Ljubljana - The Slovenian Journalist Association (DNS) has launched a platform for reporting attacks on journalists that will keep track and monitor such attacks as well as raise awareness about the issue. The platform will record reports of physical as well as verbal attacks and threats, the DNS said.

The association pointed out in a press release that the idea for the platform had emerged due to the increasingly hostile environment in which journalists work.

Highlighting the importance of civil society and journalists in Slovenia, the project will aim to develop mechanisms and tools to effectively respond to such threats and to garner public support.

"Pressure and attacks on journalists are still building up to the point where it has gotten increasingly difficult to keep track of them systemically, document them and respond to them. The platform will be important in contributing to an even more transparent monitoring of the attacks and will provide a more comprehensive insight into their dimensions," said DNS head Petra Lesjak Tušek.

The platform could be a sort of a compass that would raise alarm over unacceptable practices that need to be condemned, she added.

Moreover, the project will also enable preparation of various analyses and provide a basis for the development of appropriate and effective mechanisms for the protection of journalists, the press release says.

The DNS will also provide a free-of-charge legal consultation to all journalists who have been victims of attacks to establish whether it is possible and viable to use legal remedies.

The platform is part of a nationwide project dedicated to the protection of the role of civil society and journalism. The project is carried out by the Peace Institute, the DNS and the Pod Črto investigative journalism portal. It is co-financed by the Civitates philanthropic initiative for democracy and solidarity in Europe.