The Trade Union of Croatian Journalists (TUCJ) and the Croatian Journalists Association (CJA) urged in a letter the government “to save journalism” by taking financial compensation measures for the media sector. If nothing is done, mass layoffs will occur and media will shutdown, they warned. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliates in urgently requesting a media recovery plan. The government didn’t include the media sector in its financial relief packages intended to help the economic activity affected by the pandemic and the earthquake. “Job losses and pay cuts have already begun. They could eventually lead to a…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today joined 80 MEPs and civil society organisations, including Transparency International and Access Info Europe, in calling on the European Union to address restrictions on the rule of law and human rights, including freedom of expression and information, being introduced via coronavirus pandemic emergency measures. In an open letter sent to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and EU Council President Charles Michel, the signatories warn of the misuse of the coronavirus crisis to silence dissent, limit freedom of expression, marginalise civil society, and erode democratic values. The letter also calls on the EU to…

Applications open until 20 May 2020! More than ever before media companies need new skills and innovation. The Stars4Media programme is offering financial and constructive support to inspire change in the media sector. The first selection awarded six innovative proposals to be implemented in the upcoming months. The media professionals who have been pre-selected presented their initiatives during the Stars4Media Lab, the Stars4Media training and presentation virtual event, from 30 March to 1 April. After pitching their initiatives and one-on-one coaching sessions with the jury, five proposals received a green light and are ready to start implementing their projects. Amongst…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes some good practices regarding the holding of press conferences during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, many countries are still restricting this democratic exercice under the pretext of ensuring the safety of journalists. The EFJ urges countries where journalists are not allowed to ask questions live to adapt in such a critical moment, for example with the use of video conferencing system. While journalists should not expose themselves in crowded conference rooms, the EFJ reminds that it is equally important not to restrict press freedom and journalists’ ability to ask questions. Even during total lockdown,…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes the Council of Europe’s call on member governments to protect free flow of information in times of crisis. The Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejčinović Burić, wrote to the EFJ and other members of the Council of Europe Platform for the protection of journalism and safety of journalists in response to our call for determined actions to protect free flow of information to tackle COVID-19. In her letter, Ms Pejčinović Burić states that “extraordinary measures may introduce restrictions to a number of rights, including freedom of expression, but these must remain lawful, proportional to the threat…

Romania’s Government is preparing a mechanism to send state employees into technical unemployment for limited periods of time during the state of emergency related to the COVID-19 outbreak. These measures were decided by PM Ludovic Orban‘s government without any consultation of workers’ representative organisations, in total disregard of social dialogue. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its Romanian affiliate FAIR-MediaSind in condemning such unilateral decision. According to FAIR-MediaSind, the total lack of social dialogue has led the Romanian Ministry of Culture to take dangerous decisions for the 100,000 workers employed in the creative sector. In addition to the technical…

Amid the unprecedented public health threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), together with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Russian Permanent Commission on Freedom of Information and the Rights of Journalists, joins the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) to call on all world leaders to immediately and unconditionally release all journalists imprisoned for their work. On behalf of more than 250 journalists behind bars (including 97 in Europe: 85 in Turkey, 7 in Russia and 5 in Azerbaijan), we call on authorities to free these political prisoners immediately and unconditionally. For journalists…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), representing 320,000 journalists across Europe, calls on national governments, the European Commission and the European Parliament to take rapid, targeted and coordinated action in support of all workers – staff, freelance and self-employed – and companies in response to the devastating social and economic impact of the global COVID-19 crisis on the media sector. COVID-19 is spawning a global press-freedom crackdown. In the face of this pandemic, European citizens need professional, economically secure journalists more than ever. The EU should take action and encourage its Member States to take action. EU and national emergency…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today joined coalition in calling on all public authorities to ensure and strengthen whistleblower protection during the state of emergency caused by the coronavirus pandemic. The signatories to this letter call on all public authorities and institutions to protect those who report or expose the harms, abuses and serious wrongdoing that arise during this period of crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. We also encourage all citizens and workers to participate in ensuring our governments, corporate institutions and markets remain accountable, and in defending the human rights and freedoms of all people. The COVID-19…

Zëri Newspaper announced the dismissal of more than 20 workers, including three journalists and one editor, last week. The Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK) voiced concerns about the legality of the decision. According to AJK, journalists were informed about the discontinuation of their employment via an email sent by the director of the media outlet, Shpend Dobranja. Dobranja stated that in the last couple of months Zëri Newspaper had faced financial difficulties due to the low revenues from advertisement and low newspaper sales. AJK requested an investigation from the Labour Inspectorate. Gentiana Begolli Pustina, President of the Board of…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) calls on media in Kosovo to refrain from intensifying tensions in a health crisis. The quarantine of the city of North Mitrovica has resulted in inappropriate and unethical media coverage. The EFJ strongly denounces these discrepancies which show strong political interference in some media in Kosovo. Unsupported statements and provocative questions asked by a journalist from the Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK) while reporting live from North Mitrovica on Saturday evening’s news raised a wave of reactions in Kosovo. The remarks risk contributing in raising tensions between Serb and Albanian communities. On Friday, the…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has congratulated the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the UK & Ireland, for contributing to the successful negotiation of the financial packages for freelances affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. On 26 March, the British Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, annouced that the government will pay self-employed people who are adversely affected by the coronavirus, a taxable grant worth 80 per cent of their average monthly profits over the last three years. The maximum per month will be  £2,500. The scheme will be open to anyone with an income up to £50,000, but only those who…

Serbian Prime Minister, Ana Brnabic, withdrew a planned decree that would have limited the publishing of information related to COVID-19 just to official sources on 2 April. The International and European Federation of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ) welcome the U-turn by the government and urges the authorities to respect the free flow of information and not to arrest journalists for their reports on COVID-19. The Serbian government had on 28 March passed a decree stating that only the Prime Minister or individuals authorized by the Crisis Management Taskforce could release information about the COVID-19 pandemic. A few days after, the Serbian…

Media sector (emergency) In French-speaking Belgium, a package of 3 million euros was negotiated for media outlets in financial difficulty and another 3 million euros for public health advertising space through media outlets. In Flanders, 3.8 million euros were allocated to public broadcaster VRT, and another 3.8 million euros to regional broadcasters. The Flemish Audiovisual Fund and a number of smaller players can also count on another 1.9 million euros and 500,000 euros respectively. New support package of up to 15,000€ per media outlet/self-employed with a 60% drop in turnover in the period 1 August to 30 September 2020 compared…

Media sector (emergency relief) A package of 41 million euros. It includes a Fiscal Emergency Package, lease subsidy up to 50% of the value of the lease for small and medium enterprises for April and May (maximum 12 million euros), the coverage of the value of pension contributions for salaries for April and May, up to 8 millions euros, micro-enterprises and the self-employed are eligible for financial liquidity insurance of up to 10.000€ over 24 months through some programme of the Kosovo Credit Guarantee Fund, a financial support from 130€ was granted to companies employing with contracts of at least…

Specific measures for freelancers Freelancers with an annual income of up to 50.000€ could get a bonus of 600€. The National Institute for Italian Journalists Social Security (INGPI) implemented a package of measures of 42 000€ which allowed extensions of parental leave, the right to defer contribution, a fund for solidarity loans at zero cost, an additional economic allowance of 500€ for all contraction of activities (in case of a contraction of at least 33% of the income in the quarter March-May 2020, compared of the period October-December 2019) and possibility to suspend further financing installment in progress with the…