Together with 17 media outlets, journalists’ and press freedom organisations, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today sent an open letter to Vice-President for Values and Transparency, Věra Jourová, and Commissioner for Internal Market, Thierry Breton, to denounce the abusive practices of some reputation management companies operating in the European Union towards journalists and access to information. Last February, the media NGO Forbidden Stories – which continues the work of assassinated journalists – published its latest investigation into disinformation mercenaries, “Story Killers”, and revealed the practices of one player in particular: Eliminalia, a Spanish reputation management company that offers to…

EU governments want to authorise the spying of journalists and their sources on vague grounds of “national security”. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) strongly rejects the position of the EU Council on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) and denounces a blow to media freedom, arguing that such legislation would put journalists and their sources even more at risk. The Council reached today, 21 June 2023, an agreement on the much-needed European Media Freedom Act, a legislation proposed by the European Commission on 16 September 2022 with the intention to introduce safeguards against political interference, media concentration, and to…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned media freedom, freedom of expression and human rights organizations in strongly condemning the appalling attack on journalist Sinan Aygül that took place in Tatvan, a city in eastern Turkey, on June 17. Two people were arrested the following day and charged with ‘intentional injury with a weapon’. While we welcome the swift arrests, we call upon the authorities to thoroughly investigate this crime and ensure that all those responsible, including others who may have been behind the attack, are held fully accountable. On June 17, Aygül, who is also the chairperson…

The latest draft compromise text of the EU Council on the European Media Freedom Act provides for a ‘national security’ exception – introduced by France – to the general ban on deploying spyware against journalists without guarantees for the protection of sources. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliates and other civil society organisations in urging Member States to reconsider their current position and take steps to meaningfully protect journalists and their fundamental rights. To ensure that the Regulation protects journalists and their fundamental rights, the Council must instead: eliminate the exception for “national security” restrict the list…

At least four French media outlets have been targeted in mid-June by a massive disinformation campaign coming from Russia. Websites of Le Monde, 20 Minutes, Le Parisien and Le Figaro were replicated with fake content disseminating the Kremlin communications relayed by fake social media accounts.  Started in 2022, this digital interference campaign, nicknamed “Doppelgänger”, targeted other European news media outlets in Germany (Der Spiegel, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung and Bild) and in the United Kingdom (The Guardian). Similar fakes have also been seen in Ukraine, Latvia and Italy, amongst others. In addition, a new media called “Reliable Recent News”…

The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) joined the undersigned international media freedom organisations in today expressing alarm over the Kosovo authorities’ unprecedented move to suspend the business certificate of major private television broadcaster, Klan Kosova, and bring criminal charges against its representatives. The actions of the Ministry of Industry, Entrepreneurship and Trade are extremely serious and pose a serious threat to the exercise of media freedom in Kosovo. This is the first time in the country’s history that a broadcaster’s business certificate has been suspended in such a manner. Withdrawing the business certificate, which could lead to the…