"The twentieth century has experienced many transitions from dictatorship to democracy and vice versa, the destruction of democracy by dictatorship. Freedom of the media, as well as the rule of law, plays a central role for both: either to guarantee independent journalists free reporting, or to silence free reporting. This silencing should be seen as a step into totalitarian rule. This not only meant that freedom fell by the wayside but that many courageous journalists ended up in prisons, were forced to leave their homelands, or were killed. The hope of averting these dangers once and for all - at least in Europe - prompted the OSCE process to establish the Office of the Representative on Freedom of the Media.(...)"