Parliamentary Assembly

Draft resolution

1The Parliamentary Assembly reiterates that freedom of expression and information is a fundamental right guaranteed by Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ETS No. 5). That right includes media freedom, which is a key prerequisite for the existence and development of a democratic society.

2Professional journalists have a mission to provide the public with information on general or specialist topics of interest as responsibly and as objectively as possible. Accordingly, the Assembly is concerned to observe a gradual slide into precarity of the profession of journalist, directly linked to the collapse of the traditional financing model used for many media following technological change and the development of online media, with their impact sometimes exacerbated by political factors related to growing tendencies driven by populism, authoritarianism or the favouring of private interests. Some media have thus seen their editorial independence undermined while others have had to lay off staff.

3A drop in revenue of most media, the casting around of publishers for new business models and the virtually systematic outsourcing of work have all substantially contributed to the boom in the number of freelance journalists. The latter are confronted with a lack of professional recognition: although working in the same conditions as journalists employed on full-time contracts, they do not have the same rights and are unable, in several countries, to be represented by trade unions and negotiate their rates.

4The Assembly is further concerned that journalists' working conditions continue to deteriorate: they are working longer hours; the demand for high output affects their ability to check information sources, investigate sensitive issues and analyse facts with a degree of detachment; many media companies do not allocate adequate resources to training; freelancers often lack preparation or insurance for working in areas where there are risks or conflicts.

5In addition, the Assembly observes unacceptable inequality between women and men in the profession: women's careers are shorter than men's; it is considerably more difficult for them to reach managerial level; female journalists are the main victims of cyberbullying and sexist violence. In this connection, the Assembly reminds the member States of Committee of Ministers Recommendation CM/Rec(2013)1 on gender equality and media, and the need to implement it.

6Consequently, the Assembly recommends that member States:

6.1fully assume their positive obligation to protect media professionals, taking all necessary steps to ensure freedom of expression and the protection of sources, and put an end to impunity for attacks against journalists;

6.2review their domestic legislation on the status of journalists with a view to identifying any areas to be updated, taking recent technological and economic developments into account;

6.3explore avenues for alternative funding in a new media ecosystem, including:

6.3.1the redistribution of advertising revenue generated by search engines or social media;

6.3.2the inclusion of freelance journalists within the scope of labour legislation in terms of minimum pay;

6.3.3the institutionalisation of innovatory crowdfunding initiatives, for example by giving decision-making power to donors providing more than 1% of registered capital;

6.4support action plans to tackle the problem of gender inequality on the labour market in the media sector, including:

6.4.1the drawing up of studies containing statistical indicators;

6.4.2the introduction of mechanisms inciting employers' organisations to seriously tackle this problem in the long term;

6.5support the involvement of representative social partners in the media sector to promote dialogue between workers and employers.

7The Assembly calls on trade unions and journalists' organisations to:

7.1adjust to rapid societal changes, including with regard to the status of journalists, which should be adaptable, as its essence lies in the tasks and not in the legal definition;

7.2promote membership, particularly among young people and women, but also among providers and managers of content, currently excluded from many trade unions, while ensuring that all members have the requisite professional expertise;

7.3promote the practice of mentoring for young journalists in general, enabling them to benefit from the professional experience of their more experienced colleagues, and for young female journalists in particular, to better equip them against discriminatory mentalities, harassment and sexist violence;

7.4stimulate dialogue between professional journalists and other content-provider professions on questions of quality, professional standards and responsibility;

7.5diversify themes and fields of training, adapting to the demands of the new media environment, and develop services for their members, in response to their specific requirements;

7.6represent all journalists in collective bargaining and agreements, above all for basic rights such as working hours, wages, paid leave after a certain length of service and social insurance contributions covering pensions, social security and unemployment;

7.7include and defend the rights of freelance journalists in the workplace and within social legislation in general, conferring upon them a core of common rights granted to salaried employees.

8The Assembly invites the European Federation of Journalists to promote awareness of the issues raised in this resolution among its members and to facilitate exchanges of experience and the passing on of good practices regarding high-quality journalism that follows codes of ethics and is worthy of public trust.