RSF issues recommendations to Germany’s future government ahead of parliamentary elections

Organisation:

RSF_en

On Sunday, 23 February, federal elections will take place in Germany. The challenges are great: violent attacks against reporters have risen sharply and media professionals and editorial offices are coming under increasing pressure. To protect and strengthen press freedom and the right to reliable information, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) presents its recommendations for the new government, based on four core areas of action.

“Press freedom is firmly anchored in the Basic Law of the Federal Republic of Germany. But there are worrying developments: doubts about the media’s credibility are being deliberately amplified by populist and far-right actors. Violent attacks on reporters are now part of everyday life at many demonstrations. Therefore, this election is decisive. There can be no democracy without media freedom and pluralism. We appeal to the future government to ensure this fundamental right is not weakened — especially on digital platforms.

Anja Osterhaus

Executive Director of the RSF German Section

Overall, the conditions for journalistic work in Germany are satisfactory: the country ranks tenth in the 2024 RSF World Press Freedom Index. However, editorial offices in Germany are under great economic pressure, especially at the local level. In some regions, there is a risk that news deserts might emerge. Foreign journalists exiled in Germany are not sufficiently shielded from transnational repression coming from their home countries. At the same time, legislators have tightened numerous security laws in recent years, thereby creating precedents for the surveillance of journalists and their sources who, through their work, make a significant contribution to public debate and interest.

The RSF recommendations for the future German government:

Take the lead in advocating for media freedom within the EU: implement and transpose the European legislation for the protection of media freedom, independence and pluralism, and protect journalists against SLAPPs, as stipulated in the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) and EU anti-SLAPP legislation and recommendations. Germany must lead in this domain.
Guarantee the protection of journalists: reporters must be better protected from assault at events, especially demonstrations. Police, law enforcement authorities and the judiciary should receive more training in how to deal with cases involving journalists.
Protect and support media professionals in exile: Media professionals fleeing persecution should be able to obtain residence in Germany without excessive red tape. The new government must offer them the support they need to continue working in exile. A coordination office should be set up to protect them from transnational persecution by authoritarian governments.
Strengthening press freedom in digital and security policy: The new German government should work to ensure effective digital protection for all journalists and their communications. Editorial secrecy and the protection of sources must be better reflected in legislation, and the right to encryption must be legally enshrined. The control of intelligence services should be made more efficient. The illegal surveillance of the media must be stopped.
Strengthening journalism – for democracy and against disinformation: Media diversity and editorial independence must be strengthened. Services that commit to adhering to professional standards should be given preference in rankings and recommendation algorithms. When implementing the Digital Services Act nationally, the provisions of EMFA (the European Media Freedom Act) must be taken into account. In particular, the new government must set high standards for very large digital platforms, regarding, for example, the deletion of content, the structuring of news in news feeds (ensuring the due prominence of trustworthy media certified under the global standard set by the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) or another recognised professional standard), the handling of digital violence and the dissemination of disinformation. Non-profit journalism must be recognised as such and given preferential tax treatment in the tax code.