The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has recorded 49 killings of journalists and media professionals in 2019, including two in Europe, a significant drop from 95 posted last year. The IFJ says that, while the apparent decreasing bloodbath in the journalists’ community is a welcome relief, the spread of killings and the motives behind the killings are sobering reminders that violence against journalists is still rampant and the failure to combat impunity for these attacks remain a damning indictment on those in power. The IFJ lists 18 countries from the four corners of the world where journalist were killed since…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes the release of Ukrainian journalists Stanislav Aseev and Oleh Halaziuk who suffered a long illegal custody in Donetsk. On Sunday, at a checkpoint near Gorlovka, pro-Russian separatists and Ukraine have concluded a long-awaited prisoner exchange of 200 prisoners, including the two journalists who contributed to the Ukrainian service of the US-funded Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. While welcoming these releases, the EFJ recalls that 122 journalists and media actors remain in prison in Europe: 108 in Turkey; 7 in Russia; 6 in Azerbaijan; 1 in the United Kingdom (Julian Assange, founder and publisher of WikiLeaks,…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined today its Spanish affiliates FSC-CCOO and FAPE in condemning the increasingly common practice of no-questions-asked press conferences, in Spain. On Wednesday, Pedro Sanchez (our picture), secretary general of the PSOE and candidate for investiture as president of the Government, invited journalists to attend a press conference, after confirming the King’s order to try to form a government and thus be invested president. Sanchez only allowed two questions, which was strongly criticized by journalists present. The Spanish Secretary of State for Communication, Miguel Ángel Oliver criticized journalists covering la Moncloa, the seat of government,…

Public service broadcasters have the capacity to shape public’s perception on gender roles and are leading the way in building gender-balanced workplaces. As public services they have the duty to reflect the societies they are informing. Many of them made gender equality a top priority in their workplaces which led to a change in their culture. The European Broadcasters Union (EBU) has published a new report, ‘All Things Being Equal’, in where it shares their members’ own experience and good practices on equal opportunities, equal pay – gender pay gap in the EU is 19% -, work/life balance or protection…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomed today the registry on self-regulation of online media in North Macedonia, which was announced yesterday by the Council of Media Ethics (CMEM) together with the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM). “We believe that journalists’ organisations should promote for the public benefit high ethical standards in journalism, based on five principles: truth and accuracy, independence, fairness and honesty, humanity, and accountability,” said EFJ General Secretary Ricardo Gutiérrez. “That is why the EFJ supports this professional initiative aiming to strenghten media self-regulation in North Macedonia.” The initiative will promote self-regulation of online media by…

Several Members of the European Parliament (MEP) urged Maltese Primer Minister, Joseph Muscat, to resign “now”. In a resolution adopted on 18 December, the European Parliament expressed its concern about the “integrity and credibility” of the investigations related to the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. It stressed that “any risk of compromising the investigations (…) must be excluded by all means” and warned that this risk will persist for “as long as the Prime Minister remains in office”. MEPs also called on the new Commission “to enter into dialogue with the Maltese Government in the context of the Rule of Law Framework…

The Belgian Press Council (Conseil de déontologie journalistique – CDJ) invites you to a European interactive forum on the occasion of its 10th anniversary, to take place in Brussels on 21-22 January 2020. It will bring together media, journalists, press councils, journalists’ unions and associations and will address challenges of journalistic self-regulation in the digital age. Press councils and self-regulatory mechanisms – usually tripartite involving journalists, media representatives and the civil society – plays an ever-important role in upholding standards in journalism while preventing state intervention through media regulations. The forum will raise awareness about the added-value of self-regulation and…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joined today the “Europe stands with Malta” demonstration in front of the Maltese Permanent Representation in Brussels, to stand in solidarity with the people of Malta demanding the immediate resignation of the Maltese Prime Minister following his office being implicated in the assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Several speakers, including Andrew Caruana Galizia, Maltese MEP David Casa, Tom Gibson (Committee to Protect Journalists), Ricardo Gutiérrez (European Federation of Journalists), Oliver Money-Kyrle (International Press Institute) and Alice Stollmeyer (Defending Democracy), spoke out against injustice and impunity in…

The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ), in partnership with their Turkish affiliates, organised last week two training workshops in Istanbul and Bursa, Turkey. The events are part of an EU-funded project promoting journalists’ rights and human rights journalism, which the organisations currently implement in Turkey. Organized on 4 December in partnership with the Türkiye Gazeteciler Sendikası (TGS) and Evrensel newspaper, the first workshop focused on countering fake news and fact-checking techniques. Training was delivered in the newsroom to 12 journalists by trainer Gülin Çavuş and Orhan Şener, director of the TGS Akademi. It examined various online fact-checking techniques including KnightLab,…