Violence against journalists takes different forms: how to protect freedom of speech
The Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM), in cooperation with the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Ministry of Internal Affairs, today presented the Journalist Safety Manual at the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Republic of North Macedonia. This continued previous discussions on issues related to the safety of media workers.
At the event, the deputy ambassador of the Dutch Embassy in the country, Manon Jensen, Mladen Chadikovski, president of the Association of Journalists of Macedonia, and Elvin Veli, president of the Association of Prosecutors, gave introductory speeches.
They said that nowadays violence has different forms and therefore this manual will help recognize the challenges journalists face.
Manon Jensen, Deputy Ambassador of the Netherlands, emphasized journalists’ key role and freedom of speech in any democratic society.
“Journalists are crucial in the fight against disinformation, and to actively fight this battle, they need to be protected. Journalism is a public good, journalists should be able to work without fear of attacks, only in such a situation can we have a society where the rule of law rules, and journalists will be able to work without fear for their safety and the danger of reprisal,” said Jensen.
Chadikovski said that attacks on media workers are multiplying.
“Today, attacks on journalists do not necessarily mean only physical violence. Verbal threats and harassment, through online platforms, are a problem. Female journalists are particularly exposed to gender-based hate speech and misogyny, which further complicates their work. Journalists are increasingly facing legal violence. SLAPP cases, which aim to silence journalists by draining their resources, are a serious blow to us. Unfounded lawsuits, by political or economic powerful, are a threat to freedom. Economic violence is another major challenge. Precarious working conditions, low incomes and frequent violations of labor rights create an atmosphere of fear and self-censorship.”
Chadikovski called on the police officers, prosecutors, and judges not to allow the interest of the citizens to sink into the sea of challenges.
Elvin Veli, the president of the Association of Public Prosecutors said that the perpetrators of attacks on journalists should be identified more quickly and sanctioned accordingly.
“The Association of Public Prosecutors also got involved and contributed to the drafting of this manual, which I expect to be a really useful tool, not only for journalists who might find themselves in a situation where their safety would be threatened but also for the authorities that would act in such cases. Also, the goal of the manual is to act jointly and towards the entire public, in one part and preventively, to demonstrate that attacks on journalists and media workers are illegal and will be sanctioned,” Veli said.
The event was addressed by the authors of the Journalist Safety Manual, Nikola Dujovski, professor at the Faculty of Security and editor of the manual, Biljana Arsovska from the Basic Public Prosecutor’s Office, Toni Angelovski, Ministry of the Interior and Ivan Breškovski, lawyer, who were co-authors during the preparation.
Everyone emphasized the importance of this manual for journalists, but also for institutions, as a tool that will be of great help in cases of attacks on journalists. Examples from practice were also shared, how journalists should protect themselves first of all, how to act when their safety is threatened, but also how institutions should act in such cases.
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