Calls grow for investigations into attacks on journalists

On November 2, the Council of Europe called for independent, effective investigations and support for victims of attacks against journalists. Hungarian news readers also have an interest in reporting on events abroad being produced under conditions that allow verification.

The new statement stresses young people's access to reliable information. In a separate appeal dated October 30, the International Federation of Journalists also demands accountability for those who order such crimes. We report the positions of the two organisations; they are not announcing a new court judgment.

Our focus for readers is the chain of evidence: who witnessed an event, what documents exist, and what can independent sources corroborate? When a reporter's work is endangered, answering these questions can become harder for distant readers too. Each specific claim still requires separate verification; an institutional appeal cannot replace the case documents.

Accurately identifying the role of sources also matters in our reports on monitoring Serbia's elections and access to aid in Yemen.

The next confirmed event is the November 9–10 youth meeting in Strasbourg, addressing disinformation and journalism's role. Its outcomes can only be reported on the basis of the actual event and published documents.

An unnamed source gives readers fewer opportunities for direct verification. In such cases, it is particularly important for the newsroom to explain how information was corroborated and which questions remain open.