The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) organised on 9 June a debate about The truth about refugees – crisis, cover-up and the impact on media freedom at the Press Club in Brussels. The refugee issue is currently putting media under pressure. On the one hand, biased reporting – both for and against refugees – has led to increase distrust in the media. Jane Whyatt, Project Manager of the ECPMF, introduced the debate with examples from Eastern Germany, where right-wing populist movements and left-wing extremists movements accuse the mainstream media of lying and biased reporting. “We are trying…

The European Union must shape the digitalisation of Europe’s economy and society much more actively, with policy initiatives to avoid massive job losses and ensure the creation of quality jobs and decent working conditions, said the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC). attending @etuc_ces ExCom, Luca Visentini (ETUC GS) setting the agenda pic.twitter.com/ERPtmvfuW9 — EFJ (@EFJEUROPE) June 8, 2016 A resolution, adopted by national and European trade union leaders gathered in Brussels today, calls for A Directive on privacy at work; An EU Framework on crowd-working to maintain minimum pay rates, working time, social protection and fair taxation; A big increase…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), joining its affiliate in Ireland the National Union of Journalists, is welcoming the decision of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) to challenge Ireland’s failure to treat freelance workers in accordance with the rights enshrined in the organisation’s convention. Following a complaint by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) the Irish government faces questions at the ILO assembly in Geneva about the treatment of freelance workers, who are denied the right to be collectively represented by unions as a result of the actions of the former Competition Authority in Ireland. The complaint was lodged…

(Dublin, 3rd June, 2016) The conference discussed the current state of journalism in Ireland and Europe and was hosted by MEP Nessa Childers from Ireland. Renate Schroeder outlined the threats on the independent status of journalists in Europe expressing great concern about the precarisation in the media as well the increasing attacks from both political and economic forces. Losing trust in journalism with journalists who no longer have time to check information or self-censor because of fear to lose the work or be attacked is the main challenge today, she told  about 100 participants in Dublin. NUJ Ireland General Secretary…

In a world of rapid changing political and social circumstances, growing conflicts and inequalities, progressive politics to ensure social justice and global solidarity are more important than ever. The 2016 edition of the SOLIDAR Silver Rose Awards presents four courageous political choices with four awardees working on highly sensitive and late-breaking political issues: Press Freedom, Decent Work, Women’s Rights, Access to Education for All. This year’s winners are: Journalist Union of Turkey (Türkiye Gazeticiler Sendikasi, TGS), to which we dedicate the Silver Rose for Fundamental Rights. TGS supports jailed journalists and promotes solidarity between journalists in Turkey and abroad –…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the European Trade Union Institute (ETUI) have successfully organised a 3-day training (25-27 May) in Leuven (Belgium) on Cybersecurity for journalists : Secure, protect, investigate. This was the second edition of a course organized 2015 along four days about Cybersecurity for journalists and with the same practical approach. The course aimed to facilitate technical skills to journalists helping them to protect themselves, their work and their sources. 13 journalists and / or unionists coming from 11 countries took part to the training, with an important participation of participants coming from countries of the…

Hungary It all started with a simple question. Janos Karpati, then Brussels correspondent for the Hungarian national newswire, didn’t think it would terminate his longtime career when he addressed the Hungarian Prime Minister Victor Orban at a press conference at the fringes of the European Parliament’s plenary meeting in Strasbourg. Orban had come to Strasbourg to speak about migration – and his widely-criticized comment on reinstating the death penalty. Karpati, an experienced correspondent who has worked in Prague and Washington, DC, asked Orban about Fidesz’ position within the European People’s Party, a question he hadn’t cleared with anyone beforehand. He…

Journalists Union of Serbia (SINOS – EFJ affiliate) in partnership with the Friedrich Ebert Foundation held a seminar in Prolom Banja (Serbia) from 19 to 21 May. The theme of the was organising unions for media workers in Serbia and the Balkans countries. The participants talked about precarious work, legal and social status of journalists and the sustainability of trade unions in the media with multinational ownership problems. The President of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), Mogens Blicher Bjerregard spoke about the experience of organizing unions for journalists in different European Union member states. He stressed that progress is possible when…

