The European Commission has launched a €4.1 million call to monitor and defend media freedom and pluralism, funded under the Creative Europe programme, the European Commission announced in a statement. Of the planned funding, “€1 million will go to further strengthen the position of media councils and to develop journalistic standards”; and €3.1 million will help extend, beyond 2023, the “rapid response” mechanism which protects journalists at risk. “Since 2020, this mechanism has provided assistance, legal advice and protection to threatened journalists. More recently, it supported Ukrainian journalists in exile”, said EU Commission Vice President for Values and Transparency Věra Jourová. Non-profit and international organisations, universities, and research institutes and centres in the EU and in partner countries, including Ukraine, wishing to participate in the call will be able to submit their proposals until 20 September 2022. “Media freedom and pluralism are fundamental values that our democracies defend and cannot be taken for granted. Supporting a rapid response mechanism will allow us to protect our threatened journalists and monitor violations of press and media freedom”, said EU Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton.