In recent days, several Maltese journalists and media outlets have been victims of online spoofing in what appears to be a major campaign to spread disinformation and discredit those who are targeted. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) have joined their affiliate, the Institute of Maltese Journalists (IGM), in denouncing these shameful intimidation attempts and call on the authorities to investigate those responsible for them. For the past week, numerous false articles and emails purporting to be written by journalists, organisations or public figures and containing false information have been spread in the country. On 26 June, blogger…

The Belarus Supreme Court dissolved today the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), the only independent representative organisation of journalists and media workers in Belarus and one of the country’s most prominent champions of freedom of expression. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly condemn this parody of justice. Today, in Minsk, the Belarus Supreme Court held a hearing on the dissolution of BAJ, the EFJ and IFJ affiliate in Belarus. For over 25 years, BAJ and its membership of over 1,300 media workers has promoted freedom of expression and independent journalism in Belarus, facilitating…

UNESCO just published an open-access handbook for journalism educators, media organisations and associations on how to report on migrants and refugees. This timely publication was researched and edited by the Erich Brost Institute for International Journalism at the TU Dortmund University in Germany. The volume can be used as a self-learning tool or as part of journalistic training. Journalists learn how knowledge and awareness of accurate facts, reliable sources and ethical reporting are key to cover migration and forced displacement. The goal is to improve the coverage of migration and create a more balanced and informed public debate across countries…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj last week banned the opposition media news site Strana.ua and imposed sanctions on its editor-in-chief, Ihor Huzhva. Lawyers have criticised these measures for their “lack of legal basis”. This decision comes only six months after closing down three TV channels in early 2021. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliate in Ukraine, the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), in calling this extrajudicial action a threat to press freedom and media pluralism in the country. On 21 August 2021, it was revealed that President Volodymyr Zelenskyj banned Strana.ua, one of the largest news…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is hosting a series of webinars on teleworking and hybrid working during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. This new way of working has brought new challenges to journalists and media organisations, such as issues regarding the separation of work and private life at home in connection to mental health and the right to disconnect. As it has become clear that this “new normal” will last beyond the current health crisis, the webinars will discuss the challenges and address how journalists organisations and media employers should adapt. The webinars received financial support from UNESCO and the European…

Civil society and journalists’ organisations, including the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), call on the G7 to protect and evacuate journalists and media workers in Afghanistan. Ahead of the G7 summit on the situation in Afghanistan, we, the undersigned organisations, call on G7 countries to make a clear and explicit commitment to taking journalists and media workers as an urgent and immediate priority, ensure their protection and evacuate them and their families. We ask that G7 members: Make an explicit commitment to evacuate all journalists, media workers and media advocates at risk, and…