Director Håvard Hegre was invited by the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) as a prominent expert to discuss the findings of the latest report by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (RFom) in Vienna at the high-level “No Security Without Media Freedom Panel”. The report highlights the critical role of media freedom in maintaining global security and peace, arguing that a free and independent press is vital for democracy and serves as a cornerstone for informed political decision-making and public discourse.

Håvard Hegre stated that: “We need transparency to hold political leaders accountable. A popular belief is that war is due to miscalculation and misunderstanding and erroneous assumptions about the opponent. Media freedom is important to give good information to all players”.

The report is part of a project focused on strategic dialogues exploring how media freedom, democracy, and security are interconnected. For more details visit the OSCE website or access the report here.