EP Public hearing – Role of Independent Public Service Media for Democracy in Europe

Independence of Public Service Media (PSM) in Europe is under increased pressure in a number of the EU Member States. Destabilization of this democratic institution in the context of the overall challenges in Europe and weakening of other democratic institutions, such as political parties represents a real threat to the democracy in Europe. The PSM in Hungary is under the full control of Orban. In 2016 a political cleansing took place in the public service broadcaster in Poland followed by a political purge in the Croatian broadcaster. Recently the Czech Television is under pressure for rejection of their annual report,…

Danish public broadcaster DR to cut 400 jobs

Danish public broadcaster DR will cut between 375 and 400 jobs and close down three TV channels and three radio channels, as a consequence of the package of media reforms agreed by Denmark’s governing right-wing coalition. DR will lose 20% of its funding over the next five years. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its affiliate, the Danish Union of Journalists (DJ), in strongly condemning these unprecedented layoffs in what some are calling an act of “revenge” by the Danish government. A significant driver of the cuts is the right-wing populist Danish People’s Party (DF), which is a supporting partner of the…

Trade secrets: the Danish union secured protection for journalists and whistleblowers

The Danish Union of Journalists (DJ) welcomed the recently adopted law to protect companies from the disclosure of business secrets. An exception clause has been added to ensure that it is not a criminal offence to reveal a business secret that is in the public interest. Denmark has transposed into national law the directive 2016/943/EU ‘on the protection of undisclosed know-how and business information (trade secrets) against their unlawful acquisition, use and disclosure’, adopted by the European Parliament and Council on 8 June 2016. The bill, which aims to protect the confidential information of companies, sets out the remedies that may be applied…

Danish government to cut 20% funding for public service media

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), representing 320.000 journalists across Europe, is shocked to learn that the Danish government intends to cut 20 percent of funding for Danish public service media (DR). The EFJ urges the government in Denmark to withdraw its proposal. The Danish government has agreed on a new media agreement that is expected to come into effect on January 1, 2019. The new measures include a cut in DR’s budget of 20%. It will also scrap the licence fee for public broadcasting. The measures were taken by the VLAK government with the support of the Dansk Folkeparti party. Free and…

Danish court acquits photojournalist charged with refusing to obey police order

By Joshua Hollingdale, Dansk Journalistforbund The photojournalist from Danish daily Politiken, Martin Lehmann, was acquitted on the 22 January 2018 in a case concerning the legality of refusing a command by the police to remove himself from a Danish motorway, where a large group of refugees were travelling by foot. The acquittal was viewed as a matter of principle, largely based on a regard to public interest and freedom of the press. Lehmann was arrested by Danish police on 9 September 2015 for refusing a command by officers to leave the motorway where the group of refugees were walking, and…

Denmark: draft bill on trade secrets fails to protect journalists and their sources

The Danish Union of Journalists (DJ) criticised in a letter sent to the Danish Patent and Trademark Office on 3 November 2017, the draft bill on trade secrets which is being discussed in Denmark in order to comply with the directive 2016/943/EU ‘on the protection of undisclosed know-how and business information (trade secrets) against their unlawful acquisition, use and disclosure’, adopted by the European Parliament and Council on 8 June 2016. The Danish Union considers that the bill in its present form does not contain the necessary protection for journalists and whistleblowers in cases of trade secrets’ disclosure serving the public interest.…

EFJ-IFJ deeply saddened by death of Swedish Journalist Kim Wall

Update 25.04.2018: The Danish inventor Peter Madsen was given life sentence without parole for premeditated murder and sexual assault of Swedish journalist Kim Wall on 25 April 2018 in Copenhagen. Judge Anette Burkø said:“The court has been unanimous in coming to this result. This is a cynical and pre-planned sexual assault of a particularly brutal nature on a random women who, in connection with her journalistic work, accepted an invitation for a sailing trip on the accused’s submarine.” The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) today joined their Swedish affiliate, Swedish Journalists’ Union (SUJ), in expressing their sadness following the confirmation…

Turkish authority to investigate assault on Danish journalist covering refugees

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the Danish Journalists’ Union (DJ) have strongly condemned Turkish border police for the assault of Danish journalist Nagieb Khaja on 2 December while crossing the border into Syria to cover the refugee crisis. The EFJ member in Denmark, DJ, has immediately written to the Ambassador of Turkey in Denmark protesting the attack on Khaja.  Following the demand of the organisations to investigate the assault, the Turkish authority has responded today that they have started an investigation into Khaja’s case. Mogens Blicher Bjerregård, the EFJ President said, “We have witnessed Turkey’s disregard for the…

Danish journalists urge new government to improve transparency

The Danish Journalists’ Union (DJ), a member of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has launched a campaign calling on the newly elected government in Denmark to amend the Danish freedom of information law (called Open Administration Act in Denmark) to improve transparency and open access to government documents and information for citizens and journalists. The EFJ gave its strong back to DJ and demand the government to amend the freedom of information law to comply with European standards on freedom of information. The Danish Open Administration Act, also known as the “Closure Act”, was passed in 2013 with a…