ABOUT THE COURSE  The safety of journalists has become ever more important in recent years with an increasing number of journalists facing threats, harassment and injuries in relation to their daily work. While some threats require a broader political and cultural change among multi-stakeholders, others can be mitigated by individuals and organisational level by journalists and media organisations. With this in mind, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) has developed this course to address individual journalists with the aims to enhance their personal capacities in making aware of operational media associated…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has launched a European survey on 3 May, World Press Freedom Day, as part of a wider campaign to push for a safer and healthier working environment for journalists. “The safety of journalists has been in the spotlight in recent years as a record attacks on journalists are being made, sometimes even resulting in deaths,” says Ricardo Gutiérrez, EFJ General Secretary. “The well-being and safety of journalists has long been neglected in the pursue of 24-hour speedy news. It is time to fulfil our duty of care for journalists’ both physical and mental health.”…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its German affiliates, the German Journalists Association (DJV) and the German Journalists Union (dju in ver.di), Reporters without Borders and two other organisations, in calling on publishers and broadcasters to do more to protect journalists from violence and threats. On 22 April, the German affiliates presented a code of conduct for media houses, which is to serve as a basis for measures to be taken. The code presented last Thursday was developed by advisory and journalists’ organisations, including DJV and dju in ver.di. Among others, it includes the recommendation to appoint a fixed contact person per…

During the coronavirus pandemic, where journalists are put under unprecedented strain, BBC journalist Tom Hourigan founded the site “Newsbreak“, where journalists can discuss their mental health, exchange ways to handle difficult news or share advice on how to improve one’s mental well-being. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) believes this to be a great initiative to destigmatise mental health issues and urges employer organisations to adapt to journalists’ needs. The practice of journalism can take an enormous toll on journalists’ mental health and the coronavirus pandemic has only exacerbated this: anxiety, uncertainty, stress, sleeping problems, burnout or endless scrolling on…