The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners in strongly condemning the numerous judicial decisions aimed at preventing the publication of information by four Belgian media outlets. The return of preventive censorship, which the Belgian Constitution prohibits, marks an alarming deterioration of press freedom in Belgium.  On 10 October, the President of the Court of First Instance in Liège issued a “suspension order” to prevent the publication of an article of public interest in the daily newspaper Le Soir. The censored article concerned the legal consequences of an investigation into tax offences involving Maxime…

“Self-realisation” is the word Anja Matić chose to describe her experience at the Voices festival as an awardee. “Thrilling” was Vicky Hristova’s choice, and “inspiring” was Ilaria Potenza’s. The Voices Festival was created to provide a place for the media community and citizens interested in promoting better-informed societies to meet and discuss crucial themes shaping our relationship with information and media.  In this context, the festival will put in the spotlight 10 talents and innovative projects to promote outstanding work in the fields of Media Literacy (5 awards) and Journalism (5 awards).  We invite European journalists who would like to…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), along with 60 undersigned press freedom and freedom of expression groups, media outlets, and civil society organizations, condemns the official revocation of the terrestrial broadcasting license of independent radio station Açık Radyo by Turkey’s broadcast regulator, RTÜK (Radio and Television Supreme Council). This action marks a severe blow to independent radio broadcasting in Turkey, silencing a platform known for promoting diverse, critical voices and addressing issues of profound public interest. Açık Radyo, an independent and non-profit media organisation founded in 1995, has long been a vital source of free expression in Turkey. Over the past three decades,…

Czech journalist Kristina Ciroková was recently declared a “suspicious individual” by Slovak prosecutor Lucia Pavlaninová after she reported on a Ukrainian cult that spread pro-Russia propaganda.  The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) firmly condemn this abuse of power and demand that the office of the prosecutor drop the charges. On 25 September, the Regional Prosecutor’s Office in Žilina, northern Slovakia, started investigating Kristina Ciroková, a reporter for the Czech newspaper Seznam Zprav, for allegedly  “supporting and promoting anti-cult movements”. This is related to her investigative work on cults, but more precisely to an article and a video she…

On Monday 14th October, the media community reached a consensus on the need for multi-stakeholder dialogue as countries implement recent EU media legislations at the EFJ high-level European conference on Self-Regulation and Regulation in the Media Sector. Over 90 people attended the conference as ULB hosted media regulators, self-regulators, journalists’ professional representatives, publishers’ professional representatives, ULB Masters of Journalism students, EU policymakers, researchers and civil society for the one-day event to discuss media regulation and its impact on journalists and citizens. “This conference is about the importance of the self-regulation system but also about how such a system can only…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), together with its French affiliate CFDT-Journalistes, strongly condemn the numerous attacks against journalists during the high-profile Mazan rape trial. These attacks include the eviction of Frédéric Munsch, who was assaulted by one of the defendants, and gender-based intimidation, such as that suffered by the journalist Anna Margueritat. The Mazan rapes trial began on 2 September 2024 before the Criminal Court of Vaucluse. Fifty-one defendants, including Dominique Pélicot, Gisèle Pélicot’s husband, will be on trial until next December in this legal case which has already attracted unprecedented attention. This trial, widely covered by French and…