The Blanquerna School of Communication and International Relations and the four journalism schools in French-speaking Belgium today released two reports looking at journalists’ and journalism students’ perceptions of self-regulation bodies, ethical standards and challenges they face in the digital age. The findings show that more dialogue and awareness is needed to apprehend ethics in today’s journalism. The Blanquerna School of Communication and International Relations collected data on the perception of media councils by working journalists and how they adapt themselves to the challenges in the digital age. More than 400 working journalists from Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Hungary, Ireland, Italy,…

Journalists at sports newspaper ‘L’Equipe’ and France TV channels have taken strike action in a dispute over a job protection plan and dismissals. The International and European Federation of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) stand in solidarity with striking workers and their French affiliates. France’s public TV, France Télévisions, has seen strikes over the past two weeks at its headquarters in Paris, due to the unfair dismissal of four sound illustrators by video-conference, staff opposition to the arbitrary redefinition of working conditions and the excessive workload. In parallel, the unions are to hold a 24-hour strike on 18 January due to the regionalization project at the France 3 network, which was planned without prior consultation with the unions. ‘L’Equipe’…

Criminal prosecutions of journalists are increasing in Belarus. Journalby editor Andrei Alexandrov was arrested on 12 January. Eight other journalists are still behind bars in Belarus, just for doing their job. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) once again calls on the OSCE, the Council of Europe and the European Union to intervene with the regime of disputed President Lukashenko to secure their immediate release. Andrei Alexandrov was detained as part of a criminal case initiated by the Minsk City Investigation Committee. He is considered as a suspect under article 342 of the Belarusian Criminal Code for “organization and preparation…

The German Association of Journalists (DJV) and ver.di recently published an assessment report authored by law professor Caroline Meller-Hannich on possible instruments of collective legal protection in copyright law. The report concludes that, when implementing the EU directive on copyright and related rights in the Digital Single Market, German legislators should not renounce the instrument of a class action law suit or collective litigation.  A class action lawsuit of trade unions or associations is an important aspect of the copyright directive, and is particularly critical for the protection of freelance journalists. Authors regularly have difficulties in enforcing their legal claims to appropriate remuneration.…

Turkish Cypriot journalist and publisher Sener Levent is the target of a harassment campaign by the Turkish authorities for his critical reporting on the Turkish government policies in Cyprus. The European Federations of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) join their affiliates, the Union of Cyprus Journalists and the Turkish Cypriot Trade Union of Press Workers Basin Sen in condemning the Turkish attempts to shut down press freedom. Journalist Sener Levent, the editor-in-chief of Afrika newspaper, has been targeted by official and unofficial means by the Turkish government and faces numerous court proceedings because of his reporting. The Turkish government…

UPDATE (14/01/2021): On 14 January, daily newspaper Sabado revealed that Lisbon prosecutor Andrea Marques also tried to identify the sources of two journalists from the Portuguese public broadcaster RTP. One of these journalists was heard as a witness by the prosecutor’s office in August 2020. —————————— Four Portuguese journalists have been placed under police surveillance, at the request of Lisbon public prosecutor Andrea Marques, as part of the investigation into leaks related to the “e-Toupeira” corruption case, launched in March 2018. Without prior authorisation from an investigating judge and in order to identify the sources of the journalists, Prosecutor Marques…