Press freedom in Europe in 2025 was “under sustained pressure, driven by legal threats, attempts at media capture and transnational repression” notes the annual Media Freedom Report of the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform.
And “this pressure was compounded by an increasingly hostile environment for journalism”, it adds, while also noting that “this picture was mitigated by positive reforms in some member states and initiatives at the European level.”
The Platform’s 15 partner organisations including the AEJ launched the 2025 Report in Brussels on 3 March 2026.
AEJ UK chair William Horsley and AEJ International media freedom representative Irina Nedeva contrtibuted ot the report which says:
- “Russia’s war against Ukraine remained the gravest threat to journalists in Europe” – media workers killed, injured, detained or disappearing in Russian-occupied areas and intensified repression of journalism within Russia.
- “Public service media in several states faced political interference and financial instability and restrictive laws” – especially “foreign agent” legislation and SLAPPs.
- Protest-related alerts were recorded in at least a quarter of the states covered by the Safety of Journalists Platform – the highest levels of physical attacks on journalists were recorded in Georgia, Serbia, and Turkey;
journalists were targeted by police, political actors and protesters, prevented from reporting, or sanctioned for their work;
online harassment and coordinated intimidation disproportionately targeted women journalists. - Some Council of Europe member states adopted measures to improve press freedom and journalist safety reflecting
“growing recognition among policymakers for the need for systematic action to defend journalism and press freedom.”
Luxembourg and Portugal advanced national action plans and coordination mechanisms;
Spain moved to strengthen legal protection of journalistic sources;
Croatia proposed safeguards against abusive lawsuits;
Norway adopted a national strategy to counter disinformation and protect democratic debate. - EU measures, including the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), the anti-SLAPP Directive and digital
enforcement tools, “offer leverage if implemented decisively”, noting CoE initiatives, including ongoing work on a New Democratic Pact for Europe, the Journalists Matter campaign, the Platform’s systemic alerts, and engagement by the Group of Friends for the Safety of Journalists and Media Freedom. - “Europe is approaching a critical juncture.
“Reversing the current trajectory will require decisive action by member states, the Council of Europe and European institutions to end impunity for attacks on journalists, safeguard independent and sustainably funded public service media, address structural threats such as media capture and restrictive legislation, and counter online harassment and coordinated intimidation.” - “This requires far stronger state engagement with the Platform. In 2025, fewer than one in three alerts received a government response, and only 20% of all alerts since 2015 have been resolved, revealing a widening gap between political commitments and effective protection. Closing this gap is no longer optional: it is essential to prevent further erosion of press freedom at a moment when it stands at a tipping point.”
The launch was live streamed at https://www.youtube.com/embed/QBhmUzb9fi0
Annual Media Freedom Report 2025 “On the Tipping Point” – CoE Platform for the Safety of Journalists
Attacks on journalists – Platform opinion article
CoE update on Russian invasion of Ukraine
Annual CoE Media Freedom reports
CoE Safety of Journalists Platform
