Continued dialogue and co-operation needed to sustain quality media and public-interest journalism, concludes 8th South-East Europe Media Conference

The eighth South-East Europe Media Conference on “Journalism in times of crisis”, organized jointly by the Office of the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFoM) and the OSCE Presence in Albania, in collaboration with OSCE field operations from South-East Europe, concluded today.
The two-day hybrid event gathered participants from across the journalistic field as well as media and legal experts, state actors and researchers operating in the region and beyond. Discussions reflected on old and new interlocking challenges that continue to strain the safety of, and public trust in, journalists in the region. Reflecting on the current state of affairs of media freedom and freedom of expression in the region, special attention was paid to the role of governments and the media community in safeguarding journalism as a public good in today’s fast-paced digital world.
“More than ever, we need strong, independent and trustworthy journalism to serve the public interest, contributing to a more informed and active citizenry and being the watchdog that holds those in power to account. Only this can ensure a rich, pluralistic and transparent media landscape,” said Teresa Ribeiro, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media.
Participants also shared their experiences and touched upon the ongoing reforms and best practices towards enhancing the economic, legal and physical safety of journalists in the region. Ribeiro underlined the need for continued dialogue and co-operation across national borders and fields of expertise to improve the journalistic conditions in sustaining quality independent media and public-interest journalism across all media channels.
“The overall freedom of media should never be taken for granted, nowhere in the world,” stated Vincenzo Del Monaco, Head of the OSCE Presence in Albania. “When obstacles arise; they should be addressed swiftly and seriously. We need to make sure that journalists can operate in a conducive environment, a safe environment, in line with the principle of free access to information. We need to support fact-based journalism – as an important antidote to disinformation – and editorial independence of journalists."
More information about the conference can be found here: 8th Annual South East Europe Media Conference - Journalism in times of crisis | OSCE