The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) endorsed the manifesto initiated by the South East European Media Observatory towards media policy in the service of the public, which was presented on November 10, 2016. The aim of the manifesto is to find solutions to deal with current media crisis that is seriously affecting countries of South East Europe. Among the main demands of the manifesto are the initiation of the reforms, accountability of the politicians, the protection of the public service media and the uncompromising transparency of media ownership. The full report can be found here.

Azerbaijan is continuing its repression by arresting more journalists and creating an environment in which media that are not aligned with the government cannot operate untroubled. The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) condemn the latest moves by the Azerbaijani authorities to further control the information space, and call for the immediate release of the detained journalists. The last few weeks have seen yet another level of repression by the Azerbaijani authorities with the detention of several journalists and the closure of the BBC News office in Baku. On 21 February, a court sentenced journalist Nurlan Gahramanli (known as…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), together with organisations representing media workers and employers in the creative and cultural industry have called on European policy makers to ensure job growth, media diversity and quality content in the response to the European Commission’s consultation on spectrum policy. In a joint response to the consultation, the Wider Spectrum Group (WSG) in which the EFJ is a member of, told policy makers to develop a strong industry strategy that can sustain job growth, media pluralism and quality content. The group has called on the EU to follow the recommendations made by the Lamy…

In September 2025, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) published its position on the use of artificial intelligence in newsrooms. The EFJ is now releasing the results of a study carried out with its partners at FIA, FIM and UNI MEI, as part of the “Atypical Work IV” project, funded by the European Commission. Although they generally view AI as an opportunity, journalists are concerned about the ethical issues surrounding its use. They would like to have access to more training programmes and workshops on the use of AI in journalism. This new report on AI and work in the…

The imprisonment of Yıldız Tar, a journalist who has worked for many years on human rights, LGBTI+ rights and freedom of expression, deepens concerns over the use of criminal investigations and pre-trial detention against journalists because of their professional work, in Turkey. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) are calling on the Turkish authorities to release Yıldız Tar immediately. Journalist Yıldız Tar, editor-in-chief of LGBTQ+ rights publication Kaos GL, was arrested on charges of “membership in a terrorist organization” after being detained on 23 June in pre-dawn police raids in Ankara, Turkey’s capital, ahead…

From 9-11 June 2026, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) conducted a joint mission to France to assess the current state of media freedom in the country. This statement presents the mission’s preliminary findings.  The mission was led by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and joined by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), ARTICLE 19 Europe, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), and the International Press Institute (IPI). The mission was organised with the support of local partners, the journalists’ trade unions SNJ, SNJ-CGT, CFDT-Journalistes, as well  the French…

From 4-5 June 2026, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) hosted a two-day workshop focusing on EU legislation impacting media freedom and the digital environment. Around 40 journalists, journalists’ representatives, experts and policymakers gathered in Brussels to discuss the application in practice of key European legislation for journalists and the media sector as a whole. “Today we’re here to exchange experiences, strengthen our advocacy and ensure that media freedom does not remain a beautiful phrase in European legislation, but become something that journalists actually feel in their everyday work,” said Maja Sever, President of EFJ, in her opening remarks. Key…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), its partner organisations from the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) will travel to Paris from 9 to 11 June 2026 to assess the current state of media freedom in France, less than a year before the presidential elections.  While France’s legal and regulatory framework is generally supportive of media freedom, there has been an alarming increase in the number and severity of attacks documented on journalists and media outlets in recent years. As of 3 June 2026, 376 violations of press freedom affecting 590 media professionals had been documented since…

On this Europe Day, media organisations and journalists across the continent, including the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) come together to reaffirm their shared commitment to a strong, democratic, and united Europe. Europe is facing profound and complex challenges. At a time when anti-democratic forces are gaining ground globally, and disinformation threatens to erode trust within our societies, the role of independent, pluralistic media has never been more essential. Europe is more than a political or economic project. It is a shared promise – of peace, freedom, democracy, and human dignity. For millions of people, it remains the strongest guarantee…

Since the contested parliamentary elections in October 2024, Georgia has experienced one of the most rapid and serious deteriorations of press freedom ever seen in an EU member state or candidate country, Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners warn today. As we mark World Press Freedom Day 2026, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its partners once again draws attention to the plight of independent media and journalists in Georgia, where the Russia-friendly ruling party has continued its intensifying clampdown over the past year. Our thoughts today are particularly with jailed journalist Mzia Amaglobeli, who has now been behind…

To mark World Press Freedom Day, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its partners from the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) are publishing today an analysis of six years of monitoring data that reveals, in granular detail, the most serious challenges and trends threatening freedom of the press in Europe. The MFRR consortium first began comprehensive monitoring in 2020 and has become the largest public database of media freedom violations in Europe. Our Mapping Media Freedom (MapMF) platform has now recorded 6092 media freedom violations in Europe affecting more than 10,200 different journalists and media-related entities in EU Member States…

By Zoran Pehar, Trade Union of Croatian Journalists Can self-employed workers strike? Can they secure their rights through a collective agreement? How can unions protect them? And should we work with artificial intelligence or against it? Over the past two years, the project “Building stronger Unions in the Media, Arts & Entertainment Sector to Tackle the Challenges of Freelance Work, AI and Sectoral Change” has sought answers to these questions. The project is relevant to the wider cultural and creative sector, where Eurostat records around 2.5 million self-employed workers in the EU, and especially to the narrower group of creative…

A new government bill which would overhaul the funding model for the Czech public media risks financially weakening the broadcasters, eroding safeguards for their financial independence and violating European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), the undersigned Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and other media freedom, journalist and freedom of expression organisations warn today. Our organisations call on the European Commission to closely assess this bill regarding its compatibility with Article 5 of EMFA and to ensure that no reforms are undertaken which threaten the financial, editorial or institutional independence of the Czech public media.…

Media freedom in Kosovo has experienced a period of decline since 2023 amidst a series of negative developments, which calls for immediate political action by the government, an international media freedom mission including the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) concluded today. Following a two-day visit to Pristina by a coalition of media freedom organisations as part of the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Safety of Journalists, the delegation found that a stable level of media freedom in the aspiring European Union accession country has been replaced by a period of deterioration over the past three years. While Kosovo has…

Yesterday, Swiss citizens voted by a clear majority to support independent, high-quality journalism and a strong public broadcasting system. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its Swiss affiliates, syndicom and impressum, in welcoming the rejection of the “SBC Initiative” which sought to reduce the annual media licence fee for the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC). Put to a vote on 8 March, the right-wing Swiss People’s Party proposed to cap the annual household licence fee for SBC to 200 Swiss francs (222€) instead of 335 Swiss francs (372€), with businesses becoming exempt. This would have led to drastic job cuts…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners in strongly condemning the proposals of the Georgian Dream (GD) ruling party to implement a series of legislative amendments that would impose additional restrictions and penalties on recipients of grants and foreign funding. If implemented, our organisations warn the amendments would strengthen an already restrictive web of legislation targeting financial support to media and civil society and could eliminate the ability of Georgian journalists and media outlets to receive any form of independent funding. The proposed changes were announced on January 28 by Georgian Dream’s parliamentary…