UK sets out OSCE media freedom priorities, Nov 2025
If you teach civics or run a student newsroom, here’s the headline: the UK has used today’s OSCE meeting in Vienna (27 November 2025) to restate that media freedom is part of regional security, not an optional extra. Deputy Ambassador James Ford thanked the OSCE media watchdog, led by Ambassador Jan Braathu, and set out where the UK thinks effort matters most. The statement was published by the UK Foreign Office this afternoon.
Quick explainer for your class: the OSCE is a 57‑country organisation that treats human rights and free media as part of keeping peace. Its Representative on Freedom of the Media has a clear job: spot danger early and respond fast when journalists are threatened. That office is currently headed by Ambassador Jan Braathu, appointed in December 2024.
At home, the UK says every police force in England and Wales now has a designated Journalist Safety Officer, building on earlier work in Scotland and Northern Ireland. That gives reporters a named contact when abuse or threats flare up. The Foreign Office repeated the point today; DCMS and national outlets reported the full roll‑out in October. You can use this in lessons on how policing supports press freedom.
On elections and AI, the UK pointed students, candidates and campaign teams to practical guidance. Cabinet Office pages-updated on 30 April 2025-spell out how to recognise and handle deepfakes and other online manipulation, alongside the National Protective Security Authority’s Defending Democracy advice. If you’re teaching media literacy, this is the official baseline to share.
Internationally, the UK backed the Media Freedom Coalition and thanked this year’s co‑chairs. In 2025 Germany co‑chaired throughout; Estonia co‑chaired until 30 June, and Finland took over from 1 July. The coalition is a club of 51 countries that coordinate help for journalists at risk and push for better laws. That’s a useful case study of multilateral action for students.
The statement also named where journalists are being hurt now. In Ukraine, Russian drone strikes have killed and injured reporters this autumn-two Ukrainian journalists were killed in Kramatorsk on 23 October, according to the International and European Federations of Journalists and Al Jazeera reporting from local officials. Use this to discuss risks of frontline reporting and protections under international law.
For context work, introduce the OSCE’s “Moscow Mechanism”. It’s a process where states ask independent experts to document abuses. In 2024 and again in 2025, it examined Russia’s treatment of civilians and prisoners in occupied Ukrainian territories, recording patterns of arbitrary detention and other grave violations-concerns echoed in UK-led statements at the OSCE. This shows students how evidence is gathered for accountability.
On Belarus, the UK called for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners, including journalists. Despite a September prisoner release, rights groups say dozens of media workers remain behind bars, with fresh convictions this year. This is a ready‑made classroom case on how long crackdowns can last after protests fade from headlines.
The UK also echoed concern about Kyrgyzstan, where a Bishkek court in late October labelled three independent outlets and their founders “extremist”, effectively banning their work online. Press freedom groups including CPJ and Article 19 say the rulings escalate pressure on investigative journalism and public‑interest reporting. This is a sharp example for students of how “extremism” labels can be misused.
And there were thanks for engagement in Georgia and recent work in Serbia on media rules. OSCE bodies have flagged concerns around Georgia’s political climate and speech rights this year, while the OSCE Mission to Serbia continues to support legal reform and track safety threats to journalists. These are live policy labs your class can follow over the year.
What should you do with all this in school or at university? Start by comparing the UK’s April 2025 guidance with real examples students see online, then practice writing a short “provenance note” for any election content they share: who paid, when was it made, what is synthetic. The Electoral Commission has plain‑English advice for voters that pairs well with classroom media‑studies tasks.
Finally, the UK closed by backing the OSCE media watchdog’s mandate to monitor, warn and react-and by saying it wants to keep working together into 2026. If you’re building a lesson plan, end on this question: how do early warning and rapid response protect both journalists and public trust? The OSCE’s own mandate page spells it out clearly.