On October 11, Slovenians will vote on a referendum on whether to abolish the licence fee that funds their public broadcaster. In addition, a draft law is moving forward that would give the government decisive influence over the body responsible for appointing the broadcaster’s management. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in warning that both proposals risk breaching the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), and in calling on parliament to pause the legislative process. Ahead of a consultative referendum on abolishing the mandatory contribution that finances RTV Slovenija (RTV…

Between January and August 2026, the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) documented 28 verified drone-related incidents affecting journalists, media workers, newsrooms and media infrastructure in Ukraine. At least five media workers and newsroom staff were physically injured. New incidents followed in September. In Sloviansk, a fiber-optic FPV drone destroyed a vehicle used by Spanish photojournalist Diego Herrera and Swedish journalist and writer Mustafa Can, only minutes after they had stepped out of it, on 24 September. Their professional and protective equipment was also destroyed. On 28 September, Radio Liberty video correspondent Marian Kushnir survived a drone attack in…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its affiliates in Albania, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro, and leading media freedom organisations in calling for a strong and effective anti-SLAPP framework in Albania. In a joint open letter (see below) addressed to the Albanian minister of Justice Toni Gogu, the signatories welcome the draft anti-SLAPP legislative package and its important safeguards, while recommending targeted improvements to strengthen early dismissal, protection against abusive proceedings, implementation mechanisms, and safeguards for public-interest participation. The letter also calls for addressing the continued criminalisation of defamation and insult and for a…

Access-blocking orders are increasingly being used in Türkiye as a tool to restrict freedom of expression and press freedom. In recent weeks, not only news websites but also the social media accounts of journalists, media organisations, professional associations and civil society organisations have been blocked from being accessed in Türkiye. In response to these restrictions, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Turkish Journalists’ Union (TGS) are making the following clear and public call to X and its management: X must not block access to the accounts of journalists and media organisations in…

Although France enjoys a legal and regulatory framework which is generally supportive of media freedom, challenges are mounting ahead of the 2027 presidential election, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) concluded with its partners from the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in a new report published today.  The report follows an international press freedom mission to Paris in June, which was led by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and joined by partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR). The mission was also joined by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), EFJ French affiliates (SNJ, SNJ-CGT, CFDT Journalistes and FASAP-FO),…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) stands with its Slovenian affiliates, the Trade Union of Slovenian Journalists (SNS) and the Slovenian Association of Journalists (DNS), in their defense of independent, sustainable and predictable funding for the public service media RTV Slovenija. On 11 October 2026, Slovenian citizens will vote in a consultative referendum on the proposed abolition of the mandatory RTV contribution that finances RTV Slovenija. The referendum question reads: “Are you in favour of abolishing the mandatory payment of the contribution for Radiotelevizija Slovenija programmes?” The referendum proposal was initiated by the parliamentary groups of SDS, NSi, SLS, Fokus,…

In the negotiations on the EU Multi-Financial Framework (MFF) 2028 – 2032, journalism funding is the new kid on the block. The EFJ has analysed where EU funding on journalism is currently being spent. Local, independent journalism does not come out on top. Journalism is facing an unprecedented crisis of viability. The European Media Industry Outlook report shows that the total revenue generated by the EU news media sector declined by 8% from 2023 to 2024. In response, the EU is, for the first time, developing a welcome and timely specific budget for the journalism and news sector. What started…

One year after French freelance photojournalist Antoni Lallican was killed by a targeted Russian drone strike in Ukraine, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners renew their call for effective cooperation between the French and Ukrainian investigations to ensure that justice is secured. Our organisations extend their condolences to Lallican’s family and stand in solidarity with all journalists working under extraordinary risk in Ukraine. A Russian first-person view (FPV) drone killed Lallican on October 3, 2025, in a direct strike near the town of Druzhkivka in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk Oblast, around 15km from the…

An İstanbul court has shut down independent news website T24 and its X social media account over content prosecutors described as “LGBT propaganda”. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) condemns this crackdown by the Turkish authorities on journalists, LGBTQ+ rights groups and online platforms across Turkey. T24, which has been operating since 2009, is one of Turkey’s leading independent news sources. The organisation’s website and its social media account X were shut down on 30 September. The decision was justified by the İstanbul 1st Criminal Court of Peace on the grounds that 118 pieces of content constituting so-called “LGBT propaganda”…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its affiliate, the Union of Journalists in Finland (UJF), in expressing deep concern over the announcement by STT, the Finnish national news agency, that it may have to wind down its news and photo operations. This puts one of Europe’s oldest news agencies at risk of closure after almost 140 years. According to STT, the decision follows long-standing losses in its news and photojournalism units. The agency has started restructuring negotiations that could lead to 95 dismissals and the end of its current operations on 31 March 2027. It is still possible that…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined IPI, CPJ, RSF and ECPMF to send a joint letter to Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela, calling on the government to commit to an open, transparent, and consultative review of a pending draft media reform bill. Our joint letter:  

On 18 September, the management of Deutsche Welle (DW), Germany’s international public service broadcaster, reversed its decision to discontinue the Greek-language service. The service will continue in a reduced form from 1 January 2027. The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) praise the joint efforts of their affiliates that fought to save the Greek service: our Greek members JUADN, ESIEMTH, PEPU-ESPIT and PFJU, the Union of Cyprus Journalists, the Deutscher Journalisten-Verband (DJV) and the German Journalists’ Union (dju) in ver.di. The Federations welcome this major victory for Greek audiences and for media pluralism across Europe. It prevents job losses…

Today, Tuesday 29 September at 10:00, our Dutch affiliate NVJ, the collective management organisation Lira Foundation and the Dutch authors’ union Auteursbond are calling on freelancers to demonstrate in front of Meta’s Dutch headquarters in Amsterdam. The leadership of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) will be holding a similar event this lunchtime in Brussels. Meta is using the work of freelance journalists, writers and translators to train its AI models, without consent and without pay. The Dutch organisations are preparing a collective lawsuit against Meta. Their aim is a collective agreement with AI companies that ensures fair pay, gives creators control…

A few weeks ago, a far-right anti-immigration protest turned particularly violent in The Hague, with several journalists reporting verbal and physical attacks to PersVeilig, the foundation ensuring a safer place for media and journalists operating in the Netherlands. Those reports are not isolated, they echo the monitoring of severe attacks against journalists the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has documented since the beginning of the year, thanks to its affiliate, the Dutch Association of Journalists (NVJ), and PersVeilig.  Amid concerns over journalists’ safety in the Netherlands, the EFJ interviewed PersVeilig safety advisor Isabella Prins, to reflect on the ongoing state…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its affiliate, Bosnia-Herzgovina Journalists’ Association (BHN), in warning that BHRT, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s public service broadcaster, is on the verge of shutting down, and in calling for urgent action from Bosnian and European institutions to prevent its possible collapse. BHRT has been in a long-standing financial and institutional crisis, but the situation has now reached a point where the broadcaster’s very survival is at risk. Last week, BHRT was forced to start reducing its programming due to a lack of funding, while its bank accounts have been blocked for over a month. There…