Skopje, 16 May 2023 (MIA) - Support for independent journalism, solving digital age challenges, and improving the media freedom landscape are in the focus of the 9th South East Europe Media Conference titled "At a crossroads: Safeguarding media freedom to protect democracy" taking place May 16-17 in Skopje, organized by OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media in co-operation with the OSCE Mission to Skopje.

Teresa Ribeiro, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, stated that media freedom is a key segment of democracy, and is necessary for a free, safe, and open society.

"When journalists are under pressure, sooner or later, democracy will be as well, and vice versa," Ribeiro said.

Ribeiro emphasized that journalists' safety is OSCE's top priority, and pointed out that preserving media freedom is a real challenge at times when the media are struggling with an existential crisis due to economic reasons.

Killian Wahl, Head of OSCE Mission to Skopje, said these challenges exist not only in the region, but worldwide.

"I think it is most appropriate for the conference to be held in Skopje this year, during North Macedonia's OSCE Chairmanship, especially considering the importance the country places on media freedom and journalists' safety. As a former journalist, I care about all of these issues," noted Ambassador Wahl in a video address to the participants of the two-day conference.

The head of OSCE Mission stated that the history of promoting media freedom illustrates that this job is never truly over, and the conference is a reminder that media freedom can never be considered a done deal, it requires constant attention.

Deputy Foreign Minister Fatmire Isaki emphasized that media freedom is one of the foundations of democratic societies, and independent journalists and media pluralism are crucial to provide objective information to citizens.

Isaki noted that media freedom faces many challenges, and journalists' safety is increasingly threatened by online attacks.

"The balance between media freedom and security is a delicate matter, the right answer should be balanced, and must not be abused," she remarked, adding that as OSCE representatives "we fully support their work."

"The time has come to get ready, take action, and work toward enabling a media environment that promotes democracy, protection of human rights, and the rule of law," said Isaki.

The two-day conference in Skopje includes panel discussions, workshops, film screenings, and other activities whose focus, among other things, is media freedom, protection for media workers, self-regulation, digital literacy, hate speech and disinformation, and the influence of artificial intelligence on all aspects of media operations. ssh/ik/

Photo: OSCE