AGEMI (Advancing Gender Equality in Media Industries) is an online resource which provides a range of helpful materials for media practitioners and everyone interested in progressing gender equality. You will find 100+ examples of good practices in a searchable database (Resources Bank of Good Practices), interviews with journalists and gender experts (GEM Talks) and a set of learning resources (GEM Learn) on topics including representation, advocacy, language, technology and safety. The moving image resources have professional subtitles in English, French and Spanish and can also be accessed via AGEMI’s You Tube channel, AGEMI Project. All the resources are free to download…

In June 2019, the S. Daniel Abraham Center for International and Regional Studies published the book “Media, Freedom of Speech, and Democracy in the EU and Beyond”. The research paper was edited by Dr. Angelos Giannakopoulos, and gives insights into the media landscape of several European countries. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) contributed to this publication with a chapter titled “Media, Freedom of Speech, and Democracy: Journalists under pressure in Europe”, written by EFJ-Director Renate Schroeder. The book presents the authoritarian media system of Hungary, as well as the role of the state in media ownership in Poland. It…

The Fundamental Rights Agency of the European Union (FRA) developed resources on the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, including the Charterpedia database and a handbook giving guidance on the use and scope of the Charter at national level. Charterpedia Charterpedia is an online tool which provides information on the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union. For each article, information can be found on related case law by national courts, the Court of Justice of the European Union and the European Court of Human Rights, law references and explanations. Click here to read more about the articles 11 and…

Around 60 journalists and journalists’ representatives from 20 European countries attended the final conference of the project ‘Managing change in media’ on 10 and 11 October in Thessaloniki, Greece. Programme Business models & trends in journalism training and skills Alexandra Borchardt, ​former Reuters Institute – Are Journalists Today‘s Coal Miners? Andreas Heindl, ​ORF – Mitigating the stress induced by the digital transformation Dr. Dimitris Xenakis​, Inside Story – Inside Story The legal protection and litigation for freelances Renske Heddema​, NVJ – NVJ’s support of Legal Protection for Freelance (Photo) Journalists How can European Commission support media policy? Suzanne ​Vanderzande, ​Policy…

Around 30 journalists and journalists’ representatives from 20 European countries attended the workshop on “Increasing gender equality and diversity in the workplace” on 28 and 29 May in Istanbul, Turkey. Co-organised by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS), the workshop aimed to provide best practices and concrete tools to improve equality between male and female journalists and to counter growing online harrassment. Programme Panel 1 – Gender equality and diversity in the workplace: what works in Europe? Presentation by Gülfem Karatas (TGS) Panel 2 – Fighting stereotypes in the news: towards better representation…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) report “Digital Journalism & New Business Models” underpins the trends in new business models for the digital newsroom: from the British Guardian to the pioneering French Mediapart, from Sweden to Spain, we witness the increase in new funding models, in so-called entrepreneurial journalists who take care of both fundraising and the newsroom and still achieve trusted journalism with the highest editorial standards, values that ground the fourth estate in a democratic society in order to hold the powerful to account. The EFJ Digital Expert Group presents its report on “Digital Journalism & New Business…

Blocking of online content and social media, throttling of internet traffic and shutdowns of entire websites constitute the most serious interference with online expression, preventing information from reaching its intended audience, states the fifth annual report by the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Thorbjørn Jagland. The report analyses the state of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Europe, based on the findings of the Council of Europe monitoring mechanisms and bodies. Among the main findings, the focus was drawn to the freedom of expression, especially concerning the troubling tendencies of intimidation and threats against journalists around Europe –…

A collaboration of a team of media scholars, Jakob-Moritz Eberla, Christine E. Meltzerb, Tobias Heidenreicha, Beatrice Herreroc, Nora Theorind, Fabienne Linda, Rosa Berganzac, Hajo G. Boomgaardena, Christian Schemerb, and Jesper Strömbäckd, resulted in a publication “European media discourse on migration and its effects: a literature review“, which sets to explore the landscape of media research covering the media discourse on immigration and its effects across Europe. The literature review addresses a general problem of under-representation and depicting migrants as delinquents or criminals. Although, media framing differs for specific migrant groups and used discourses, immigration coverage is often negative and conflict-centered, the publication shows. Repetitive exposure to negative messages on migrants leads to…

