"Over the last twelve years, over 1,100 journalists and media professionals have been killed while working". They "died because someone did not like whet they were writing or saying, or because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time". The Commissioner for human rights of the Council of Europe, Thomas Hammarberg, explains the meaning of today’s events for the World Free Press Day. "The CoE intends to establish closer relations with the media professionals explains the commissioner because of the relentless development of standards for protecting freedom of the press and freedom of information at times of crisis, including the journalists’ safety". The Strasbourg-based organisation gives prominence to the Free Press Day by publishing the online debate between the media operators and Hammarberg about: "Media professionals at times of crisis". In the last few days, the journalists had been asked to send in their questions, comments and reflections on the subject, which the CoE Commissioner will answer on the website www.coe.int. Subjects include the manipulation of information, censorship, access to sources, safety during conflicts.
