EBU releases statement regarding the treatment of Eurovision 2024 artists.
The European Broadcasting Union has released a statement in regards to the treatemtent of the artists competing in Eurovision 2024. The official Eurovision website and all it’s official social media channels have released the EBU’s statement. Jean Philip De Tender, Deputy Director General of the European Broadcasting Union has said:
“The European Broadcasting Union acknowledges the depth of feeling and the strong opinions that this year’s Eurovision Song Contest – set against the backdrop of a terrible war in the Middle East – has provoked. We understand that people will want to engage in debate and express their deeply held views on this matter. We have all been affected by the images, stories and the unquestionable pain suffered by those in Israel and in Gaza.
However, we wish to address the concerns and discussions surrounding this situation, especially the targeted social media campaigns against some of our participating artists.
The decision to include any broadcaster, including the Israeli’ broadcaster Kan, in the Eurovision Song Contest is the sole responsibility of the EBU’s governing bodies and not that of the individual artists. These artists come to Eurovision to share their music, culture, and the universal message of unity through the language of music.
The EBU has previously explained the reasoning for the inclusion of KAN and the differences between them as an independent broadcaster and previous participants who were excluded. Constructive debate is a positive consequence of such decisions.
However, while we strongly support freedom of speech and the right to express opinions in a democratic society, we firmly oppose any form of online abuse, hate speech, or harassment directed at our artists or any individuals associated with the contest. This is unacceptable and totally unfair, given the artists have no role in this decision.
The EBU is dedicated to providing a safe and supportive environment for all participants, staff, and fans of the Eurovision Song Contest. We will continue to work closely with all stakeholders to promote the values of respect, inclusivity, and understanding, both online and offline.
We urge everyone to engage in respectful and constructive dialogue and support the artists who are working tirelessly – on what is a music and entertainment show – to share their music with the world.”
Since the EBU and SVT released the confirmed list of the 37 competing countries at this years Eurovision Song Contest back in December, there have been many calls for Israel to be excluded from the contest due to the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict, and there have been many calls for the Eurovision 2024 artists to use their platform to speak up on the situation, or to boycott the contest.
However, in more recent weeks, there has been a surge in abusive and hateful comments directed at some Eurovision 2024 artists, with some even receiving death threats over their continued participation in Eurovision 2024.
The Eurovision Song Contest 2024 will take place in Malmö, Sweden on May 7th, 9th and 11th, following on from Loreen’s second Eurovision win in 2023 with “Tattoo”.
