The murder of the Slovak investigative journalist Ján Kuciak
and his fiancée Martina Kušnírová in Slovakia in February 2018 horrifies and bewilders us.

The perpetrators are enemies of freedom, people who are afraid of journalistic research and transparency. In 2018, 54 journalists were killed worldwide because they were journalists.

We must not accept that!

It is up to European governments, Parliaments and publishers to create the framework conditions that encourage journalists and enable them to work critically and independently. 

But press freedom is not just a function of the law. Editorial independence depends as well on a market that can generate sufficient returns for the financial investments required. To research public records to uncover corruption, to send correspondents to relevant events and to thoroughly check an information, are time-consuming and expensive exercises. Therefore, economic viability is an essential component of a strong, independent and free press able to encourage and empower journalists, to continue to work critically and independently in the benefit of our democratic societies.