33 EFJ members, unionists and media owners met in Istanbul, Turkey, and showed great commitment to develop their own collective bargaining and membership recruitment tactics and strategies. The 1.5-day workshop was organised by the EFJ and the Turkish Union of Journalists (TGS), one of the partners of the Stand Up for Journalists (SUJ) project. The union has attracted new young members and has had successful collective agreements, despite the worsening situation for press freedomand journalists’ working conditions in Turkey.  Speaking at the opening session, TGS President Gökhan Durmuş shared the struggle of journalists fighting for media freedom and better working…

EFJ Freelance Expert Group (FREG) co-chairs, Renske Heddema (Dutch union of journalists – NVJ) and Oddrun Mitbø (Norwegian union of journalists – NJ) contributed to the open letter below, outlining the priorities of FREG. Freedom of the press is essential for all democracies. This freedom is now increasingly under pressure in Europe. Several developments underline the threats for journalists, especially freelance workers, who often stand out for their personal courage. EFJ Freelance Expert Group (FREG) members regularly participate in demonstrations calling for the release of imprisoned colleagues.  The recent release of Julian Assange shows that the relentless fight from people…

Around 80 local journalists, journalists’ organisations, media researchers and experts from 19 EU countries gathered during the two-day Local Journalism Festival in Brno organised by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic.  Opening the Festival, EFJ President Maja Sever stressed that “the beginning and end of good journalism that serves the public interest is strong and independent local journalism, and that connection with citizens and the community is the essence of our work.” “Local journalism is the backbone of independent journalism. Without it, we cannot safeguard our democracy. Journalists, their unions and associations, civil…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is organising the Local Journalism Festival at Masaryk University in Brno, Czech Republic, on 17 – 18 June, as part of the Local Media for Democracy (LM4D) project. In light of the upcoming EU elections, the role of local media is ever more important to keep local communities informed and encourage their political participation in elections. Ultimately, how can we support local media in these emerging news deserts and how to prevent it from spreading all over Europe? The Local Journalism Festival will highlight success stories of vibrant, resilient local journalism and media as…

A Greek media outlet based in one of Europe’s poorest regions has adapted its business model and editorial line to become more attractive to young and old alike. Xronos Media Group, which operates in the regional unit of Rhodopi (Eastern Macedonia and Thrace region), with a population of around 105,000, aims to promote the importance of local media in the daily lives of this declining and aging population, with the ambition of inspiring better informed and more active readers and citizens.  “We are happy to see how, in media with a long-standing tradition such as Xronos, both the ownership and…

The EFJ is looking for a subcontractor to provide expertise as part of the implementation of the EFJ project entitled Stand Up for Journalism.  This programme is funded by the European Commission (DG Employment). The deadline for submission of bids is Friday 14 June 2024. Find more information here

Changes in the consumption and distribution of news content has affected the news media industry, specifically local media. A latest report by the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) indicates that local media outlets are diversifying their revenue streams to replace the traditional advertising-based model of funding. A subscriptions-based model is one of the more popular and reliable sources of long-term income. Podcasts are a format of subscriptions-based media that is a powerful tool for connecting with audiences, particularly younger listeners. Memberships are also used by local media to attract revenue. Different from the subscriptions-based model, it is…

The study “Uncovering news deserts in Europe. Risks and opportunities for local and community media in the EU” by the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) was published today. This research detects challenges and opportunities for local and community media in the 27 EU Member States, analysing the news deserts phenomenon from a holistic perspective. A network of researchers spanning all the 27 EU Member States ran the investigation, using the methodology developed by CMPF. They assessed risks based on 55 variables that relate to the local media market conditions; local journalists’ safety and working conditions, local outlets’…

