Structural Shifts Threaten Media Freedom, Democracy
Summary
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), Jan Braathu, presented his third report to the OSCE Permanent Council, warning that political pressure, technological change, economic disruption, and emerging security challenges are undermining media freedom and professional journalism across the 57 OSCE participating States. The report documents legal harassment including imprisonment of journalists and use of vexatious lawsuits to silence investigative reporting, violence against media professionals covering protests, and hostile rhetoric by public officials portraying journalists as adversaries. Braathu called on participating States to implement OSCE commitments including Ministerial Council Decision No. 3/18 on the Safety of Journalists and align all regulatory, legislative, and policy responses with international human rights standards.
“When public officials portray the media as adversaries, enemies or traitors, it erodes public trust, legitimizes harassment, and increases the risk of physical harm.”
About this source
GovPing monitors OSCE Press for new government & legislation regulatory changes. Every update since tracking began is archived, classified, and available as free RSS or email alerts — 6 changes logged to date.
What changed
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media presented his third report documenting threats to media freedom across the 57 OSCE participating States. The report identifies legal harassment, imprisonment of journalists, use of vexatious lawsuits, violence against media professionals during protests, and hostile rhetoric by public officials as key concerns. The Representative called for implementation of OSCE commitments including Ministerial Council Decision No. 3/18 on the Safety of Journalists. The report has no binding legal effect but signals political commitment to monitoring and advocating for media freedom across the OSCE region. Affected parties including governments, media organizations, and journalist associations should note the Representative's emphasis on the gap between stated OSCE commitments and observed realities.
The report signals continued OSCE monitoring of media freedom conditions and provides a framework for evaluating State compliance with international standards. Governments and public officials in participating States should be aware that hostile rhetoric toward journalists documented in the report may draw international attention. Media organizations and journalist safety advocates can reference the report's findings when engaging with policymakers on protective measures.
Archived snapshot
Apr 24, 2026GovPing captured this document from the original source. If the source has since changed or been removed, this is the text as it existed at that time.
Press release
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media warns of structural shifts reshaping information and threatening democracy
Date:
24 April 2026
Source: OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media VIENNA, 24 April **** – Presenting his third report to the OSCE Permanent Council on 23 April, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), Jan Braathu, warned that political pressure, technological change, economic disruption, and emerging security challenges are increasingly undermining the fundamental principles of media freedom and professional journalism in the OSCE region.
“What we are witnessing a structural shift in which control over information is shaping how citizens form opinions and how societies understand reality,” the Representative said.
Key issues: safety of journalists, hostile political rhetoric, information manipulation and structural pressures
Legal harassment, including the imprisonment of journalists and the criminalization of journalism, alongside the use of vexatious lawsuits to silence critical, investigative reporting continues to generate a chilling effect on journalistic coverage of public interest issues.
Furthermore, violence against media professionals, particularly in the context of protest coverage, remains a persistent concern. Journalists have been injured, attacked, or obstructed while reporting from public demonstrations in several participating States.
Hostile and stigmatizing rhetoric by public officials against journalists and the media is becoming increasingly visible and consequential, the Representative noted in his report.
“When public officials portray the media as adversaries, enemies or traitors, it erodes public trust, legitimizes harassment, and increases the risk of physical harm. Where such rhetoric goes unchecked, it not only damages trust in the media, but also weakens the democratic conditions necessary for journalism to function,” said Representative Braathu.
A call for the implementation of OSCE and international commitments
Braathu emphasized that there is a marked gap between the OSCE participating States’ shared commitments on media freedom and freedom of expression, including Ministerial Council Decision No. 3/18 on the Safety of Journalists, and the realities observed across the OSCE region. He called on participating States to protect journalists, safeguard media freedom, and ensure that all regulatory, legislative and policy responses remain firmly grounded in international human rights standards.
“Media freedom is not a by-product of democracy; it is one of its foundations. And far from threatening security, it is one of the conditions that makes peace and security possible. Therefore, it must be actively upheld, protected and renewed day by day,” the Representative said.
Practical support for media and States across the region
The Representative also highlighted a variety of initiatives and activities carried out by his Office. Among them are safety and mental health training sessions for journalists, a meeting of the RFoM’s National Focal Points on the Safety of Journalists, and ongoing dialogue with journalist associations, media regulators and public service media.
“We also see efforts across the region to strengthen media freedom, improve legal safeguards, and support independent journalism. These developments demonstrate that the challenges identified in this report are neither inevitable nor irreversible,” Braathu concluded.
Full report by the Representative on Freedom of the Media
Annex to the RFoM's Permanent Council Report | OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. He provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments.
Learn more at rfom.osce.org , X: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom
Contacts
Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
Wallnerstrasse 6
1010 Vienna
Austria
Email: Adis.Mustedanagic@osce.org Phone: +43 1 514 36 6800
Adis Mustedanagic
Senior Secretary
Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
Wallnerstrasse 6
1010 Vienna
Austria
Email: adis.mustedanagic@osce.org Phone: +43 1 51436 6821 +43 699 10 44 6010
Benjamin Fischer
Junior Professional Officer
Email: Benjamin.Fischer@osce.org Phone: +43 676 301 2840
About us
## OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
Contact
OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media
Wallnerstrasse 6
1010 Vienna
Austria
Phone: +43 1 514 36 6800 Email: pm-fom@osce.org
Social media:
Related changes
Get daily alerts for OSCE Press
Daily digest delivered to your inbox.
Free. Unsubscribe anytime.
About this page
Every important government, regulator, and court update from around the world. One place. Real-time. Free. Our mission
Source document text, dates, docket IDs, and authority are extracted directly from OSCE RFoM.
The summary, classification, recommended actions, deadlines, and penalty information are AI-generated from the original text and may contain errors. Always verify against the source document.
Classification
Who this affects
Taxonomy
Browse Categories
Get alerts for this source
We'll email you when OSCE Press publishes new changes.
Subscribed!
Optional. Filters your digest to exactly the updates that matter to you.