Press statements of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media

VIENNA, 2 September 2024- In a new communiqué on Fostering Media Freedom Literacy (MFL) issued today, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro recommended that all OSCE participating States adopt a series of multi-stakeholder actions to create an environment that helps people recognize, access, and use different media, as well as understand the importance of a free media as an essential component of democracy and security.

VIENNA, 24 July 2024 – The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro expresses deep concern at the growing threat to the safety of journalists in the Russian Federation following the latest series of convictions of media professionals in the country.

VIENNA, 18 July 2024 – Media freedom and democracy improve human security and enhance international and domestic peace. This is the clear empirical conclusion of a new report by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), Teresa Ribeiro, authored by the research team at the Varieties of Democracies Institute.

WARSAW/VIENNA, 9 July 2024 – In a new legal analysis of Uzbekistan's draft information code, Matteo Mecacci, the Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) and Teresa Ribeiro, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), noted that while the code contains positive elements, it also includes provisions that need improvement to meet international standards and OSCE commitments on freedom of expression and media freedom.

ALMATY, 27 June 2024 – OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) Teresa Ribeiro concluded today the regional Central Asian Safety of Journalists event in Almaty, Kazakhstan. The event, titled "Beyond the Headlines: Protecting Journalists to Advance Media Freedom”, gathered journalists, media professionals, and academia from the Central Asian region to engage in discussions on tools and strategies to promote the safety of journalists.

VIENNA, 13 June 2024 – “The failure to guarantee media freedom and healthy information spaces is increasingly disillusioning and disenfranchising people throughout the OSCE region,” stated OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) Teresa Ribeiro in her address to OSCE participating States. Presenting her seventh and final bi-annual report to the Permanent Council, she highlighted escalating repression against the media and its detrimental impact on democratic principles and security across the OSCE region and urged States to bolster efforts to safeguard media freedom for the benefit of peace and security.

VIENNA, 27 May 2024 – Media literacy plays a pivotal role in ensuring informed political participation and strengthening the resilience of our democracies, OSCE leaders said at the opening of a two-day conference today.

VIENNA/PODGORICA, 27 May 2024- On the 20th anniversary of the murder of Duško Jovanović, the co-founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper Dan, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, Teresa Ribeiro, and Head of the OSCE Mission to Montenegro, Ambassador Dominique Waag, urged the relevant authorities in Montenegro to proactively investigate and resolve this longstanding case. They also called for addressing the recommendations issued by the national Commission for Monitoring Investigations of Attacks on Journalists, which, among others, call the authorities to re-examine all evidence using modern technology.

PODGORICA, 10 May 2024 – Teresa Ribeiro, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM), concluded her official visit to Montenegro. During her visit, Ribeiro engaged in constructive discussions with high-level officials, including President Jakov Milatović, Speaker of Parliament Andrija Mandić, Minister of Foreign Affairs Filip Ivanović, Minister of Culture and Media Tamara Vujović, Minister of Interior Danilo Šaranović and Supreme State Prosecutor Milorad Marković. The Representative also had productive exchanges with Director of the Agency for Electronic Media Sunčica Bakić, Ombudsperson of Montenegro Siniša Bjeković, and investigative journalist Olivera Lakić, as well as several other journalists and civil society representatives.

BANJUL/GENEVA/VIENNA/WASHINGTON D.C.,3 May 2024 – To mark International Press Freedom Day, during the Global Conference organized by UNESCO in Santiago de Chile, freedom of expression mandate holders* of the United Nations (UN), the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE), the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) and the African Commission on Human and People’s Rights (ACHPR) issued a Joint Declaration on the Climate Crisis and Freedom of Expression: