The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and more than 100 media and journalists’ organisations have jointly called for the United States Government to withdraw its recent proposal to drastically shorten visas for foreign journalists. The current I visa framework, which typically allows for stays of up to five years, has for decades ensured that international journalists can report accurately on rolling and breaking  news in the United States.   By spending years, not months, on the ground, journalists gain the deep knowledge, trusted networks and contextual immersion needed to explain America to global audiences. This  serves a critical U.S. interest: ensuring…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today in calling on the European Union to step up its action against Google following the European Commission’s decision to impose a 2.95 billion euro fine on the company for anti-competitive practices through its dominance of the online advertising and advertising technology (adtech) services. The Commission found that Google breached EU antitrust rules by distorting competition in the adtech industry to favour its own digital advertising services, which disadvantaged other adtech services, advertisers, and online publishers – which includes news media outlets. In addition to the fine, the…

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen voiced strong support for media freedom and journalism in her State of the Union address to the European Parliament on 10 September 2025. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes the announcement of a new ‘Media Resilience Programme’ and calls for journalists’ social and professional rights to be included and recognised as essential for quality journalism. “We need to do more to protect our media and independent press. This is why we will launch a new ‘Media Resilience Programme’. It will support independent journalism and media literacy.” While the next EU long-term budget…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the International Press Institute (IPI) and 15 press freedom organisations in strongly condemning the elongated pretrial detention of journalist Furkan Karabay, who faces a prison sentence of 6 to 15 years and call for his immediate release. Karabay has now spent 117 days in prison over his journalistic commentary. Karabay, who has previously worked as an editor and reporter for news portals outlets such as Gerçek Gündem and 10Haber, has been held in pretrial detention for over 100 days and his indictment was prepared on September 5. He is charged with “making targets…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), together with the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS), strongly condemns the conduct of law enforcement officers of Serbia’s Ministry of Interior (MUP), who, during last night’s student protest in Novi Sad, used excessive force against students and citizens and obstructed journalists in the performance of their work. Several journalists were attacked, prevented from reporting, or subjected to ID checks and searches without legal grounds. Among the documented cases by NUNS, Emir Kahrimanović (021.rs) was reporting from the riverside quay as police charged the crowd. In footage he recorded, he can be heard repeatedly…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its partners from the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in expressing serious concern over the threat of political interference in the operations of the United Group’s media outlets in Serbia, which owns the major independent television news channels that are active in Serbia, N1 and Nova TV. On 27 August 2025, new information revealed by the Organised Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and published in collaboration with the investigative outlet KRIK suggested that Serbia’s President Aleksandar Vučić intends to undermine the independence of N1 and Nova TV. A leaked recording emerged of…