1 Regular Report to the Permanent Council For the period from 10 April 2025 – 27 November 2025 FOM.GAL/10/25/Rev.1 28 November 2025 ENGLISH only
2 Mr. Chairperson, Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, It is an honour to present my second report to the Permanent Council as the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media. This year, under Finland’s Chairpersonship, we also mark the 50th anniversary of the Helsinki Final Act, a milestone that reminds us that media freedom is not only a fundamental democratic value but also an essential pillar of security. Since my previous address, I have worked closely with participating States, journalists, and civil society across the OSCE region. These engagements have reconfirmed a fundamental principle at the heart of the OSCE’s comprehensive approach to security: media freedom is not a perk of democracy or a luxury, it is a prerequisite for it. Nor is media freedom a threat to stability, it is a cornerstone of stability. In my first report, I outlined the complex pressures shaping media freedom; pressures that continue to test our shared vision of democracy and security. Far from easing, these challenges have in many cases intensified. In various instances we observe what might appear to be minor or limited shifts in approaches to media and journalists. Seemingly marginal developments carry with them the danger of “normalization” and if not curtailed, may develop and become a “new normal”. This second report, while acknowledging meaningful cooperation and some progress, also carries a note of caution: we are witnessing a significant shift in the media environment, and the choices we make today will determine the resilience of our media and, by extension, our democratic security architecture, for years to come. Paradigm Shift We are witnessing a paradigm shift in the information space, one that threatens media freedom, democratic discourse, and our security architecture. The environment in which information is sought, debated, and defended is rapidly being reshaped by political and corporate forces, recalibrating the flow of information to serve narrow interests rather than the public good. The rise of “alternative truth” ecosystems – hyper-partisan outlets, opaque influencer networks, and algorithm-driven platforms amplifying conspiracy and outrage – illustrates how easily the information landscape can be distorted. Online spaces, which contribute to democratizing communication, have also become fertile ground for manipulation, polarization, and disinformation. As American commentator Peggy Noonan recently pointed out, “We are a nation divided by algorithms.” She was speaking about the United States of America, but indeed, we are a world community divided by polarising algorithms. As the commentator said, “We are all getting different versions of reality every time we look at a screen, and it is hurting us.”
3 Compounding these challenges is the increasingly common practice by some political figures disparage and smear journalists, an approach that corrodes public confidence in the press and encourages hostility toward those tasked with informing the public. Such rhetoric normalizes a climate in which journalists are dismissed as enemies and potentially targeted for harassment and violence. Today, this shift is further accelerated by the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) and the dominance of global social media platforms. Automated content generation and recommendation algorithms increasingly determine what people see, what they believe, and how they act upon information, often without transparency or accountability. AI-driven systems can both empower and endanger journalism, amplifying credible reporting on one hand, while enabling synthetic manipulation, deepfakes, and targeted disinformation on the other. These technologies are reshaping how narratives are constructed and contested, deepening the crisis of trust across societies. Recent research 1 coordinated by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and led by the BBC has revealed that generative AI assistants, already in use by millions, routinely misrepresent news content. Of the 3,000 responses analysed from major AI platforms, 45 percent contained significant factual or sourcing errors. This confirms that unverified AI outputs can distort public understanding and ultimately undermine confidence in democracy itself. Not to mention, the immense financial damage that the use of AI by online platforms is causing to the news industry. Across a growing number of OSCE participating States, we are witnessing a backsliding in media freedom. Economic pressures compound this deterioration: journalism, as a profession, is struggling for survival. Advertising revenue has migrated to digital intermediaries, local outlets are disappearing, and sustainable business models remain elusive. As a result, fewer independent voices are able to hold power to account, leaving citizens more vulnerable to manipulation and less able to access verified, diverse sources of information. Former OSCE RFoMs saw this coming. They warned that growing concentrations of influence, spreading disinformation, and the weakening of journalistic independence would lead us to this very point. They were right. Today, the threat is no longer emerging; it is upon us. This moment tests the resilience of our shared OSCE principles and commitments. The polarization of societies is eroding public trust and creating an increasingly confrontational climate in which the media are on the front line. Across the region, East 1 See: News Integrity in AI Assistants | EBU
4 and West of Vienna alike, we have seen how protests have evolved into flashpoints where journalists face harassment, intimidation, and, at times, violence from both state and non-state actors. When the press is treated as an adversary rather than a pillar of accountability, our mutual understanding, social cohesion, and collective security are placed at risk. I therefore call on participating States to act collectively and decisively, before the space for information, accountability, and public trust withers beyond repair. If we fail to act, we risk losing not only media freedom, but the shared reality that underpins our common security, mutual understanding, and peace. This report assesses both the risks accelerating across the OSCE region and progress achieved. My Office remains focused on constructive engagement and practical support to safeguard media freedom in principle and in practice. Achieving this requires vigilance and renewed determination to fully comprehend that media freedom underpins all other freedoms inherent in our democratic systems of governance and thus supports our shared security. SAFETY OF JOURNALISTS The safety of journalists in the OSCE region is under unprecedented pressure. While numbers on attacks against journalists monitored by different organizations vary substantially, from 124 attacks recorded by the Council of Europe Platform on Safety of Journalists to 428 instances documented by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) mechanism. In Serbia alone, the Public Prosecution of the Republic of Serbia has documented attacks against 99 journalists so far this year. 2 These are official figures. This is an extraordinarily high number. What is clear is that the number of incidents is unacceptably high and increasing East and West of Vienna. Journalists also face online harassment, targeted smear campaigns, and, in many cases, unfounded and abusive judicial prosecution for their reporting. The confrontational nature of protests, sometimes combined with inadequate respect for media freedom by law enforcement, has further escalated risks. This deteriorating environment underscores the urgent need for all OSCE participating States to fully implement their commitments under OSCE Ministerial Council Decision No. 3/2018 on the Safety of Journalists, which reaffirms that the protection of journalists is essential to upholding freedom of expression and democratic governance, and calls on States to bring their laws, policies, and practices into full compliance with these commitments. 2 See: http://www.vrhovnojt.gov.rs/sr/bezbednost-novinara
5 Law Enforcement and the Media In recent months I have noted with growing concern a disturbing trend: the excessive use of force, intimidation and access restrictions by law-enforcement personnel against journalists covering public protests. Across multiple jurisdictions there are credible, documented instances in which journalists