The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) finally held its first ever digital Annual Meeting on 3 November 2020. The decision to organise it online was taken after the EFJ was forced – due to the Covid-19 pandemic – to cancel its event, which should have taken place last May in Zagreb, Croatia. The 2020 online edition was attended by over 70 affiliates from 43 countries. Over 70 participants from 43 countries are ready to discuss @EFJEUROPE activity and financial report and some urgent matters in #COVID19 times! #efjam2020 #mediafreedom #journalismmatters #SocialRights #solidarity pic.twitter.com/fAE9sH7fnG — EFJ (@EFJEUROPE) November 3, 2020 Not…

Speech by Mogens Blicher Bjerregård (EFJ President)  Before – and now during the pandemic, the EFJ worked consistently on the issues that our affiliates required from us, incorporating our vision and ambitions on behalf of all our affiliates and your members, and if I may add: for all journalists and media in Europe for the benefit of our societies and democracies. In the Activity Report, you will find more details and an idea of the scope of our work during the last year and a half. We should have held this annual meeting in spring in beautiful Zagreb (Croatia), but we…

The Croatian journalists’ trade union and professional associations (TUCJ and CJA) announced last week that a new wave of vexatious lawsuits (SLAPP) is hitting Croatian media and journalists. The dozen of SLAPPs targets Telegram news portal, Virovitica.net, Index and journalist Dora Kršul. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliates in Croatia in denouncing an attempt to intimidate and silence investigative journalism. The lawsuits are initiated by former top politicians – former Agriculture Minister Tomislav Tolušić and former Member of Parliament Branimir Glavaš – as well as University of Zagreb Rector Damir Boras. Nine lawsuits filed by former Agriculture…

The online Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), attended today by 53 delegates from journalists’ unions and associations from 38 European countries, expressed its full support for Belarusian journalists in the face of repression. In Belarus, during and after the 9 August presidential elections, the media, journalists and bloggers were the target of increased repression. As a result, the situation went from serious to catastrophic. While the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) recorded 23 violations of journalists’ rights from the beginning of the year until 8 May, i.e. before the election campaign was launched, it registered about…

Monday 2 November is the UN International Day for the end of impunity for crimes against journalists. #EndImpunity. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the IFJ Campaign: End Impunity 2020, to demand governments put an end to impunity and to highlight and denounce crimes targeting journalists that remain unpunished while the masterminds walk free. This year, the IFJ is putting a specific emphasis on five countries, including Russia in Europe. Since 2005, 17 journalists have been killed in Russia. Six murders remain unsolved: Anna Politkovskaya: the most prominent case of impunity is the killing of Anna Politkovskaya from Novaya…

The German Association of Journalists (DJV) has called on the Federal Ministry of Economics to link the agreed press funding to certain conditions in order to countervail media concentration and preference of large media groups. In July, the German parliament decided to provide publishers with a funding of €220 million over several years, most probably starting in 2021. This support is primarily aimed at the digital transformation of the publishing industry. However, previously agreed support specifically for the delivery of daily newspapers will not be made available. This is in the context where publishers complain that the delivery of printed press…