Today, the British based Reuters Institute in cooperation with Oxford University published its 6th annual Digital News Report 2020. The findings, which are based on surveys before and during the COVID-19 pandemic provide some interesting long-term insights into the future of news business, in particular at local level; it analyses changing news consumption, the crucial issue of trust; level of mis- and disinformation, changing business models and the growth of paid content and new attitudes to media coverage including on climate change. The crisis is likely to accelerate long-term structural changes towards more digital, more mobile, more platform-dominated media environment”…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has joined the “Freelance Journalism Assembly”, a free of charge programme to train and connect freelance journalists in Europe. The ambitious programme is organised by the European Journalism Centre (EJC) with the support of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The original conference was planned in Berlin, which is why several German organisations have partnered including both EFJ affiliates the Deutscher Journalisten-Verband (DJV) and the Deutsche Journalistinnen- and the Journalisten-Union (DJU). The programme consists of four tracks, each one covering one topic essential to freelance journalists: personal branding, personal finances, well-being, and pitching and negotiation. Each track includes activities…

Today, the German Federal Constitutional Court has declared the monitoring of worldwide Internet traffic by the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) to be unconstitutional. The ruling says that the BND is bound by the fundamental rights of the Basic Law when conducting telecommunications surveillance of foreigners in other countries, and it violates the fundamental right to privacy of telecommunications (Art. 10(1) of the Basic Law, Grundgesetz – GG) and the freedom of the press (Art. 5). Back in 2016 the Bundestag  passed a law that allowed the Federal Intelligence Service to spy on foreign journalists. As this destroys the trust between journalists…

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…

UPDATE: In Denmark, freelancers and self-employed journalists who can justify a loss of more than 30% of their income will receive 75% compensation from the State (no more than 3000€ per month) between 8 March and 8 July. Amids the Corona Virus Disease pandemic (COVID-19), European governments, EU institutions and social partners take emergency measures to protect workers’ health and lives and avoid an unprecedented economic downturn. EFJ affiliates are working hard to protect their members including the growing number of freelancers. On March 20, the European Federation of Journalists’ Freelance Expert Group (FREG) had its first online meeting focusing…

We are all affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, and we all have a responsibility to cope with this crisis. In this very challenging time, journalism has a vital role in informing the public with fact-based data. A lot of tips and professional advice has circulated to reduce the spread of dis- and misinformation. It is now that worried people look out for trusted news. COVID-19 is developing at global scale, and with disinformation and nationalistic, even racist rhetoric on the rise, independent journalism is systemically relevant for our democracies. We cannot accept any measures trying to limit the free media,…

“Was not competition law meant to “control” the big and powerful?” asked Professor Nicola Countouris, University College London, in the opening keynote address on “Re-thinking the competition law/labour law interaction: promoting a fairer labour market, in Dublin last week. The final conference on “Organising and bargaining for atypical workers” organised by the International Actors Federation (FIA) in cooperation with the EFJ, FIM (Musicians) and UNI-MEI (other media workers) brought together over 90 trade union leaders from the Arts, media and entertainment sector. Together with labour- and competition academics, the European Commission, the OECD and ILO representatives, the federations discussed how…

On 27 January, a delegation of journalists from the Europa Commission of the Deutscher Journalisten-Verband (DJV) together with EFJ Director Renate Schroeder met with German MEP Sabine Verheyen (EPP) the chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Culture and Education in her national office in Aachen (Germany). Headed by its chair Steffen Heinze (Deutsche Welle), the meeting discussed many issues of importance to journalists. Verheyen addressed the increasingly precarious situation of journalists in Europe and expressed great concern about the increased violations against media freedom, the problem of disinformation and in particular the phenomenon of “deep fake”. The issue of…

