Transparency of media ownership: Twitter started to label some “state-affiliated” media

Twitter introduced on Thursday new labels to identify accounts belonging to government officials and senior staff of state-backed media. Key government officials such as foreign ministers, ambassadors and official spokespeople will receive the label, as will accounts belonging to “state-affiliated” media entities, their editors-in-chief and their senior staff, Twitter said. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is in favor of transparency of ownership of all media, but is wary of labelling initiatives that do not appear transparent or that do not seem to be based on objective criteria. The Twitter label appears as part of an account’s bio and is…

Newsocracy: Media ownership concentration in Czech Republic and Europe

Media ownership concentration is affecting more and more European countries, and therefore every European media consumer. Assess with us if and to what extent economical agendas and conflicts of interest undermine the independence of the information we consume every day. The ECPMF’s NEWSOCRACY event in Prague focusses on new types and shapes of media ownership and on the implications media ownership concentration has on local and regional journalism. Through hands-on knowledge exchange and expert sessions we aim to come up with constructive approaches to promote and strengthen media plurality. The President of the EFJ Mogens Blicher Bjerregård will moderate session…

The EU General Court denies a group of journalists access to MEPs’ expenses

The General Court of the European Union ruled on 25 September 2018 that MEPs expenses can remain secret. The highest court confirmed the European Parliament’s refusal to give access to documents related to MEPs’ expenses to a group of journalists, claiming that this would undermine MEPs’ personal privacy. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) condemns this decision and renews its call to improve transparency and access to information in the European Union. The request was forwarded to the European Parliament (EP) in 2015 by a group of 29 journalists, who wanted to access information on the MEPs’ spending records. According to Euractiv,…

Council of Europe: new guidelines on media pluralism and transparency of media ownership

The Council of Europe has issued guidelines to its 47 member states in order to promote media pluralism, transparency of media ownership and media literacy. In a Recommendation adopted today, the Committee of Ministers endorses a comprehensive framework of guidelines for creating a pluralist, transparent and participatory media environment, both offline and online. States are encouraged to develop strategies for increasing the sustainability of a variety of media ranging from public service media, local, minority, community and cross-border media. States are also encouraged to support quality independent and investigative journalism, whilst fully respecting the editorial and operational autonomy of the…

#Newsocracy III – La concentración de medios en España y Europa

#newsocracy III brings together policy makers, academics, journalists, citizens and existing initiatives for transparency of media ownership structures to discuss media ownership concentration in Europe and Spain. The event is hosted by the ECPMF, PDLI and OBCT. —————– El European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), la Plataforma en Defensa de la Libertad de Información (PDLI) y el Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), te invitan a #NEWSOCRACY III, la jornada sobre concentración mediática en Europa que reunirá a políticos, académicos, periodistas e iniciativas por la transparencia en la propiedad de los medios. Discutiremos sobre acontecimientos recientes, los peligros de la situación actual y posibles soluciones. Visita la web…

The European Parliament urges the Commission to protect whistleblowers

With the adoption of Virginie Rozière‘s report today (24.10.2017) in plenary session in Strasbourg, the European Parliament is sending a strong signal to the European Commission, demanding an EU-wide legislation protecting whistleblowers across the 27 Member States. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) warmly thanks the Members of the European Parliament (MEP) who voted in favour of a full protection for whistleblowers. A total of 666 MEPs took part in the vote: 399 (60%) voted in favour of the report, 101 (15%) voted against and 166 (25%) abstained from voting. Proposed by Virginie Rozière (S&D), the report demands an EU-wide protection…

EU Court to decide on the right to know about MEPs’ expenditures

The upcoming public hearing at the Court of Justice of the European Union in the case of 29 journalists (from every EU member state) against the European Parliament will take place on October 19, 2017 in Luxembourg. This important case relates to twenty-nine journalists who have filed 27 complaints with the European Court of Justice against the European Parliament which refused to give information on how members of the European Parliament (MEP) spend their allowances. The journalists asked for documents regarding the money MEPs receive on top of their salaries, including a general allowance, travel allowance, daily subsistence and funds for staffing,…

Right to Know Day

Right to Know Day, Brussels, 28th September 2017 Organising parties: ITCO intergroup, supported by Access Info Europe and AntiCor Belgium Mission and objectives: It is our mission to host an event in Brussels that brings together Freedom of Information (FOI) advocates from across Europe. The main objectives of this event will be:   To celebrate Right To Know Day which is held on 28th September each year, by raising awareness about the right of access to information and sharing inspiring stories of FOI from around Europe   To compare good and bad practices when it comes to Freedom of Information…