An online international mission to assess the state of media freedom and the safety of journalists in Serbia is taking place from 28 January to 1 February 2021. The mission is led by ARTICLE 19 as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), which monitors, tracks and responds to violations of press freedom and threats against journalists and media workers in European Union Member States and Candidate Countries. The mission is organised in partnership with the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS), one of the affiliates of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) in Serbia. The MFRR partners, including…

On 22 January 2021, Jean Chéritel, the CEO of the Chéritel group, a fruit and vegetable wholesaler in the Brittany region of France, dropped his defamation action against freelance investigative journalist, Inès Léraud. The legal threat related to Léraud’s investigation, published in Basta! on 26 March 2019, which shed light on alleged illegal practices of the company. The manner by which the lawsuit was dropped echoes a previous lawsuit brought against Léraud by Christian Buson, a Breton agri-food business owner, who also dropped his lawsuit a few days before the start of the trial in January 2020. While the MFRR welcomes the dropping…

In an age of information overflow when disinformation is on the rise, media plays an ever-important role in providing trustworthy and quality information to citizens. With insights offered by our experts in the field, this workshop will address the pressing questions: How can fostering audience engagement and artificial intelligence properly improve quality in journalism and regain trust from audiences? How has Covid-19 changed the trust relationship between the media and its audiences? Registration You can already register for the workshops. Click here to register for Day 1, click here to register for Day 2. Below, you find the draft agenda…

The management of the French weekly Valeurs Actuelles and the French Union of Magazine Publishers (SEPM) have launched legal proceedings against the French press council, (‘Conseil de déontologie journalistique et de médiation, CDJM’), the independent body that mediates between journalists, media, news agencies and the public on all matters relating to journalistic ethics in France.  The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) denounce this attempt to torpedo the CDJM and reaffirm their support for a body that aims to restore trust and improve professional ethics. The court will examine the case on 2 February initiated by Valeurs Actuelles on…

Riots have taken place in several cities in the Netherlands following the the government’s decision to impose a 9pm curfew to curb the circulation of the coronavirus, on Saturday 23 January. Several journalists were physically attacked in a context of growing hostility towards the press. The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ/IFJ) join their affiliates in the Netherlands, the NVJ, in condemning the attacks and expressing alarm over the escalation of violence against media professionals since last year. The unrest has started last weekend in protest against the curfew which came into force on Saturday. At least seven cases…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in calling on Montenegrin authorities to follow up on verbal commitments and immediately provide Lakić and her family with adequate police protection. These new assassination plots must also be swiftly and thoroughly investigated to ensure that both the perpetrators and those ultimately responsible for ordering Lakić’s death are brought to justice. Olivera Lakić is an investigative journalist who covers organised crime and corruption. On 25 December 2020, the special state prosecutor announced two suspects’ arrest for planning her assassination, with other suspects who are already in prison. They are…

The Russian Journalists’ and Media Workers’ Union (JMWU) and the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ) recorded on 23 January at least 52 cases of detention and violence against journalists while covering protests in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, in Russia. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) condemns the use of violence against journalists. On Saturday, across Russia, tens of thousands of people defied a heavy police presence to join some of the largest rallies against President Vladimir Putin in years. OVD Info, an independent NGO that monitors rallies, said about 3,100 people had been detained, more than 1,200 of…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) calls on the Russian authorities to respect press freedom and allow journalists to operate freely as they cover the mass demonstrations in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, scheduled for Saturday 23 January. Since 20 January, Russian police and the Russian media regulator have issued warnings to several journalists, as well as to news outlets and social media platforms, discouraging them from covering protests in support of Navalny. The Russian Prosecutor’s Office announced on 21 January that police will be “focused on taking preventive measures, and if there are grounds – bringing the…

The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism has released a report titled “Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions 2021”, which draws from the major events of 2020 and their disruptive effect on journalism. This outlines what to expect as a result of rapid digital change following the Covid-19 pandemic in a new world “where the physical and virtual coexist in new ways.” A key finding is that the pandemic has forced us to rethink where the limits of free speech should lie for giant tech platforms. According to the report, we should expect a more interventionist approach on…

In 2020, attacks against journalists in Germany more than doubled compared to previous years, according to the latest figure of the federal government. Demonstrations are considered as high-risk sites for journalists, and police officers were often unable to protect media professionals. The European Federation of Journalists and its German affiliates, the DJV and dju in ver.di, call for increased support and protection for media workers.  At the request of the Green parliamentary group, the federal government published official figures for the attacks on media workers in 2020. It recorded 252 incidents, among which 22 were physical injuries, 33 were damages…

According to a recently published trade unions’ report by Unions 21 on the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on unions and responses to these new challenges, trade unions are stronger than before the pandemic. Despite the difficult conditions, trade unions improved in membership recruitment, activism, engagement, and collective bargaining outcomes. However, the report warns that unions should not return to the pre-pandemic ‘business as usual’ mode in the future, but rather work toward building on changes made in 2020. The report made a series of recommendations for trade unions moving forward. They include the need to identify effective ways for…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) co-signed, together with the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the European Trade Union Federations (ETUFs), the letter to MEPs asking them to reject the amendment being debated on the proposal for an EU directive on the right to disconnect. Here is our joint letter: Brussels, 19 January 2021 Dear MEPs, Workers experience a lot difficulties securing the right to disconnect in reality and the ETUC and the ETUFs urge the Commission to come forth with a proposal for a Directive quickly. Tomorrow, Wednesday the 20th January, amendments to the report on the right…

In these first 15 days of 2021, the Turkish Journalists Union (TGS) already recorded five physical attacks against journalists in Turkey. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) together with their affiliate in Turkey, condemn the assaults and call on Turkish authorities to conduct thorough investigations and hold the perpetrators accountable. In a tweet, the Turkish Journalists Union strongly condemned the attacks and denounced the government’s absence of reaction: “Five journalists and media workers have been attacked in 15 days. There are no government convictions and no sanctions by the judiciary. This is intended…

On 16 January, a Russian court ordered the arrest of cameraman Pavel Zelenski in Moscow for “inciting extremism on the internet.” Zelenski is a cameraman at Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), a platform that tries to expose corruption in Russia through media reports. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the Russian Journalists and Media Worker’s Union (JMWU) demand his release. According to JMWU, Zelenski was arrested for two tweets he posted in early October, after journalist Irina Slavina set herself on fire in desperation in the city of Nizhny Novgorod. She has clashed with authorities for years over her critical…

Polish Ambassador to Sweden sent a formal letter of complaint to the Swedish online news site Dagens Arena for calling the Polish government “right-wing nationalist”. The European Federation of Journalists joined its affiliate, the Swedish Journalists Union, in condemning the political interference and considered as inappropriate the update request. The text in question is an opinion piece written by Stockholm city council member Magnus Runsten and published on 11 January with the headline “That’s How Democracy Wins“. He wrote: “Just a few months ago, Donald Trump was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize by the Swedish Democrats. An initiative they took together…

N1 Croatia revealed that members of the ruling party (HZD) accused part of the media of conspiring with the opposition to destabilise the government. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliate in Croatia, the Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA), in condemning new serious attempt to discredit the Croatian media. N1 TV channel reported that HZD top figures claimed, during a private online meeting on 11 January 2021, that certain media and journalists had sided with the opposition and the radical right to criticise the slow and inefficient handling of the crisis by the government after the deadly earthquake in…