This yearʼs World Book and Copyright Day – celebrated on 23 April – comes at a crucial point in the conflict between authors and the internet giants as unions step up calls to ensure journalists are paid for the use of their work. The International and the European Federations of journalists (IFJ/EFJ) call on governments and civil society to ensure that internet giants do not control information and that journalists receive a fair share of the benefits collected when their works are being used by the tech corporations. The IFJ and EFJ have warned against the ongoing business models of…

The Reuters Institute has published its 10th annual Digital News Report, in cooperation with Oxford University, revealing the latest insights and trends in digital media worldwide. In Europe, findings gathered during the pandemic show that print newspapers are disappearing, while new media and business models have accelerated. The crisis has also shown the value of accurate and reliable information at a time when lives were at stake, even though there was a general decline in interest in news in a number of countries. Overall, the report highlights the urgent need for more diverse and inclusive newsrooms. A growing trust gap Compared to last year, trust…

On 18 March 2022, the Russian military detained journalist, writer and member of our affiliate the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) Yevgeny Bal in his house near Mariupol. The reason for the detention was “compromising” photos of Bal together with the Ukrainian military which were found during the search in his flat. Yevgeny Bal was kept in the cellar for three days, where he was tortured and beaten. After being released on 21 March, he died on 2 April. NUJU said that his death was result of the torture. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) calls on the…

Two journalists, Roman Nezhyborets and Zoreslav Zamoysky, were found killed in Bucha and Yahidne, following withdrawal of the Russian forces from the region. Roman Nezhyborets’ body was found buried in the northern village of Yahidne, and Zamoysky’s body was found in Bucha, near Kyiv. Nezhyborets worked as a video editor for Dytynets, a privately owned TV broadcaster. Russian forces occupied Yahidne on 5 March. Nezhyborets, who was sheltered with his family in Yahidne, attempted to hide evidence of his work with Dytynets, and called his mother to ask that she notify his friends and colleagues that he should be removed…

On Sunday, together with the government of Kosovo, the European Center for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its affiliates in Kosovo and Ukraine, AJK, NUJU and IMTUU, welcomed in Pristina Lyudmila Makey, first Ukrainian journalist to be hosted in Kosovo. She was forced to leave her country and will continue her journalistic work from Pristina. This initiative is part of the programme of sheltering Ukrainian journalists in exile launched on 1 March by the Kosovo government. The EFJ calls on other European governments to follow Kosovo’s example. On 17 April, Albin Kurti, the Prime…

Solidarity centers just launched by the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), with the support of the International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ), and the Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine (IMTUU), will help journalists to continue their work during the war in Ukraine. The project was made possible by the IFJ-EFJ appeal for donations. NUJU is launching a network of journalistic solidarity centers to help media workers during the war. These centers are open in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Chernivtsi, in the headquarters of the regional organisations of NUJU. The centers are open to all journalists operating in…