The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) together with the International Partnership Group on Azerbaijan (IPGA) has called on the Azerbaijani authorities to lift the travel ban imposed on investigative journalist, Khadija Ismayilova and cease all legal proceedings against her. Against the backdrop of the unprecedented crackdown on civil society, Khadija Ismayilova’s arrest on criminal defamation charges seems imminent and would confirm the authorities’ intent to silence all critical voices in the country. The EFJ, as part of the International Partnership Group on Azerbaijan (IPGA),  including APC, ARTICLE 19, the Committee to Protect Journalists, Index on Censorship, Freedom House,  Freedom Now, the…

The EFJ has sent a joint letter to the European Commission along with twelves other authors’ organisations representing the creative workforce demanding the Commission to create a special private copying levy on cloud computing services. The call came after the Directorate General of the Commission responsible for Digital Agenda (DG CONNECT) in Europe launched a public consultation regarding cloud computing. The group explained that copies made via cloud computing services have the same purpose (private use) as the copies made by private individuals on their phones, tablets, USB sticks.  Therefore, they should be subject to the same levy system applied…

Every worker is entitled to the right to strike which is guaranteed by the EU Charter on Fundamental Rights and the constitutions in many EU countries. However, Germany will challenge this right by proposing a new law to limit the right to strike. According to the proposal, only the union with the most members in a company should have the right to negotiate with the employers and carry out strike actions. This would mean that larger unions will have a monopoly of power, making the smaller unions practically superfluous. The EFJ affiliates in Germany, DJV and dju.in Verdi, are joining…

  table.mcnFollowContent {width:100% !important;} table.mcnShareContent {width:100% !important;}     Having trouble viewing this email? View this email in your browser Share Tweet Forward to Friend 13 October 2014 EDITORIAL When Governments are Losing Touch with Civil Society  As EFJ President, I was present at the International Governance Forum (IGF) in Istanbul at beginning of September in a global debate focusing on the development of the digital world and its impact issues most concerning journalists such as press freedom, protection of sources, safety and free access to information. During the discussion, a representative from Tunisia expressed framed in my view one of…

(2014) ‘‘Journalists’ and their organisations must be the driving force for the future of journalism’’ – this is the notion highlighted in the study published by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today about finding ways to sustain quality journalism. Authored by Andreas K. Bittner, the study on Confronting Austerity: Financial and Employment Models in Journalism was the result of a one-year project carried out by the EFJ to find out how journalists and their organisations can confront the crisis and respond to / take advantage of the rapidly changing media landscape.  Responses collected from 42 EFJ affiliates across Europe…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) urges Slovenian prosecutors to immediately drop the criminal charges against Anuška Delić, an investigative reporter for Delo, a leading Slovenian daily. She is accused of publishing classified state intelligence. She faces up to three years in prison just for having done her job. The trial against her is expected to begin on Wednesday 15 October, in Slovenia. In 2011, Anuška Delić wrote a series of articles, just before the Slovenian parliamentary elections, in which she uncovered alleged connections between the Slovenian neo-Nazi group Blood & Honour and members of the Slovenian Democratic Party (SDS).…