Journalism, the European protest

"Stand Up for Journalism", with these words it will start tomorrow, November 5, across Europe, a day of demonstrations in favor of press freedom and in defence of journalists' role. The problem of freedom of information is not only an Italian case (where doing real information without censorship is becoming increasingly difficult), but it is an international problem.

This year, again, the European Federation of Journalists, EFJ, calls to protest against the decline of the quality standards of journalism in Europe and to improve journalists working conditions. Tomorrow (in some countries the event will take place in the coming days) journalists will take to the streets to demand the defense of the press and of the role of journalists. The campaign is also supported by the National Federation of the Italian Press (FNSI) which has decided to promote, tomorrow, in Rome a day of debate on this topic: "Information is freedom - the European Day for the dignity of journalism and the role of democratic guarantee".
One year after the beginning of serious global financial crisis which has severely affected the media workers through restructuring and massive layoffs, the future seems black for journalism and media. At its last Annual Meeting, the EFJ adoped the Varna Declaration, "Journalism at the Vanguard of Change", which calls for a continental campaign to revive commitments to public service values in media and quality journalism and which also highlights the importance of a society based on the values of dialogue and press freedom above all.

This event, promoted by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), aims to protest against the dramatic crisis facing journalists suffering from excessive commercialization, political pressure, falling standards, poor working conditions and violent attacks around the world.
The situation is perhaps even worse in Italy where, as in the rest of the world, the serious global financial crisis has also affected the world of the media causing the decline in newspaper circulation, so the reduction in advertising revenue and contraction of editorial staff. From here the dismissals of journalists, often taking advantage of the labor at no cost offered by interns eager to learn. In our country, however, the danger to information is even stronger as a result of constant attacks that politics aim at those who provide information without censorship. So tomorrow event will be just one month away from the one for the press freedom in Italy, which will take place on the 3rd October .
But taking to the streets and protesting against censorship of the press is not only to defend the rights of journalists . It means to demonstrate for the fundamental human rights. A protest that aims to be an appeal to other workers, to the civil society, not to surrender.