The 28th plenary session of the Council of Europe’s Steering Committee on Media and Information Society (CDMSI) is taking place in Strasbourg on December 3–5. Ukraine is represented on this platform by the Chair of the National Council, Ms. Olha Herasymiuk. The main topics under discussion are strengthening information resilience, digital security, media literacy, and the protection of journalists.
On the first day of the meeting, participants approved the Steering Committee’s work plan for the next period, 2026–2027. They also re-elected the leadership and members of the CDMSI bureau. Next year, the Steering Committee will be headed by Katerina Polizou from Greece, with Maja Zaric from Serbia as Vice-Chair.
One of the main topics on the agenda was ensuring information resilience in the digital age. Expert committees presented drafts of two documents: guidelines on the implications of generative artificial intelligence for freedom of speech and recommendations on online safety and expanding the rights of users and content creators.
During the session on countering disinformation and promoting media literacy, researchers from the Center for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom at the European University, Konrad Blayer-Simon and Urbano Revillo, presented the Guide on Implementing Media and Information Literacy Strategies at the National Level: Practical Steps and Indicators.
During the working sessions, participants discussed the impact of the media on electoral processes. They listened to presentations by the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities and the News Media Coalition on foreign interference in elections and the results of a survey on news consumption and support for journalism from primary sources.
In addition, the interim results of the Council of Europe’s campaign on the safety of journalists, “Journalists Matter,” were reviewed. Council of Europe consultant Peter Nourlander spoke about the work carried out at the national level and planned activities. It should be noted that a Coordination Committee for the implementation of this campaign has been set up in Ukraine under the Ministry of Culture, which is responsible for the safety of journalists during the war and issues related to the release of media workers from captivity.
