Whistleblowers: EU Council wants to limit reporting to authorities and media

Update (16.04.2019): the European Parliament approved the directive in plenary session with 591 votes in favour, 29 against and 33 abstentions. The Council of the European Union adopted on Friday 25 January its general approach on the protection of whistleblowers. The trilogue between the three European institutions has started with the aim to find a compromise before the next European elections. The political agreement between the 28 Member States determines under what conditions whistleblowers can report breaches of EU law to be granted protection against retaliation. It foresees that a whistleblower must, as a rule, first make a report inside his/her…

Grenoble: arson ravages France Bleu Isère radio

UPDATE (30-01-2019) – French Anarchist blog has claimed arson on both Radio Bleu Isère and an Haute-Jarrie telecoms relay tower, last night, in a strategy of systemic attacks on French Media in the region. Sunday night around 2:30 a.m., France Bleu Isère radio studios and offices were set on fire after arsonist(s) broke in. The police found enough evidence to immediately start a criminal investigation. The Editor-in-Chief of the French public regional station, Léopold Strajnic, told the police he had not received any threats prior to the attack. In the current climate, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) vigorously condemns another attack…

Sweden: Freelance journalists successfully obtain fee rise

The freelance section of the Swedish Union of Journalists (SJ) obtained a fee rise agreement with several big Swedish newspaper publishers. Agreements were reached thanks to a joint effort of individual freelance journalists, the Swedish Freelance Section of the Swedish Union of Journalists, Frilans Riks, and the local trade union branches at the publishing companies. The SJ issued its recommended new fees for freelance journalists last November to come into effect in 2019. Two Morning papers: Sydsvenska Dagbladet and Helsingborgs Dagblad will be implementing a two percent yearly increase, the first raise since a substential raise in 2015. Sweden’s biggest…

Turkey: solidarity with a newspaper is not a crime

UPDATE (29-01-2019) : Ayşe Düzkan and four other journalists were sentenced to prison because of participating in the “Editor-in-Chief on Duty” campaign with the now-closed Özgür Gündem newspaper. Today, Ayşe Düzkan went to the prosecution office and was sent to Bakırköy prison. Her friends, her colleagues and also DİSK Basın İş members were with her. She was sentenced to 1 year and 6 months in prison. But it is not certain how much time she will stay in prison yet. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is calling the Turkish authorities to immediately release Ayse and the other journalists sentenced in the framework…

Mapping Media Freedom: 283 attacks against investigative reporters since 2014

Mapping Media Freedom’s latest report aims to raise awareness among international and national decision-makers who seem to ignore how dire the situation really is across Europe. The MMF project managed by Index on Censorship, in partnership with the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), monitors the threats, violations and limitations faced by investigative reporters in 43 countries — throughout European Union member states, candidates for entry and neighbouring countries.  Since 2014, 283 attacks were reported against investigative journalists. Mapping Media Freedom’s numbers reflect only what has been reported to the platform. Journalists tend to under-report incidents they consider minor, commonplace or part…

Greece: three journalists assaulted by far-right demonstrators

On 20 January 2019, German journalist Thomas Jacobi, Greek photojournalist Kostis Ntantamis, as well as a cameraman for the public broadcaster ERT, have been attacked by members of the Greek neo-Nazi party Golden Dawn in Athens. The three journalists were covering a protest held outside the parliament building on Syntagma Square about the renaming of North Macedonia. Journalist Thomas Iacobi, co-author of our documentary, was attacked in Athens today, while on the job, by a group of fascists, who identified him and called out to him: "You! you made that documentary on Golden Dawn!"[Audio from the attack (Greek): https://t.co/OrDsJyMDEt] —…

Ukraine: Kherson daily “New Day” tear-gassed and shot during press conference

On 18 January 2019, during a press conference hosted by the press club of the daily “New Day” (Novyi Den) in Kherson, Ukraine, the newspaper came under attack from assailants using rubber bullets and tear-gas from outside the building, before entering. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its member in Ukraine, the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), in strongly condemning this attack endangering Khersonian journalists’ lives. “We demand a thorough investigation and that the culprits be swiftly broad to justice for no lesser charges than an armed assault on a newspaper,” said the EFJ General Secretary Ricardo…

Croatia: we call on HRT to withdraw claims targeting journalists’ representatives

The International and European  Federations of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ) call on the management of Croatian public broadcaster HRT to withdraw the recently filed lawsuits against the Croatian Journalists’ Association (HND/CJA), its President Hrvoje Zovko and the President of the HND/CJA Branch at HRT, Sanja Mikleušević Pavić. Between Christmas and New Year’s Eve, HRT managers filed lawsuits for alleged criminal offences against its honour and reputation by the Croatian Journalists’ Association, its President and the President of the CJA Branch at HRT. HRT claims a total financial compensation of 500,000 kunas (67,000 EUR). According to a report from NGO Osservatorio Balcani…

EP report highlights whistleblowing is crucial for investigative journalism

In its 2017 annual report on the situation of fundamental rights in the European Union, voted on 16 January, the European Parliament (EP) is acknowledging the deterioration of media freedom in its Member States. The report also reaffirms that “media freedom, pluralism and independence are crucial components of the right of freedom of expression and are vital to the democratic functioning of the EU and its Member States” and therefore demands that its Member States actively ensure the safety of journalists and provide the adequate working conditions. It remarks there are too few policies at the national level to protect…