A Deliberation on the Connections between Freedom of Expression and Media in the Jurisprudence of the European Court of Human Rights

The present article which is a mixture of translation and research, aims at studying the connections between the right to freedom of expression and media in the jurisprudence of European Court of Human Rights. Although article 10 of European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms on freedom of expression does not directly deal with freedom of media, European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has elaborated the relationship between freedom of expression and freedom of media in its jurisprudence. Media has been called public watchdog in the jurisprudence of ECHR in which fields such as freedom of press, positive obligations of states and protection of journalists, freedom of radio and television broadcasting, duties and responsibilities of states, protection of journalism's sources and eventually protection of whistleblowers could be observed and studied. Accordingly, the present piece, has researched the six aforementioned fields in the framework of ECHR's judgments and decisions. It appears that the approach of ECHR toward freedom of media within the right to freedom of expression implies the belief of this prominent human rights organ in the tremendous role of media and their freedom in the realization of a democratic society, ensuring human rights and preserving human dignity.