OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media meets with US Ambassador

On 17 December 2021, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Teresa Ribeiro met with the Permanent Representative of the United States of America to the OSCE, Ambassador Michael Carpenter. They  discussed current developments on media freedom and freedom of expression in the United States and the wider OSCE region. 

They also discussed, among others, the many ways media freedom has been impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, with journalists facing increasing restrictions unduly imposed by the authorities, new threats following misinformation and disinformation campaigns, and growing anti-media sentiment.

Both stressed how important it is for all participating States to follow up on the commitments made in Ministerial Council Decision 3/18 on the Safety of Journalists. Concerns were shared over the legal harassment exercised by some authorities, powerful individuals and organizations to hinder and silence media, including by expensive and abusive civil litigation processes, as discussed in the recent report on legal harassment and abuse of the judicial system against the media, which was published by the Office of the Representative.

The safety of journalists was highlighted by the Representative as one of the main priorities for the next two years, due to the deteriorating situation regarding media freedom and freedom of expression across the OSCE region.