This speech is given by the EFJ President, Mogens Blicher Bjerregård, at the Speak up 3 Conference: Freedom of expression in the Western Balkans and Turkey, held in Brussels on 4 November 2015.   Media, journalists and their organisations in Western Balkans and Turkey are operating in an environment where a lack of respect for the fundamental rights of journalists poses threat to the safety of journalists and media freedom. An important message that has been echoed from conference to conference like this – it is impossible to have quality, independent journalism without decent working conditions. Labour rights are a prerequisite…

During a conference hosted by the Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) and the Journalists Association of Turkey (TGC) leading journalists from across the political spectrum united in condemning the surge in attacks on press freedom led by the government in recent weeks. Participants recounted how, since the inconclusive June elections and the relaunch of the conflict with the PKK in July, journalists and media have come under sustained assault from the government and their supporters. Newspapers are regularly attacked by angry mobs, numerous websites of press agencies and trade unions are repeatedly blocked, foreign journalists are being deported, while many…

Update (20.08.2015) The European Federation of Journalists sent today a letter to Politico CEO Jim VandeHei expressing its concern about news reports suggesting that Mike Elk, Labor reporter at Politico and co-author of the Louisville Statement, has been fired. Politico confirmed, on Thursday, Mike Elk’s departure, saying it has “nothing to do with his union activities”. Supported by his union, Mike Elk replied that he is on vacation until September 1st: he considers he is still an employee of Politico. ———- Over 12,000 jobs have disappeared from the US media industry, over the last decade. But according to Pew Research Center’s count, 5,000 full-time…

“The country is going through a time in history whereby the concept of “criticism” has lost its substance. Any opinion opposing the views and positions of the politically powerful and not praising them are perceived as an “insult” or “defamation”. Any political dissent is subjected to intimidation. Triggered by this attitude, negative effects on political and social polarization has reached all segments of the society as well as the social life including publishing,” states a new report published this week by the Turkish Publishers Association (TYB). Although focusing mainly on freedom to publish for book writers and authors, the report also shows significant interest for…

The European Parliament’s Legal Affairs Committee has today adopted in a majority vote an own initiative report on authors’ rights that including provisions to strengthen authors’ contractual position while opening up some exceptions. The controversial report initiated by the European Greens MEP Reda  is a response to current work led by the European Commission to reform copyright/authors’ rights legislation (on the implementation of the “Infosoc directive” 2001/29) in the EU . It has led to heated debates inside the European Parliament and political groups over the possibility to relax current legislation to enable users to access protected works more extensively in the…

1. Resolutions The Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) on 2nd June, 2015 has adopted the following resolutions: A. On lobbying 1. On Authors’ rights in the digital single market Tabled by DJV, Germany, SNJ-CGT, France, and EFJ Steering Committee The Annual Meeting of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), meeting in Budva, Montenegro on 2nd June 2015, Noting that authors’ rights are subject to intensive attacks from free use lobbying groups; Considering that any erosion of authors’ rights principles would hamper the economic situation of journalists in Europe and threaten quality journalism; Considering that the EU…

Safety, rights and jobs Mogens Blicher Bjerregård EFJ President Safety, rights and jobs have been and will be our three keywords in the European Federation of Journalists these years. In solidarity we will work within that framework Safety as has been more an IFJ topic has also become an EFJ issue. I addressed it last November at the annual meeting in Moscow. Unfortunately, we see more journalists killed in Europe than ever, journalists are jailed for doing their job. Journalists are beaten and the digitization challenges protection of sources. Rights: Labor rights, rights to organize without being expelled from the…

Czech Republic   The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) signed an agreement on 18 December 2014 with the Union of Journalists and Media Workers of Czech Republic (OSNPM) in order to investigate the working conditions of Czech journalists and media workers. The project is implemented with the cooperation of Judith Reitstatter, from the Austrian union GPA-djp. The online survey was launched on 19 May 2015. Around 2,500 journalists and media workers were invited to participate to the survey. The EFJ, OSNPM and GPA-djp analysed together the main outcomes of the survey during a round table conference, on 19 August 2015,…

To mark this year’s World Book and Copyright Day on 23 April, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) call on public authorities across the globe to put legislation in place that secure fair, minimum contractual conditions for journalists and ensure they are equitably remunerated for the use of their works. Journalists are the authors of the works they produce. They own economic rights and in most countries have moral rights. This means that they must be remunerated for the use of their works and can protect the integrity of their journalism against any form…

Board members of the Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS), together with the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), organised this weekend (21-22 March 2015) in Istanbul the union’s third Strategic & Development workshop in a year. This was an opportunity for the new board (elected at the TGS Congress in December 2013) to evaluate their recruitment and development strategies, identify new areas of potential growth, reassess all ongoing projects with partners and take the necessary steps to move forward. Although Turkey’s Constitution affirms the right of workers to form labour unions “without obtaining permission”, “to possess…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) represented by President, Mogens Blicher Bjerregård, told EU policy-makers to address the unfair contractual practices in the media and creative sectors in a meeting organised by the European Parliament working group on intellectual property rights and copyright reform in Strasburg. Addressing members of the working group, Blicher Bjerregård says, “The biggest challenge facing journalists today is the unfair contractual practices that deprived the right of journalists from receiving fair payment for their work. “The imbalance in negotiation power between media organisations and individual journalists allows this to happen.” You can read the full speech…

(Brussels, 28 November 2014) The First Vice-President of the European Commission, Mr. Frans Timmermans, has told a delegation from the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) that sustaining quality journalism and putting Europe’s media freedom back on track will be high on his agenda. Mr Timmermans, the First Vice-President who is also the EU Commissioner in charge of Better Regulation, Inter-Institutional Relations, Rule of Law and Charter of Fundamental Rights highlighted that the financial crisis in the European media industry is affecting journalists’ rights, jobs and journalism as a public good. “Preserving reliable and quality information is an existential question for…

On 18/11/2014, a conference entitled “Media Integrity Matters – Reclaiming public service values in the Western Balkans media: How should the European Union Respond ?” has been organized in Brussels by MEP Tanja Fajon. The event was a follow-up to the publication of the book “Media integrity matters” in June 2014, comprising the research conducted in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia and Serbia. The study aims at addressing the obstacles to a democratic development of media systems in the countries of South East Europe/Western Balkans by pointing out corrupt relations and practices in media policy, media ownership and financing,…

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…

  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…

EUROPEAN FEDERATION OF JOURNALISTS (EFJ), AISBL – STATUTES   Article 1. Name and legal notices The name of the Association shall be “European Federation of Journalists” (hereinafter referred to as the “Association”). The Association may also use the acronym EFJ. All deeds, invoices, announcements, communications, letters, orders, websites and other documents, whether in electronic form or not, issued by the Association must contain the name of the Association, immediately followed or preceded by the words “Association internationale sans but lucratif” or “AISBL”, and the address of its registered office, its company number, the words “registre des personnes morales” or the…