger guarantees for press freedom. During this time it has established itself as one of the key mechanisms for addressing governments to take responsibility for violations of journalists rights. And while this unique collaboration of partners can point to its numerous achievements, the truth is that journalists across Europe have never faced graver threats both individually and collectively, than they do in 2025.
“Beyond the killing fields of Russia’s war in Ukraine, authoritarian governments feel increasingly emboldened to harass, beat, arrest and charge journalists or close down their media on spurious grounds. And inside the European Union governments increasingly seek to abuse the institutions of government to politically capture the media, to launch abusive lawsuits for exposing corruption and to abuse spyware technology to threaten the security of journalists communications, with virtual impunity.
“It has never been more important than today for democratic governments committed to the rule of law and basic human rights values, to stand up and protect our democracies by protecting our fragile journalists’ community.”
IPI and other platform partners address a set of recommendations urging the Council of Europe, the European Commission, and the 46 Council of Europe member states for stronger legal protection for journalists, safeguards against disinformation, and measures to combat media capture and surveillance.
In April 2025, the Safety of Journalists Platform will mark its 10th anniversary. Since its launching in 2015 until 31 December 2024, the Platform registered some 2,000 alerts.
The report covers the 46 Council of Europe member states, as well as Russia, following its expulsion from the Council of Europe in 2022, and Belarus.