This article first featured on the Swedish Journalist union website Some 50 freelance writers at Svenska Dagbladet (SvD) have long been in negotiations with management about their fees. A demonstration supported by the Swedish Union of Journalists was held on Friday 8 December outside SvD in Stockholm following the break-down of negotiations, which had started in the spring of 2023. No significant increase in 20 years In addition to a symbolic adjustment in the spring, SvD’s freelancers emphasised in the negotiations that they have not received a significant increase in over twenty years and that they therefore earn less than…

Local media and community outlets have at the core of their works the social issues they strive to impact. The latest LM4D blog post by the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) explores the social integration efforts of local news. Researchers Urbano Reviglio and Danielle Borges explore social integration techniques by local and community media outlets in the EU. They spotlight specific best practices from “street newspapers”, newspapers or magazines targeted at people in marginalised communities. Innovative responses offered by local media outlets are essential to survive the harsh competition of the attention economy. While local and community…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is organising a networking event on sustainable journalism for local communities in Zagreb, Croatia, on 4-5 December 2023, as part of its Local Cross-Border Journalism (CBLocal) project, with its partners: Journalismfund Europe, Transitions and Stockholm School of Economics (SSE Riga). The exchange event will focus on sustainable funding models and the event outcome is an action plan with recommendations for local and European policymakers, media managers and professional representative organisations of journalists. It will not only provide networking opportunities for the media professionals and stakeholders to exchange ideas and good practices, but will also highlight…

For an innovation- and creator-friendly AI Act: Europe’s creative community urges EU policymakers to put transparency back at the heart of the EU AI Act We represent the collective voice of hundreds of thousands of writers, translators, performers, composers, songwriters, screen directors, screenwriters, visual artists, journalists, and other creative workers whose human artistry lies at the core of the creativity that our societies cherish and enjoy on a daily basis. As the AI Act is entering into the final round of negotiations, we urge all policy makers to prioritise maximum transparency on training data and artificially generated content to provide…

The digital transformation has encouraged local and community media outlets to explore new strategies for audience engagement and content distribution, according to a recent blog post by the Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF). Researchers Urbano Reviglio and Danielle Borges surveyed various best practices of local and community media in Europe. They found innovative responses offered by local media outlets to engage audiences amidst the harsh competition of the attention economy. Newsletters are one of the most popular strategies, which are used by media outlets around the region as a tool to deliver customised and specifically-targeted news to their readers.…

This article first appeared on Journalisti.fi and is being reposted in English. Read it in Swedish here: https://journalisti.fi/artikkelit/2023/11/medieforbundet-vill-inte-forhandla-trots-konkurrensverkets-besked-om-kollektiva-forhandlingar-for-frilansare/ In September, the Finnish Competition and Consumer Authority gave the go-ahead for which the Union of Journalists in Finland had been waiting since a year. In a blog post, special expert Miira Kuhlberg states that there are no obstacles under competition law for a trade union to represent, for example, freelance journalists in collective negotiations on working conditions and minimum fees. The Finnish Competition Authority now confirms the European Commission’s year-old guidelines on the issue. Isn’t it obvious that trade unions should…

Dublin county is one of the smallest in Ireland but by far the most populated, given the capital city sits there. While the centre is bustling with activity and news, just 20km north risks getting left behind. Local newspaper Dublin Inquirer is hoping to fill this gap by expanding its innovative business model to the region of Fingal county.  Towards the end of last year, one of the largest media companies in Ireland shut its edition covering Fingal in the north of Dublin. The Dublin Inquirer, a local and independent newspaper, is hoping to fill this gap by expanding their…

Lithuanian radio station, Radio FM99, a partner of the EFJ-led Local Media 4 Democracy (LM4D) project, published a story about a development plan that would destroy the historical heritage of Alytus. The story gained traction and the Prosecutors’ Office opened an investigation into the plan. All of this was funded by the LM4D and the radio benefited from the mentorship by the project. We talk to Vilija Ramanauskiene, journalist at Radio FM99, to find out more. Radio FM99 is a legacy radio outlet in South Lithuania and one of the first commercial radio stations in independent Lithuania. This year, it…