Report sees increase in attacks on journalists in Germany in 2023

DPA
Tue, April 16, 2024 

A photojournalist wears a patch with the text "Press" on his jacket at a demonstration to identify himself as a journalist to police and demonstrators. There were more attacks on journalists in Germany in 2023 than in the previous year, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) has found. Markus Scholz/dpa

There were more attacks on journalists in Germany in 2023 than in the previous year, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) has found.

After 56 cases in 2022, 69 cases of physical attacks on journalists were recorded last year, the non-profit organization announced on Tuesday in its annual long-term analysis.

The capital Berlin had the most cases, with 25. The eastern state of Saxony had the most recorded attacks in the previous year.

Demonstrations are the most dangerous environment for Germany's media workers, the analysis found, with 77% of the known cases associated with protests. Of the 53 cases, 40% were recorded at pro-Palestinian gatherings.

It was pointed out in the previous analysis that the lack of anonymity could pose a security problem for journalists in their local area.

The German Newspaper Publishers and Digital Publishers Association (BDZV) has been involved in the study for several years.

BDZV Managing Director Sigrun Albert said that some of the local journalists under threat had also been the target of attacks in previous years.

The organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) recently published its own figures, which suggest there's actually been a decline in the number of attacks on Germany's media workers, down from 103 in 2022 to 41 in 2023.