In June 2019, the S. Daniel Abraham Center for International and Regional Studies published the book “Media, Freedom of Speech, and Democracy in the EU and Beyond”. The research paper was edited by Dr. Angelos Giannakopoulos, and gives insights into the media landscape of several European countries. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) contributed to this publication with a chapter titled “Media, Freedom of Speech, and Democracy: Journalists under pressure in Europe”, written by EFJ-Director Renate Schroeder. The book presents the authoritarian media system of Hungary, as well as the role of the state in media ownership in Poland. It…

Media leaders should stop seeing diversity as a “nice to have” and treat it as a a “must have” instead. That was determined by the latest study titled “Are Journalists Today’s Coal Miners? The Struggle for Talent and Diversity in Modern Newsrooms”, published on 15 July by the Reuters Institute in cooperation with the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz. The research investigated 28 news organisations and journalism schools in Germany, Sweden, and the United Kingdom. “Journalists must reach out to audiences that are becoming more and more diverse while newsrooms must be made attractive to a young and diverse talent…

Update: On 25 July, the District Court in Warsaw ordered to stop the distribution of the sticker ‘LGBT Free Zone’ attached to ‘Gazeta Polska’. The editor-in-chief of the newspaper, Tomasz Sakiewicz, called the court’s decision “fake news” and announced to refuse the withdrawal. Instead he warned shop owners via Twitter that anyone who “will hide the paper or the sticker, we will sue them.” The Polish weekly Gazeta Polska announced on 17 July plans to distribute “LGBT-free zone” stickers to its readers in its next issue. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) strictly denounce an ‘irresponsible attitude” that…

The Fundamental Rights Agency of the European Union (FRA) developed resources on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, including the Charterpedia database and a handbook giving guidance on the use and scope of the Charter at national level. Charterpedia Charterpedia is an online tool which provides information on the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. For each article, information can be found on related case law by national courts, the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights, law references and explanations. Click here to read more about the articles 11 and…

The AGEMI project, in which the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has been an active partner, will come to an end at the end of July. Among its achievements stands a series of tools to enforce gender equality in the media and strengthen the links between media professionals, educators and media students. Following the conclusion of the Summer School organised in August 2018 in Göteborg, Sweden, the thirty students from the partnering Universities of Newcastle, of Göteborg and of Padua  undertook internships across the EU at several media organizations, including EFJ and IFJ, as well as groups fighting for gender equality. Students had the opportunity to…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its German members “Deutscher Journalisten Verband” (DJV) and “Deutsche Journalistinnen- und Journalisten-Union in ver.di” expressed its solidarity with the German journalist Georg Restle, who became the target of online harassment culminating in death threat received by letter. The journalist had critically commented on the right wing party “Alternative für Deutschland” (AfD). Following the letter coming from “the right wing extremist scene”, his employer, the public service broadcaster “Westdeutscher Rundfunk” (WDR) has now filed a criminal complaint. On 11 July, Restle had described the AfD as the “parliamentary arm of a right-wing extremist movement”…

The German conservative politician Ursula von der Leyen (CDU) was just elected as the new President of the Commission of the European Union. The European Federation of Journalists co-signed a letter, urging Ms Von der Leyen to prioritise press freedom (PDF). July 19, 2019 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen European Commission Rue de la Loi 200 1049 Brussels Belgium Dear President von der Leyen, We are writing as members of the press freedom community to congratulate you on your appointment as President of the European Commission, and to urge you to ensure that media freedom, the protection of…

Three years after the coup attempt of July 2016, the crackdown against Turkish journalists continues. This week, at least 10 journalists were facing trial over “terror charges” in Turkey. Three acquittals, four adjournments and three jail sentences were ruled from Tuesday 16 to Friday 19 July. The International and European Federation of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) stand in solidarity with the prosecuted journalists and call again on the Turkish authorities to drop all charges against the ones still facing trial on groundless charges. On 16 July, Deniz Yücel’s last hearing was adjourned, for the fourth time, until 17th October 2019. The correspondent…

On the eve of Ukraine’s July 21 extraordinary parliamentary elections, the International and European Federation of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) have backed the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine’s (NUJU) call on all political parties to sign a Declaration on the Defense of Freedom of Speech. The Declaration was prepared by Ukrainian journalists and experts from the International and European Federation of Journalists and comprises a list of obligations and commitments on freedom of speech, the protection of journalists’ rights and the fight against impunity. The text includes the following seven principles: Respect for freedom of speech and expression. Do not take…