Governments can support media freedom not only through public commitments, but through practical measures that help journalists do their work safely.
For journalists reporting on demonstrations, corruption, disinformation or politically sensitive issues, law enforcement can play an important role in whether threats are recognised, recorded and addressed. But that depends on whether police understand who journalists are, why their work matters and how threats against them can affect society beyond the individual reporter.
In Latvia, new work is under way to strengthen that understanding. Through a working group convened by the Ministry of Culture, renewed cooperation between journalists’ organisations and the State Police, as well as training for police officers, Latvia is seeking to improve how threats against journalists are understood and handled.
For Anastasija Tetarenko-Supe, chair of the Latvian Journalists Association and Latvia’s focal point on journalist safety, the main challenge seems to be a gap in understanding.
She said it’s important to build understanding on “why journalists exist. The things that we are doing are meant for the common good, for the society.”
For Tetarenko-Supe, police training is therefore about more than technical knowledge. It is about rebuilding trust. Officers need to understand that threats against journalists matter not only because they affect individual reporters, but because they can lead to self-censorship and weaken democratic oversight.
“If journalists stop investigating serious issues, that harms democracy,” she said. “And it also harms the work of the police, because in Latvia it is common for police to start looking into some issues only after journalists uncover them.”
A central part of Latvia’s work is training police officers. Tetarenko-Supe said the first recent seminar for police focused on helping officers understand who journalists are, what journalism is, why it matters and why threats against journalists should be viewed in context.
She also highlighted the Ministry of Culture’s role, by establishing a working group and bringing relevant actors into the same room, including journalists’ organisations, civil society groups and law enforcement.
“They put everyone together in one room,” she said. ” I see them as the facilitators.”
The longer-term aim is for training materials and knowledge from these seminars to be integrated into the educational process of the Police Academy, so that future officers encounter these issues as part of their professional training.
“If journalists are not doing their job properly,” she said, “it will ruin their work also.”
In addition to seminars, Latvia has developed written guidance for law enforcement officers. Media Hub Riga, with support from the Ministry of Culture, prepared a booklet titled “Action in the event of a threat to a journalist.” The booklet is intended to help law enforcement officers recognise threats to journalists and other media professionals and support their protection, including during protests and demonstrations.
Tetarenko-Supe said such resources may make police work easier when they encounter situations involving media workers.
The example of Latvia goes along with similar efforts from other MFC members.
One example of this is Chile, where UNESCO has worked with the Government of Chile and Carabineros de Chile to deliver training on journalist safety, freedom of expression and human rights. In November 2024, Lieutenant Francisco Aguilar Acevedo participated in the second training session organised by the UNESCO Regional Office in Santiago for law enforcement agencies.
The workshops also sought to build mutual trust and respect between police and journalists. Aguilar said the training changed his perception of the press, helping him move beyond a purely operational view of media work and recognise journalists as essential actors in building an informed society. He noted that respectful and transparent collaboration between police and media workers is vital for both public safety and democratic accountability.
In an interview with UNESCO, Aguilar Acevedo reflected on the training, stating “After participating in the dialogues and practical exercises, I was able to gain a deeper understanding of the crucial role journalists play as actors in building an informed society, ensuring that our actions as police officers are always subject to critical and objective scrutiny.”
Another example is MFC member Austria, which has specially trained police officers known as “dialogue teams”, who have been deployed in the context of demonstrations since 2024. Their role is focused on de-escalation, preventing disruptive behaviour and improving communication between police, demonstrators and journalists covering public events.
The teams are designed to be easily identifiable, wearing blue waistcoats labelled “Dialogue Team”, and serve as a point of contact during demonstrations.
In 2025, Austria reported that 41 specially trained police officers had covered around 40 events, including protests and major public gatherings, mostly in Vienna. By creating a visible and accessible communication channel, the dialogue teams help reduce tension and support safer conditions for both demonstrators and media workers.
The examples from Latvia, Austria and Chile show different ways in which governments and institutions can support journalist safety through cooperation with law enforcement.
While these initiatives differ slightly, they share a common aim of improving understanding between police and journalists so that media workers can report safely and the public can access information.
For Tetarenko-Supe, Latvia is still at the beginning of that process. But the direction matters.
“I’m very happy that at least some movement is happening now,” she said.
