The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today in condemning the vexatious SLAPP lawsuit against the newspaper El Confidencial by the Spanish electricity company Iberdrola, which is claiming €17.6 million for alleged “reputational damage”. The MFRR partners see the lawsuit as another example of the urgent need for the introduction of anti-SLAPP legislation at the EU and national levels and reform of the current legal provisions on protection of honour and reputation in line with international freedom of expression standards. On 4 February 2022, multinational energy company Iberdrola filed a lawsuit…

During the first weekend of February, journalists, police officers, and MPs faced unprecedented threats and intimidation from participants taking part in the Convoy Finland protest in the capital of Helsinki. The EFJ joined its affiliate in Finland, the Finnish Union of Journalists (UJF) in condemning any forms of violence towards journalists and media workers. While covering the event, at least five reporters and cameramen working for MTV3, Iltalehti, and Yle were threatened by some individuals in the mob in the capitol’s street. Yle’s reporter and cameraman at the scene said they were continuously verbally and physically threatened. One microphone was…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is pleased to co-organise the second edition of theFree European Media conference which will take place in Gdansk, Poland, on the 17th and 18th of March. Last year, the event was cancelled due to the increased outbreak of the coronavirus. Across two days, journalists, media outlets, journalists’ organisations, academics and other stakeholders will discuss the vital role of press and media freedom in democracy, addressing the issues of journalists’ safety, media pluralism and diversity, media literacy and self-regulation. On this occasion, European Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova will launch the European Media Freedom Act, an…

The Russian authorities have moved to shut down Deutsche Welle’s Moscow office, ban the station from broadcasting in the country and cancel the press accreditation of its staff. The move comes following a decision by the German media regulator to uphold a ban on Russian media RT DE’s broadcasts in Germany amid claims it did not have a locally-issued licence. The International and European Federation of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) have urged authorities not to use media as a political football and to uphold the right to information. The dispute first broke out on February 2 when RT was banned by the German media…

On 14 and 15 March 2022, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is holding the conference “How can gender equality and diversity promote trust in the media?“ Distinguished speakers will meet in Málaga to discuss the impact that diversity and equality have on shaping public perception and trust in the media. Below, are the short bios and photos of the panelists. The final conference will wrap up the two-year project “Trust and Quality in journalism”. It is organised in partnership with the Andalusian Journalists Union (SPA) and the Federation of Journalists Unions (FeSP) and funded by the European Commission. Day 1 speakers Introduction:  Marta Barcenilla Escaño is…

A dozen employees at the BBC Istanbul bureau, supported by the Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS), have finally seen their demands met on 28 January 2022, after a historic 15-day strike.  The journalists got an annual pay rise of 32%, private individual and family health insurance, a daily 60TL lunch voucher and 1,200TL support for glasses and contact lenses.  The labour action was prompted by the skyrocketing inflation rate in the country (nearly 36%) and no adequate access to health care since the Covid-19 pandemic, after a five-month negotiation process with the BBC that was not successful.   The strike, the…