"Quite frankly, I'm impressed. I could almost say, look to Greece, because there are some very interesting things happening here". In this phrase, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, ambassador Jan Braathu, captures the positive image he gained, during his recent visit to our country, for a series of initiatives in the field of information (Task Force, International Centre for the Safety of Journalists and other Media Professionals (ICSJ), dealing with SLAPPs, etc.). "I am going to be speaking about these things in my report to the Permanent Council," he said.

On the occasion of his presence in Thessaloniki for the inauguration of the ICSJ offices, the contacts with the members of the Task Force and the private meeting with the Secretary General for Communication and Information, Dimitris Galamatis, Ambassador Jan Braathu spoke to the Athens-Macedonian News Agency and Sofia Papadopoulou about the OSCE's priorities aimed at strengthening media freedom, the challenges for journalists and how they can be addressed, but also about the experience he gained as an ambassador to Balkan countries.

"I am so impressed. I have to admit that I didn't know very much about what was happening in Greece from the government side. We know about some issues, of course, but I wasn't aware of these various activities and initiatives that have been taken," he stressed, adding that the Task Force is a significant initiative, although there are similar ones in other countries as well. "But it is so important to create a forum for dialogue where journalists, representatives, civil society representatives can sit together around a table with representatives from various government institutions -the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the police, judges, prosecutors- and discuss issues relating to media and safety of journalists."

He noted, however, that as he learns more about the operation of this special working group and its results - with the Center being one of them - he realizes that this is a dynamic process in progress and as he himself has seen from the representatives of journalists, this initiative has already received a positive response. "There's the understanding that change doesn't happen by a snap of the fingers."

One of the issues that the OSCE Representative on Media Freedom had the opportunity to discuss with the SG for Communication and Information was the challenge of SLAPPs, with the SG for Communication and Information informing the OSCE Representative about the establishment of a legislative committee regarding the process of incorporating the EU SLAPP Directive, which will include a representative from the General Secretariat for Communication and Information as well as two journalist-members of the Task Force.
"I also heard about an initiative taken to enact national anti-slaps legislation in Greece and a work group that's been established by the Ministry of Justice, where, thanks to Mr. Galamatis, journalist representatives will be part of that working group. They will have input into the working group. What I see is an attempt to create conditions for dialogue between government authorities, state institutions, and the journalist community. I think that is what we need to see in many more OSCE participating states," he said.
His stay in Thessaloniki may have been brief, but following an invitation from Mr. Galamatis, which he gladly accepted, he is expected to return to our country, this time for contacts in Athens. "We also talked about the possibility of an official visit to Greece.. This is a visit to Greece, but an official visit to the capital, to Athens, to meet with ministers and journalist associations there as well. Mr. Galamatis has invited me to come and I've accepted the invitation. When it will happen, I don't know. Probably in the second half of this year. But this is very promising, as bilateral cooperation."

The establishment of the ICSJ is a huge achievement

Mr. Braathu was also the guest of honor at the opening of the ICSJ, the establishment of which he described as a "huge achievement." 
"Its name is International Center and I think that says everything about the ambition of the creators of this Center. And I really wish success for this huge ambition. I think the Center will be an important asset inside the OSCE for training journalists on how to behave in very difficult situations, threatening situations, war zones, conflict zones, mass demonstrations. How journalists can protect themselves, what practices they should use. But it's not only about the journalists. I see this Center as a possibility to bring police, prosecutors, judges, civil servants from various OSCE participating states to Thessaloniki for training at the Center. So, I see this as a huge opportunity for us in the OSCE to build on the work that has already been done here in Greece and Thessaloniki and to bring it out to a wider OSCE audience".
He also underlined the uniqueness of the ICSJ. "I know of no other Center of this kind anywhere in the OSCE region. Yes, some participating states have individual programs on safety of journalists. They do some training, but there is no Center. This Center is more than just a training facility. It will be a repository of expertise and development, policy development. That's what I would like to see it become [...] And now I think those of us who believe in the Center should work together to try to fill the Center with activities and expertise and knowledge."