I can’t write that, it seems that more and more European journalists are saying this sentence to themselves when working for a media outlet. The refugee crisis, the Cologne attacks, the Panama papers or the new French surveillance law are some recent examples of sensitive topics that raised the question of self-censorship among journalists. The Friedrich Naumann Stiftung für die Freiheit in co-operation with the EFJ organised an event (02/05/2016) in Brussels to discuss how self-censorship affects journalists’ reporting in the European media industry.  The debate was moderated by EFJ Director Renate Schroeder, who at the outset drew the meeting’s attention to a comprehensive quantitative…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has today condemned the entry ban imposed by Turkish authorities against Russian journalist Tural Kerimov, the Turkey bureau chief for Sputnik news agency, who “was stopped by a border control officer who said the journalist was flagged as persona non grata by the Turkish authorities”. Turkish authorities seized Kerimov’s press card as well as his residence permit before sending him back to Russia. Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ, EFJ affiliate) has immediately condemned Kerimov being deported from Turkey. RUJ Secretary General and EFJ Vice-President, Nadezda Azhgikhina, made the following statement: “The rights of the…

The DJV (Deutscher Journalisten-Verband) and Dju in ver.di (Deutsche Journalistinnen und Journalisten Union in ver.di) (EFJ affiliates in Germany) critised today (15/04/2016) the declaration of German Prime Minister Angela Merkel regarding the request of the Turkish President, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, to file a criminal complaint against Germany’s most popular comedian Jan Böhmermann. “This decision of the Chancellor would not have been necessary because the Turkish President Erdogan has already filed a criminal complaint with the public prosecutor in Mainz” DJV Chairman Frank Überall said. Ms Merkel had previously announced that the German Federal Government would give an authorization to prosecute…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) will join a group media partners and NGOs to launch the World Press Freedom Day events in Brussels on 3 May at the Centre for Fine Art. The day will start with a keynote from Commissioner Günther Oettinger from the European Commission emphasizing that Europe is a strong supporter for freedom of speech. Among a series of activities and debates, the EFJ will gather a panel of women journalists who will share their views on the recent evolution in Turkey in terms of freedom of the press and their role as journalists. A second debate will focus on a…

Despite the travel difficulties to Brussels following the attacks of 22 March 2016, members of the Labour Rights Expert Group (LAREG) of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) continued their meeting in Brussels to discuss the evolution of labour conditions for journalists and media workers in Europe. Thanks to a new EFJ project entitled Building Trust in media in South East Europe and Turkey financially supported by UNESCO and the EU, the LAREG meeting provided a unique opportunity to exchange views between EU and non-EU participants from South Eastern Europe of the EFJ members and discuss recent developments in the media sector…

The European and International Federation of Journalists, (EFJ/IFJ), together with their affiliate Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS), demanded today the European Union’s leaders to react to the media oppression imposed by the Turkish authorities. The press briefing, organised by both Federations at the Press Club Brussels, followed the seizure of one of Turkey’s leading newspapers, Zaman, on 4 March in Istanbul, and had two of the newspaper’s leading journalists as participants. Today’s “When is the EU-Turkey summit on press freedom?” press briefing speakers were Sevgi Akarcesme, Editor of Today’s Zaman newspaper, Selçuk Gültasli, Zaman’s Brussels Bureau Chief, and Oliver Money-Kyrle, Assistant General…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) together with the Journalists Union of Turkey (Türkiye Gazeteciler Sendikasi – TGS) sent today a letter to the Turkish Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu, asking to ensure all conditions for a fair and independent trial for journalists Füsun Erdogan, Ibrahim Cicek and Ziya Ulusoy. The judicial case of the three journalists will be on the agenda during the upcoming hearing of 23th of March of the Turkish court of appeal in Ankara.  Below the content of the letter sent to the minister : His Excellency Mevlüt…

Journalist organizations have launched a campaign to call for releasing the journalists in prison and declare demands for ensuring freedom of press and expression with support from EFJ, IFJ, EJN and RSF. Journalists Association of Turkey (TGC), Journalists Trade Union of Turkey (TGS), Progressive Journalists Association (ÇGD), Confederation of Revolutionary Workers’ Unions of Turkey (DİSK) Press Unit and International Press Institute (IPI) Turkey has launched a campaign to call for releasing the journalists in prison and declaring their demands for ensuring freedom of press and expression with support from European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Ethical…