The EU DisinfoLab published their report tracking misogynistic disinformation during Covid-19 on 4 December, in solidarity with the #16DaysofActivism2020 against gender-based violence. Researcher Maria Giovanna Sessa adopted a disinformation methodological lens to analyse examples of gendered disinformation. The report “Misogyny and Misinformation: An analysis of gendered disinformation tactics during the COVID-19 pandemic” sheds light on how misogynistic narratives have been retrieved and adapted to fit within the mis- and disinformation environment surrounding the pandemic. Via qualitative, cross-national analysis of fact-checked disinformation in Italy, Spain and France, this research shows a transversal trend in gendered disinformation in the context of Covid-19. The…

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,…

Ayşegül Doğan has become the latest journalist in Turkey who was sentenced to prison by a court in a controversial case condemned by human rights groups. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has condemned the court’s decision. The 9th Penal Court in the southeastern province of Diyarbakır convicted Doğan on 7 December for “establishing and managing an armed organisation”, sentencing her to six years and three months in prison. The prosecutor had initially requested the court to sentence Doğan to 22.5 years in prison. “This decision shows that the court still sees journalists as terrorists,” said Mustafa Kuleli, EFJ Steering Committee…

As Montenegro’s new coalition government under the leadership of Prime Minister Zdravko Krivokapić was formally approved by the Montenegrin Parliament on 4 December, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) and key partners, urge it to put press and media freedom high on its agenda. The detailed report from their virtual fact-finding mission raises a number of concerns. To advance media freedom and, ultimately, the country’s accession bid to the European Union (EU), the new administration must commit to the necessary reforms for building and maintaining a free and pluralist media landscape. This is a…

Four journalists were arrested on 11 and 12 December while covering protests against the murder of Klodian Rasha in Tirana. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Association of Professional Journalists of Albania (APJA) strongly condemn the harassment and arbitrary arrest of media workers who were reporting on a public event. The protests erupted after Klodian Rasha, a 25 years-old Albanian citizen, was killed by a police officer on 8 December. He had been out after curfew and ran away from the police. Rasha was shot twice in the back and the officer alleged he had carried a firearm, which Rasha’s…

16 December 2020 marks 38 months since Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated in Malta, yet barriers to justice remain. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) together with the undersigned organisations condemns the continued threats made by the Maltese Government against the independent public inquiry into the circumstances of the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, and its three board members. The independence of the inquiry is vital and we call on the Government to uphold its commitments under the European Convention on Human Rights and ensure the inquiry is supported to fulfil its Terms of Reference free from all political threats…

During the health crisis, journalists have been playing a crucial role. When most of us are required to stay home, they act as our eyes and ears on the ground bringing trustworthy and reliable information to us. Yet, in some European countries journalists are still not considered as essential workers impeding their ability to work. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) launched, in partnership with its affiliates in Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey, a social media campaign to raise awareness about the need to regard journalists as essential workers.  In the region, the COVID-19 pandemic meant for…

On Wednesday 9 and Thursday 10 December, ministers from close to 60 countries, including 33 European countries (1), are taking part in the Unesco World Press Freedom Conference (WPFC), at the invitation of the Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok. This is the first time in the history of the WPFC that a session gathers 56 foreign affairs ministers from around the world. On Wednesday they discussed topics like how to tackle violence against journalists, photographers and media workers more effectively. All participating countries will confirm the agreements they reach in a final declaration, The Hague Commitment to increase the Safety…

As part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the International Press Institute (IPI) and the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) condemn the smear campaign against Croatian journalist Anja Kožul and call for her protection. Kožul works for Novosti, a Croatian and Serbian-language weekly magazine published by the Serb National Council (SNV) in Croatia, which covers issues related to the Serb community in the country.  She has been exposed to numerous threats, insults and attacks coming from Serbia since 1 December. The hate campaign started after she published an article entitled…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) condemns the online harassment campaign targeting Azerbaijani journalist Arzu Geybulla, unjustly accused of betraying her country for taking a measured and journalistic stance in the face of the recent armed conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia. Azerbaijani journalist Arzu Geybulla has been the target of an online harassment campaign following the publication of an opinion article about her on the online portal AzLogos, a platform managed by Azerbaijanis living abroad. The article alleges that the journalist disrespected the martyrs of the conflict between Azerbaijan and Armenia, accusing her of deliberately mocking the minute of silence…

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 Council for Mass Media in Finland published today a new report on self-regulation in the emerging era of news automation. While news automation and personalisation have become more common in recent years, it has received little attention from Press and Media Councils which have not faced major ethical problems so far. However, the report suggests that in the future self-regulatory guidance on news automation is likely to be needed.  The report introduces the present state of affairs in news automation and discusses what ethical considerations it raises. Based on a European-wide research project, the key takeaways are as follows:…

The Danish government agreed on 6 December with the majority of the parliament to stop financial cuts of 122 million euros in support of public service media over the next four years. In addition, the government proposed to increase support for the media sector by providing an additional annual budget of 20 millions euros. The minister of Culture stressed: media are important for our democracy. “This is a great day for journalism and the media in Denmark. Cuts in public service media would have caused dramatic changes in DR (the Danish Broadcasting Corporation) also resulting in many new unemployed journalists.…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has joined calls to repeal the decision to cut funding for the Slovenia Press Agency (STA) in a row over its alleged failure to respond to what media freedom campaigners describe as reckless and unlawful information requests. The Slovenian government confirmed on 30 November a decision by its communication office (UKOM) to cut STA monthly funds for October for allegedly failing to answer information requests related to its editorial content. The EFJ joined the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliates, the Slovenian Journalists’ Association (DNS) and the Slovenian Union of Journalists (SUJ)…

The undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), including the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), today raise serious concerns over the recent decision by the Government Communication Office (UKOM) in Slovenia to suspend financing of the country’s press agency. We believe the move to temporarily halt funding from the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) will seriously jeopardise its ability to keep citizens informed during and after the COVID-19 pandemic and is the latest example of a wider effort by the current administration to undermine and stigmatise the country’s public service media. On November 30, UKOM director Uroš Urbanija communicated to…