A new publication on editorial guidelines or codes of conduct in the public service media of the Western Balkans was drafted by Renate Schroeder, director of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and presented during a launching event of the EU-funded project “Technical Assistance to Public Service Media in the Western Balkans” in Tirana, Albania, in June 2018. The project is managed by the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in close cooperation with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), in collaboration with the EFJ, Austrian public broadcaster ORF, the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network and the Office of the Eurovision News Exchange…

A survey in Portugal, performed by University Institute of Lisbon (ISCTE-IUL), aimed at analyzing the working conditions of Portuguese journalists, exploring the diversity of journalists, and identifying the main constraints and challenges. Almost 1 500 journalists were surveyed between 1st of May and 13th of June, 2016, with 78 questions on the current situation and their future, for the data to be comparable to international data. There are 6 161 journalists holding a professional licence or its equivalent in Portugal, according to The Comissão da Carteira Profissional de Jornalista (CCPJ), 16th March 2018, with 51.8% male and 48.2% female journalists. The survey…

A new report about the fact-finding mission conducted by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) which investigated the media situation in Estonia and Lithuania from 22 to 24 January can be found here. Members of the mission interviewed almost 30 experts: representatives of the government, academia, press councils, public service media, journalists‘ organisations, investigative journalists, editors-in-chief and CEOs of major media companies. The two Baltic states were chosen in the wake of a wave of disinformation spread by Russian specialists during the US election campaign. The question, whether the comparatively small societies of Estonia and…

The EFJ is closely following the proceedings that started on Monday 24 July in Istanbul against 17 prominent journalists, editors and board members of Cumhuriyet newspaper, including Can Dündar, Kadri Gürsel, Murat Sabuncu and Ahmet Şık. EFJ president Mogens Blicher Bjerregård participated in the court case on 24-25 July and met several journalists and EFJ affiliates. Below a personal account of his impressions: Press freedom must be protected, and not put on trial as it has happened this week in Istanbul with the Turkish newspaper Cumhuriyet. 17 journalists and executives are accused in a completely political and fabricated way for…

In 2016, the Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM) examined media freedom and pluralism indicators in 28 European countries as well as in Montenegro and Turkey, two applicant countries. The Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) released on Friday (19/05/2017) the report which shows alarming trends, in particular when it comes to journalistic profession including working conditions, safety, protection of sources, access and the role of unions and associations in protecting journalists. The report especially emphasized that no country is free from risks when it comes to media pluralism. The risks were examined under different aspects and potential threats, related to…

Speech by Mogens Blicher Bjerregård (EFJ President) Journalism in Europe is facing critical times. Media and politics are in an increasing conflict across Europe. More than ever, the fundamental pillar of our democracies, credible – high quality – investigative – journalism is crucial for the citizens. Journalism including all media-workers providing content. Across Europe we have three big challenges: Safety of journalists and journalism How to counter the increasing conflict between media and politics Build social dialogue Being innovative in finding new business models Three journalists have been killed in Europe since our general meeting in Sarajevo – in Ukraine, Turkey and…

In many European countries journalists are under pressure, facing a variety of threats from governments, bosses and advertisers. The Council of Europe is marking World Press Freedom Day by underlining its support for independent journalism, free from unwarranted influence whatever the source. Council of Europe Secretary General Thorbjorn Jagland is publishing his annual report on the state of democracy and human rights in Europe. This year he focuses on several new topics, including the rise of populism and the spreading of fake news. Also published today, a new survey sponsored by the Council of Europe into the prevalence of unwarranted…

The UNESCO launched on Thursday (02.02.2017) at the Press Club Brussels Europe its new publication “Terrorism in the Media: A Handbook for Journalists” written by Jean-Paul Marthoz, Belgian journalist and longtime press freedom and human rights activist. Guy Berger, Director for Freedom of Expression and Media Development at UNESCO, presented the handbook together with the author. What to do in a hostage situation? Should journalists help the victims first? Should they refrain from disseminating some information at authorities’ request? The handbook provides key advices and reflection to media and journalists in the situation of covering a terrorist attack. It also…