Protecting journalism

This week the government published the first ever national action plan to better protect journalists from abuse and harassment so that they can go about their vital work – of keeping the public informed and defending those who hold the government to account – without fear. 

  • Abuse and attacks on journalists – both physically and online – are not only horrendous for those individuals but an assault on our democracy, and cannot continue. 
     
  • The new action plan will increase awareness of the safety challenges faced by journalists operating in the UK and introduce measures to tackle them. Measures include new training for police officers as well as aspiring and existing journalists, and commitments from social media platforms and prosecution services to take tough action against abusers. 
     
  • Freedom of speech and a free press are at the very core of our democracy, and journalists must be able to go about their work without being threatened.

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