Priorities and challenges: SLAPPs, social media, disinformation and safety of journalists

Mr. Braathu admitted that there are many challenges and that "media and journalists are under pressure everywhere", while listing his priorities in his capacity as OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media. First he raised the issue of SLAPPs:
"My ambition for this year is to make some recommendations to OSCE participating states regarding anti-slaps legislation. I will seek to develop the work that's been done by the European Commission, who have done really great work on this. And also the building on the directive from May last year, which deals with cross-border slaps But there's a recommendation by the Commission in 2022 to EU member states to enact national anti-slaps legislation. Greece is already starting to do it, great. Also the Council of Europe have done very important work on anti-slaps legislation. I want to bring all of this together, formulate a recommendation to all 57 participating states on enacting anti-slaps legislation. My ambition is for that to be produced by the end of this year. I know it's ambitious, but I think it can be done. I will certainly try. So anti-slaps, that's one of the first things I want to work on".
Then, he stressed that "we need to look at the regulation of social media platforms, a topic that is also connected to artificial intelligence issues."
"We need to look at social media platforms, regulation of social media platforms. That's also connected with artificial intelligence issues. I see that, for example, Canada last year enacted legislation requiring social media platforms to pay a fee for republishing content from Canadian newspapers. Meta then immediately blocked all Canadian content on their platforms. But I think this is a very important topic. You know, if we play music in a public setting, in a restaurant or in a club, a fee has to be paid for using that music. And we see that social media platforms are republishing material produced by media outlets, by journalists, without any compensation. This is undermining the work of serious media outlets. They're losing revenue, and they should not lose revenue. So it's a complicated issue. We're working on it now. I don't know if we'll complete the work by the end of this year. But this is a priority for me into the time ahead."
Regarding the scourge of the times, disinformation, Mr. Braathu stressed the imperative need to effectively address it:
"Again, we can talk about how platforms regulate their content. But again, it's also an issue that intersects with freedom of information. And what I'm concerned about is we don't want censorship. Certainly we don't want government or state-run censorship. But we don't want the extreme on the other side. So we have to find a balance. And I'm afraid that if we are not careful, we will end up on a slippery slope, as I call it, that will descend into some forms of censorship. So this is something where we have to approach things very cautiously."

He expressed concern about the efforts being made to block information flowing across borders. "I think we are seeing efforts to block information flowing across borders. For various reasons And I think that's also a slippery slope. I think it's a dangerous approach to things. But we have to deal with disinformation and outright lies that are being broadcast."
An issue that will always be at the top of his and the OSCE's agenda is the safety of journalists. "Safety of journalists, of course, will always be top of my agenda. Combating impunity for crimes against journalists is also something I've worked on in the past. And I will continue reminding participating states that they have a responsibility.It's really good that the shooters or the actual perpetrators are caught and punished. But what about the people who paid them to do it? The instigators. The root of the problem. And that's something that I'm reminding countries[...] No one should get away with murder. For all the society, not only for journalists".
"Only partnership produces results"
The Norwegian OSCE official has extensive experience in the Balkans, having served as a diplomat in Kosovo, Serbia and elsewhere. "Well, I think what I've learned working in this region for many years, actually for more than two decades, is that only partnership gives results."
His experience from the region has shown him that trust is the most important asset. "My experience from the region is that trust is the most important asset. They have to understand who I am and what I'm trying to achieve. That I'm not their enemy. I'm just trying to implement some principles that they have accepted and adopted."
For the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, the "key" is partnership to produce the best result. But also for one member state of the Organization to learn from another. "There are some good practices, for example, Greece. What about maybe some other countries would like to learn from Greece and build on that? This is my intention: to work together, activate networks of like-minded people and bring all of this together."