In Europe, the relationship between journalists and the police has not improved in recent years with an increase of protests and sometimes violent demonstrations. Research has revealed that journalists blame the police, the police blame journalists.  The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the European Center for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) which will  launch the Press Freedom Police Codex. Index on Censorship, Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), Ossigeno per I’informazione, and the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) are the other partners. With this we aim to start, maintain and build good practice guidelines. For the discussion and…

“Stand up for free independent media, Europe needs journalism”, says Renate Schroeder, Director of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), with a passionate appeal to politicians and media representatives at the start of the 16th Journalists’ Day of the regional association of the Deutscher Journalisten-Verband of North Rhine Westphalia in Dortmund. The German Journalists’ Association (DJV-NRW) has invited about 500 women journalists* to the meeting under the motto “The future of journalism – now or never”. In his welcoming speech, Chairman Frank Stach invoked the innovative spirit of the early journalists and publishers and encouraged all members and journalists’ students,…

The freelance photojournalists Britt van Uem (Tubantia) and Ruud Rogier (Brabants Dagblad) won on the 1st of November the lawsuit against DPG Media (formerly De Persgroep). The court ruled that the rates they received for their work, respectively 13 cents per word and 42 euros per photo, were not fair. The judge has increased the rates by 50% to 0.21 cents per word and 65 euros per photo respectively. DPG Media therefore has to pay these two freelancers extra for work they did in 2018. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes this historical decision and congratulates its affiliate, The…

Sadness and dismay prevail in the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today after the sudden death of the chair of the EFJ’s Labour Expert Group, Rainer Reichert, in Brussels. “For decades, he has rendered outstanding services to journalism in both Germany and Europe,” said EFJ President, Mogens Blicher Bjerregård, paying tribute to the deceased. “Rainer was so committed to fighting for better working conditions of journalists throughout Europe. With his legal expertise and knowledge of many languages, he always volunteered to help improve the interests of journalists, be it in the Balkans, in Italy or anywhere in Europe. His death…

The Turkish Journalists’ Union (TGS), member of the European Federation of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ), and the Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) are taking legal action against a think tank over the publication of a report which allegedly blacklisted journalists working for foreign news media. The IFJ and EFJ condemned the targeting of journalists as the latest attempt by the authorities to silence independent journalism and fully support the actions taken by the TGS. The Foundation for Political Economic and Social Research (SETA), a pro-government organisation, published on July 6 a 202-page report entitled “International Media Outlets’ Extensions in…

The European Federation of Journalists joins its affiliate in Austria, the Journalists’ Union in the GPA-djp, to urge politicians – not only in Austria but throughout Europe – to keep hands off from the media. On 17 May, the German publications Der Spiegel and Süddeutsche Zeitung published a video that shows by now former Vice-Chancellor of the Republic of Austria, Heinz-Christian Strache, the FPÖ leader, and his parliamentary leader, Johann Gudenus, talking to a woman – purporting to be the niece of a Russian oligarch – about how she could invest in Austria. During the  meeting  in Ibiza, the woman…

 Johanna Vehkoo, a Finnish journalist, has been found guilty of defaming local city counselor Junes Lokka by referring to him as a racist and ‘nazi clown’ in a 2016 Facebook post. The politician is known as an anti-immigration activist with a history of making far-right extreme pronouncements, for which he was fined. Vehkoo  has written extensively about ‘fake’ news, hate speech and the problems they pose for journalism. The court found that Vehkoo’s comments on her Facebook page constituted a personal attack on Lokka and that she did not focus her criticism on his politics.  She was ordered to pay…

Following calls for anti-government protests at the Serbian private TV Pink offices, the  European and International Federation of Journalists (EFJ and IFJ) today joined their Serbian affiliates NUNS, UNS and SINOS in urging protesters to refrain from all forms of violence against journalists and appealing to all stakeholders to ensure journalists’ safety and the protection of the media’s property. In statement signed by eight media organisation, including three IFJ and EFJ affiliates NUNS, UNS and SINOS said that citizens have the right to express their dissatisfaction with the social or political situation in the country through peaceful actions, including protests…