OBC Offers Insight into Media Freedom in Southeast Europe

Observatory of Balkans and Caucuses (OBC) and and its partners, SEEMO, Ossigeno Informazione, Professor Eugenia Siapera  (Dublin City University) will present the interim results of research and activities under the Safety Net for European Journalists project, an EU-supported initiative aimed at supporting threatened journalists in 11 countries in Southeast Europe.

"We are carrying out an information campaign on media freedom in Italy, South East Europe and Turkey, by monitoring and documenting violations against journalists," Luisa Chiodi, OBC's director, said. "Our initiative is aimed at offering concrete support for threatened journalists and raising awareness among policy makers and public opinion about a problem that has and European-wide dimension and threatens the right to information and democracy in Europe."

On the first day of the SEEMF 2014 Thursday (October 16th), Professor Eugenia Siapera will offer participants an overview of the press freedom situation in Italy, Southeast Europe, and Turkey.

"Our findings indicate that there is a direct relationship between the state of the field of journalism and threats to media freedom," Professor Siapera said. 

"The more the concentration of media ownership, the more the 'infiltration' of the media field by other interests, the more the threats received by journalists and the more vulnerable they are to such threats and pressures," she added.

According to Siapera, a second highlight of the findings includes what is perceived by journalists as lack of solidarity by other journalists. 

SEEMF brings together media CEOs, leading journalists, editors-in-chief, business professionals, CEOs from companies active in South East and Central Europe, representatives of marketing and public relations agencies, civil society representatives, academics and representatives of state institutions from South, East and Central Europe.

The results will be made available at the VIII South East Europe Media Forum 2014 (SEEMF 2014) in Skopje, Macedonia on 16-18 October 2014.

* Click here for the full agenda of the VIII SEEMF in Skopje.