EMFA: Protection of journalists and their sources must be in line with human rights standards

As the negotiations on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) are drawing to a close, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today co-signed a letter to the policymakers calling for international standards to be respected on the protection of journalistic sources (Article 4). Considered a basic condition for press freedom by the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR), the protection of sources risks being weakened by EU Member States. The signatories are deeply concerned about the chilling effect that could ensue if the final text maintains the paragraph to the national security responsibilities of Member States and sets conditions for…

Support for journalists at France 3 in their third week of strike action

The Broadcasting Expert Group (BREG) of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), which represents public service media experts from all over Europe, strongly supports the strike by France 3’s local programs. Since 4 September 2023, an absurd, fast-track reform has been imposed on employees, suppressing national news editions and putting regional editions in serious difficulty. Our colleagues in local newsrooms across France are having to produce much more content without additional resources. Staff are already stretched to the limit, and there is a shortage of additional journalists across all local programs. Employees are exhausted, overworked and stressed. They do not…

AI: Transparency must be put back at the heart of the AI Act

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…

EMFA: why do governments refuse to be transparent about their relations with media companies?

Thirteen journalists’, press freedom and civils society organisations, including the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), are calling on EU Member States, the European Commission and the European Parliament to impose greater transparency on the media and their relations with political decision-makers and economic players. Citizens have a right to know. The current negotiations on the final version of the EMFA must incorporate these transparency guarantees. Read our open letter about the transparency of media ownership and state advertising. Joint open letter on media ownership and state advertising transparency in the trilogue negotiations of the EMFA The provisions of the European…

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Republika Srpska president Dodik verbally attacks journalist

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) in condemning the insulting and threatening behaviour of the President of Republika Srpska, Milorad Dodik, towards journalist Snezana Mitrović and her employer N1 television. We call on the politician to publicly apologise and end all intimidating practices against all media in the future. Our organisations further warn that this aggressive rhetoric towards a member of the media, and indications of state monitoring of media, are the latest examples in a decades-long list of pressure by…

Slovenia: Večer’s relocation would harm journalists’ credibility and independence

The owners of the Slovene daily Večer decided to move the media’s newsroom in Maribor, to another building, owned by the current mayor of Maribor Saša Arsenović. The relocation could jeopardize the newspaper’s autonomy. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) stands by the Večer journalists and calls on the owners of the media outlet to abandon the relocation of the newsroom.  The decision to move the newsroom was announced by Večer on 13 November 2023. The company that owns the newspaper Večer Mediji (Večer Media), led by director Miha Klančar, pointed out that the relocation to Galerija Gosposka would allow…

Italy: MFRR partners condemn summons of RAI presenter Sigfrido Ranucci

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and other partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today condemn the summoning of Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI) presenter Sigfrido Ranucci by the Parliamentary Committee for the general direction and supervision of radio and TV broadcasting. We see this summons as another intimidation practice targeting an independent investigative TV programme, whose reporting has been critical of a number of members of the current government.  Our organisations also urge the Italian Parliament to guarantee the independence of the Italian public service broadcaster (RAI) and halt unjustified political interference on its journalistic output. On 25…

Feature: Newsletters and podcasts are on the rise for local media in Europe

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.…

Feature: Finnish Media Federation does not want to negotiate despite EU guidelines

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…

EFJ and 16 partners support Paris Charter on AI and Journalism

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is one of the signatories of the Paris Charter on AI and Journalism. The first of its kind, this charter defines ethics and principles that journalists, newsrooms and media outlets around the world will be able to appropriate and apply in their work with artificial intelligence. It was created by a commission initiated by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and chaired by journalist and Nobel Peace Prize laureate Maria Ressa. On November 10th, 2023, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and 16 partner organisations, including the EFJ, published the Paris Charter on AI and Journalism, on the…