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Press Release

Rapid Response Mechanism launches to defend press and media freedom in Europe

Press release,  2.March 2020
ECPMF and partners start Rapid Response Mechanism to support journalists under threat/ European Commission co-funds the programme with 1.4 Million euros

March 1st marks a new chapter in the support for journalists under threat – it is the start of the Europe-wide rapid response mechanism (RRM) for violations of press and media freedom. The RRM is conducted by a consortium led by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom in Leipzig (ECPMF).The Mechanism is designed to mitigate the consequences of the recently observed deterioration of press and media freedom in certain EU Member States and Candidate Countries.
The consortium consists of the ECPMF, ARTICLE 19, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), the Institute for Applied Informatics at the University of Leipzig (InfAI), International Press Institute (IPI) and CCI/Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT).
The work programme of the consortium comprises the development of coordinated rapid responses to violations of press and media freedom. Thematic focal points are online harassment, especially against female journalists, legal threats like SLAPP (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation) lawsuits, the fight against impunity and the situation of media freedom in specific countries.
In response to violations of media freedom the partners will implement a broad set of instruments, from advocacy to campaigning, legal aid to practical support, training to consultation. The monitoring of press freedom violations will mainly be done by IPI and EFJ. Both organisations have large membership and contact networks throughout Europe, which will be a key resource for the monitoring work. The common platform to submit alerts is mappingmediafreedom.org; selected cases will also be submitted to the Council of Europe's Platform for the protection of journalism and safety of journalists. During the project period the Institute for Applied Informatics at the University of Leipzig will develop a new methodology for mappingmediafreedom.org based on artificial intelligence and text recognition. All activities focus on EU Member States and Candidate Countries. 
The RRM is supported with 1.4 Million Euro co-funding from the European Commission following the intention of the European Parliament to provide increased support to the defence of press and media freedom in the European Union. 
"The murders of Daphne Caruana Galizia and Jan Kuciak dramatically proved the need for an instrument like the Rapid Response Mechanism. It is high time to strengthen protection and prevention on a European level", says Lutz Kinkel, ECPMF's Managing Director. "The consortium that runs the project has excellent abilities with regard to practical support and communication. It will make a difference."
To help with the smooth running of the Rapid Response Mechanism, the ECPMF has employed a new rapid response co-ordinator. It is Nicholas S. Williams, project manager and policy advisor at Scottish PEN. He says: "I am honoured to be joining ECPMF for this groundbreaking project to protect journalists and media workers across Europe. The recent degradation of press freedom in Europe, highlighted by the murders of Lyra McKee, Daphne Caruana Galizia, Jan Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová, to name just a few, should alarm everyone across the continent and I am delighted that the European Commission supports this Rapid Response Mechanism to respond in a meaningful and robust manner," he says."
 
ends

Press contact: 
ECPMF, Faith Miyandazi, press@ecpmf.eu, phone: +49 341 20040317

The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) is a non-profit European Cooperative Society, based in Leipzig, Germany. The ECPMF was founded in 2015 to promote the European Charter on Freedom of the Press throughout Europe. The ECPMF helps shaping a common European media space. It preserves, defends, protects and expands press- and media freedom by monitoring the state of free media in Europe, advocating on media freedom issues, initiating diverse activities and providing practical support to journalists at risk.

The ECPMF is supported by: European Commission, Media Foundation of Sparkasse Leipzig, Free State of Saxony, the City of Leipzig and diverse project funding.
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European Centre for Press and Media Freedom SCE ltd
Menckestraße 27
04155 Leipzig, Germany
Phone: +49 341 200 403 13
E-Mail: info@ecpmf.eu
Cooperative register of the District Court Leipzig: GnR 534

Executive Board:  
Henrik Kaufholz (Chair),
Stephan Seeger, 
Ljiljana Smajlović,
Mogens Blicher Bjerregårds, 
Galina Arapova

Chair of Supervisory Board:
Lucie Sýkorová

Managing Director:
Dr Lutz Kinkel

www.ecpmf.eu