Dataharvest/EIJC June 2016 : investigative, data, cross-border, financial, surveillance and FOI journalism

Dataharvest/EIJC, the European Investigative Journalism Conference organised by Journalismfund.eu, is one of the most relevant networking events for investigative and data journalists in Europe. Dataharvest/EIJC 2016 takes place in Mechelen, Belgium, on Friday 3, Saturday 4 and Sunday morning 5 June 2016, with a pre-conference Hackaton on Thursday 2 June. #EIJC16 Investigative journalist Heidi Blake will keynote the conference. Blake is the UK investigations editor for BuzzFeed News and previously worked as an investigative reporter for the Daily Telegraph and the Sunday Times. At the conference, Blake will, among other things, talk about the #TennisRacket scandal, BuzzFeed’s recent tennis match-fixing investigation, which she uncovered together with colleague John Templon. There…

Cyber Security Training for Journalists, 25 – 27 May Leuven

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) are organising a two-day Cyber Security Training for Journalists on 25 – 27 May in Leuven, Belgium. This is the second training on cyber security organised by the EFJ and ETUI. The first training successfully took place in January 2015. The second training targets at professional journalists with digital background. He or she should have good technical skills and have an interest in digital media issues and surveillance law. The EFJ encourages members to nominate their journalist members to attend this training. The training will be in…

Latvia shuts down Russian Sputnik’s website for propaganda

On 29 March, the Latvian government shut down the local website of Russia’s foreign news channel Sputnik, describing the state media outlet as a “propaganda tool” and questioning the credibility of its reporting on the Ukraine conflict. The EFJ and the IFJ warn that any forced closure of a media outlet is a breach of press freedom. Sputnik describes itself as “a provider of alternative news content and a radio broadcaster” and produces news in multiple languages. Launched in 2014 it operates under Russian government control. On 29 March, the Latvian Internet registry NIC suspended Sputnik’s right to hold the…

Scandalous Ban on Media at Turkey Media Trial

IFJ/EFJ  today condemned the decision to hold the trial of Can Dündar and Erdem Gül behind closed doors. All diplomats, journalists (including the IFJ and EFJ observers, Barry White and Mehmet Koksal), members of the public were evacuated from the court room. The ruling was made earlier today on the first day of the Dündar/Gül case charged with aiding a terrorist organisation, espionage and disclosure of classified documents, having reported on the supply of arms to Syrian fighters by the Turkish secret services. Gül and Dündar had previously been held for 92 days until the constitutional court set them free,…

Turkey should drop criminal charges against journalists Can Dündar and Erdem Gül

Leading international free expression and press freedom groups condemn politically motivated trial. On the eve of a trial scheduled to start on March 25, 2016, a coalition of leading international free expression and press freedom groups, including the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), condemns the criminal case targeting Cumhuriyet journalists Can Dündar and Erdem Gül, and calls on authorities in Turkey to drop all charges against them. Dündar, editor-in-chief of Cumhuriyet, and Gül, the newspaper’s Ankara representative, face accusations of aiding a terrorist organisation, espionage and disclosure of classified documents for reports in Cumhuriyet claiming that Turkey’s intelligence agency secretly…

Turkish journalists campaign for press freedom: sign the petition

The International and European Federations of Journalists joined today in Istanbul other media organisations in Istanbul for an international press conference in solidarity with Turkish journalists and media workers.One day before the hearing of Cumhuriyet journalists Can Dündar and Erdem Gül, the organisations gathered to back the campaign to set free imprisoned journalists that has been launched by the Journalists Association of Turkey (TGC), Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS), Progressive Journalists Association (CGD), DISK-Basin Is trade union, Haber Sen trade union and the National Press Institute. The IFJ and the EFJ were represented by Barry White and Mehmet Koksal. The campaign…

Turkey: Press conference tomorrow to support press freedom

On March 24, 2016 at 5:00 pm, a press conference in support for “freedom of information and freedom for journalists” in Turkey  will be held in the district of Cağaloğlu in Istanbul, where representative of national and international professional media organisations will gather together. The conference is the result of a joint ongoing campaign launched by the Journalists Association of Turkey (TGC), the Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS), the Progressive Journalists Association (CGD), DISK-Basin Is trade union, Haber Sen trade union and the Turkish national press institute to set imprisoned journalists free. International media organisations. including EFJ, IFJ, IPI, EJN,…

Solidarity with people of Belgium

The Executive Committee of the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), gathering today for a meeting in Brussels and bringing together trade union leaders from all over Europe, expressed its solidarity with the people of Brussels and the victims of this morning’s horrific bomb attacks. “We are with all the people in Brussels who have been injured or killed, with their families, with all those dealing with this frightening situation, and with those who are seeking news of family, friends and colleagues,” said Luca Visentini, General Secretary of the ETUC. “It is beyond comprehension that anyone would wish to bring such suffering and misery to others.”    “This…