Today, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined 18 organisations representing public service media, journalists, media workers, civil society, as well as the cultural and creative industries in urging the EU’s trilogue negotiators to effectively protect the independence of public service media in the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). Maja Sever, EFJ President, said: “The weakening of Article 5 is unthinkable for anyone who sincerely wants media pluralism and independent journalism in Europe. There is no place for “seeking to” or warning by distorting competition in the market. To serve the public, public service media must have a solid framework…

Update (06/11/23): Journalist Tolga Şardan has been released on 6 November upon an objection petition filed by his lawyers. The EFJ welcomes his release but considers the travel ban imposed on him as wholly unwarranted. ————————– The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned media freedom, freedom of expression, human rights and journalists’ organizations in strongly condemning the arrest of seasoned journalist Tolga Şardan in Ankara. On the occasion of the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists (IDEI), the undersigned groups demand that instead of punishing journalists for informing the public, Turkey’s judiciary should hold accountable…

Following a press freedom mission to Bosnia and Herzegovina from 22-25 October 2023, the partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) warn that media freedom in the country is in decline against a backdrop of new restrictive laws, hostile rhetoric and denigration of journalists by public officials, and ongoing systemic challenges to the independence of public service media. While the country had long experienced a stagnation in its progress for freedom of the media and freedom of expression, the situation has seen an overall decline, even as the country was granted candidate status for accession to the European…

Partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) will travel to Banja Luka and Sarajevo from 22 to 25 October 2023 to assess the current state of play for media freedom in the country and start a dialogue with the authorities, less than a year after the European Union decided to grant Bosnia and Herzegovina candidate status. The delegation will consist of representatives of the MFRR partners, including ARTICLE 19 Europe, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), the International Press Institute (IPI) and the Osservatorio Balcani…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today joined authors, performers and other creative workers and artists, representing several hundred thousand workers, in urging the European Union institutions to agree on a balanced regulation that not only forwards the advancement of AI technologies but also promotes original human creativity. As the negotiation of the AI Act enters its final “trilogue” stage, the undersigned organisations reiterate their position and insist on the absolute need for a human-centric approach to regulating generative AI in a way that respects fundamental rights. This approach should recognise, secure and enforce the right to control the use…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today joined media organisations in demanding a journalist’s privilege (Article 17) over content moderation, ahead of the vote on the European Media Freedom Act scheduled next week in the European Parliament. Media freedom and journalistic integrity have not only become the plaything of individual governments in the EU in recent years. Also, very large online platforms (VLOPs), that have become key distribution channels for editorial content, are increasingly exerting influence on the media landscape and restricting media freedom and pluralism. Based on their algorithms and content moderation practices, VLOPs decide who gets to read,…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) organised on 18-19 September 2023, together with the Austrian journalist’s union GPA, a meeting with its Expert Group members. Around 40 journalists and trade unionists from 25 European countries discussed in Vienna the challenges and opportunities posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) in journalism, and its implications for ethics, jobs and authors’ rights. “AI in journalism doesn’t mean AI does journalism.” This is the approach taken by the Austrian news agency APA, which some of the EFJ Expert Group members visited. APA has been using automated processes since 2019 for elections, then for coverage of…

In the run-up to the European Parliament’s vote on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), scheduled on 3 October 2023, 500 journalists have signed the letter below calling on MEPs to introduce an absolute ban on the deployment of spyware against journalists. Dear honorable Members of the European Parliament, Ahead of the upcoming vote of the draft report on the proposed European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), journalists in Europe are urging you to introduce an absolute ban on the surveillance of journalists through spyware in this text.  Some of us, and many of our colleagues across Europe and the world, have…

One month has passed since 24 journalists from the Russian news agency Sputnik in Istanbul and Ankara were dismissed. As members of the Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS), they were ready to go on strike to demand better working conditions, after negotiations on a new collective agreement failed. The strike, which has been going on for 30 days, continues. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) reiterate their solidarity with the Turkish journalists and urge Sputnik to respect labour law and provide their employees with decent working conditions. Since the beginning of the strike on 17 August 2023, Sputnik…

To mark International Day of Solidarity with Journalists, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) awarded the Free Word contest for independent journalists of Belarus. The awards ceremony took place on 8 September 2023 in Vilnius, Lithuania, with the support of the Lithuanian Journalists Union (LŽS). Nine journalists received awards in four categories: informative, analytical, artistic and journalistic, as well as investigative. This annual celebration was a beacon of hope amidst the challenges faced by Belarusian journalists. In her “key-note speech on challenges of independent journalism under dictatorship, during the war and in exile, EFJ Director Renate Schroeder said: “The situation in…

Journalists and media outlets are adapting their practices to integrate more and more automated processes into their workflows. As the challenge posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) on journalism is immense, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the international committee to develop a charter aimed at regulating the use of AI in media, an initiative launched by Reporters without Borders (RSF). First results are expected before the end of the year 2023. “We certainly share the same urgency of the journalists, organisations, academics and other media stakeholders to react to the opportunities and risks posed by AI technologies. While algorithms…

Partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) will travel to Warsaw on 11-13 September 2023 to conduct an international press freedom mission ahead of the country’s upcoming general election on 15 October. The MFRR mission will be joined by representatives of the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the International Press Institute (IPI), ARTICLE 19 Europe, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and Free Press Unlimited (FPU). Mogens Blicher Bjerregård will join the mission on behalf of the EFJ. The delegation will assess the current state of play for media freedom and pluralism and identify the…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned journalists’ and media freedom organisations in strongly condemning the recent attacks against Greek journalists Giorgos Papachristos and Kostas Vaxevanis and call on the authorities to swiftly investigate the attacks and ensure that those responsible are held accountable. On 29 August, Giorgos Papachristos, an editorialist and adviser at the centrist daily Ta Nea, was attacked at a football match in Athens. According to the case filed by the journalist, businessman and ship owner Yiannis Karagiorgis, backed by two bodyguards, punched him in the face and head in an unprovoked attack. Karagiorgis also…

The Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Pluralism (CMPF) published their preliminary study, “News deserts in Europe: assessing risks for local and community media in the 27 EU Member States”. The study, carried out as part of the Local Media for Democracy (LM4D) project, illustrated that one of the main causes for the desertification of accessible independent media throughout Europe is the lack of adequate and sustainable funding for media organisations. For the scope of this project, and in line with the methodology adopted by the Media Pluralism Monitor, the CMPF developed a comprehensive and Europe-specific definition of news deserts…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes the publication on Wednesday 5 July 2023 of the Report on the Rule of Law by the European Commission. This fourth annual report again highlights the threats to media pluralism and the safety of journalists in EU Member States. This is further proof of the urgent need for a strong European Media Freedom Act and other measures to compel Member States to take action. The fourth EU Rule of Law report features specific recommendations targeted at individual member states. This year, 19 EU countries – compared to 16 last year – have been urged to take measures to…

To the EU Council, the European Parliament and the European Commission On behalf of media freedom, journalists and human rights organizations across Europe, we call upon the European Union institutions to negotiate a strong and effective European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) that can counter media capture and protect editorial independence and media pluralism across Europe. Media freedom is in crisis in many EU countries as populist governments and oligarchs collaborate to misuse powers of the state to bolster propaganda and drown out independent media critics. Increasingly, public broadcasters are turned into propaganda platforms while media regulators are captured by political…