A report claiming press freedom is under threat in Europe is to be launched in Dublin today.
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will officially open the 45th Annual Congress of the Association of European Journalists (AEJ) which takes place in Dublin Castle.
The two-day event, hosted by the Irish Section of the organisation, will launch a survey of journalists in 20 European countries who have reported growing economic and political pressure.
The Survey of Media Freedom by the AEJ, a network of media professionals across Europe, flags up concerns for the future of the industry.
Entitled Goodbye to Freedom?, the report claims restrictive laws, unjustified political interventions, jail, death threats and in some cases even murder have been used to limit or suppress media freedom.
The countries included are Armenia, Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey and the UK.
Miklos Hararszti, the Representative on Freedom of the Media for the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe) said: "I warmly welcome the publication of the AEJ Media Freedom Survey, which will help draw the public's attention to the dangers that the media faces today.
"To mention only a few of these threats, violence and intimidation against media workers, the criminal prosecution of journalists for publishing sensitive information, and public broadcasters' lack of independence are all obstacles to legitimate media freedom in old and new democracies alike."