On 20 January 2022, the European Parliament in Strasbourg’s plenary session will vote on the Digital Services Act (DSA), a bill designed to shape the digital future and clean up the Internet. In the future, illegal content shall be easier to delete, personalized advertising easier to change, manipulative ads shall be banned and access to important data improved. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomed the proposed DSA as a crucial and long overdue tool to create a safer, fairer and more accountable online environment. The EFJ advocates for a stronger DSA  in order to guarantee a digital media ecosystem…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today to express concern over proposed modifications to news programming at the Slovenian public television RTV, which would reduce the broadcaster’s ability to inform the public and scrutinise power. We therefore urge the broadcaster’s management to enter into dialogue with its editorial board to ensure adjustments are proportionate and in the best interest of public interest reporting. Under the draft Program-Production Plan (PPN) for 2022, shows such as the flagship foreign policy programme, Globus, and many news talk shows would be cancelled. Daily news…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliate in Croatia, the Croatian Journalists Association (HND) in condemning two more lawsuits by the public media company HRT against its two vice-presidents. The EFJ was informed that on Monday the head of the HRT public broadcaster’s “Business operation” unit, Mislav Stipic, has filed a private slander lawsuit against HND vice-presidents Branko Mijic and Goran Gazdek thus continuing a string of lawsuits against journalists and HND leaders. Stipic has sued over a statement published on 12 March under the title “Bacic’s taking to court leading people of the HND and Croatian Trade Union new attack…

To mark World Press Freedom Day on May 3, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is supporting its affiliates in Slovenia, the Slovenian Association of Journalists (DNS) and the Union of Slovene Journalists (SNS) in a crowdfunding campaign to support the Slovenian Press Agency (STA), which has had its financing suspended by the government for more than four months now. The campaign comes after the Slovenian government’s communication office, UKOM, suspended payment for services provided by STA and refused to pay monthly instalments for STA services for October and November 2020. This refusal jeopardises the professional and editorial independence of the national press agency, which has so…

A long-awaited drive by Poland’s ruling Law and Justice party to bring independent media to heel has started with the planned purchase by Orlen, a state-controlled petro chemical giant, of Polska Press, owned by Germany’s Passauer capital group which has dominated regional newspapers and magazines for over a quarter of a century. The deal announced on December 7 still has to be approved by Poland’s competition authority which is beholden to the government and the deal whose value has yet to be announced is expected to be completed early next year. Polska Press owns 20 out of 24 regional newspapers,…

The European Federation of Journalists together with EMMA, the European Magazine Media Association and ENPA, the European Newspaper Publishers’ Association, acknowledge yesterday’s vote in the European Parliament’s Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs (LIBE) on the Report for a Regulation on European Production and Preservation Orders for electronic information in criminal proceedings (E-Evidence Regulation). Despite the efforts by the European Parliament to address several issues contained in the European Commission’s proposal, we regret that some key amendments have been rejected. As a result, the adopted report falls short of the necessary procedural safeguards to protect press and media freedom. This is…

On 3 December, the European Commission adopted the communication Europe’s Media in the Digital Decade: An Action Plan to Support Recovery and Transformation. The Action Plan focuses on three areas of activity in the media and audiovisual sector and 10 concrete actions, to help the media sector recover from the crisis by facilitating and broadening access to financial support, by encouraging investments for the  digital transformation all on the basis that the media and news sector are not only economical but public goods central for Europe’s democracies “We are committed to help the media sector weather the current storm and challenges brought…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) demands the EU Council of Ministers to immediately retract all plans that may weaken secure encryption in digital communication. Journalists rely on encryption to protect sources. The Council of the European Union proposed a draft resolution last week calling for national authorities across the EU to have access to encrypted messages as part of criminal investigations into terrorism and organized crime.  “We understand that we need technical advanced tools in the fight against organised crime and terrorism. But it cannot be that journalists’ sources and thereby media freedom are the price”, said EFJ President Mogens Blicher…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) together with 16 press freedom, journalists, media literacy and media development organisations sent a letter to the German presidency of the Council of the European Union in light of the ongoing discussion on the EU budget and the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) for 2021-2027. The MMF covers the Creative Europe budget which includes support for independent media and journalism. The coalition likewise wrote to the European Parliament’s Budget Commission and to EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn responsible for Budget and Administration. The MFF regulation is adopted under a special legislative procedure, which requires unanimity to…