More than 60 participants from 23 European countries attended the final conference on ‘how to manage change in the media’ from the unions’ and newsrooms’ perspectives. It took place in Thessaloniki, Greece, on 10-11 October 2019. Co-organised by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its affiliate in Thessaloniki, the Journalists’ Union of Macedonia and Thrace Daily Newspapers (ESIEMTH), the conference concluded a two-year project (2017-2019) whose objective was to help journalists’ organisations in adapting practices to the news industry and in strengthening their union capacity, through a series of five workshops (see below). The exchange of best practices and…

Two years after the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta, on 16 October 2019, we, the undersigned international free expression, anti-corruption, and journalists’ organisations, once again demand an end to impunity for this heinous attack. Six of our organisations, including the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), took part in an international freedom of expression mission to Malta one year ago, where, at the highest levels of government, we raised our profound concerns about this case and the broader worrying free expression environment in Malta – which has fallen 30 places over the past two years and is now…

The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ and IFJ) joined today their Maltese affiliate, the Institute of Maltese Journalists (IGM), in standing with those fighting for justice, two years after the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. IFJ and EFJ associate themselves with IGM’s press release issued today: “It has been two years since the day Daphne Caruana Galizia was brutally murdered in a horrific attack on freedom of speech. Two years since a fellow journalist was killed because someone feared what she had to say and used the threat of murder as a tool to censor the Maltese press.…

[UPDATE] The number of journalists victims of some type of aggression while covering the different demonstrations this week in Barcelona rises to 59. On Tuesday 15, in Tarragona, a protester tore the shirt first a journalist and then pulled Canal Reus’ editor Ariadna Escoda’s hair. In Lleida, the journalist of the Catalan News Agency (ACN), Laura Cortés, was wounded in the leg by the impact of an object. In Barcelona, a photojournalist from eldiario.es, Sònia Calvó, freelance photojournalist Xavi Hurtado, journalist Quico Sallés from El Món, three photographers who prefer to remain anonymous, and a French reporter reported to have been…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its Dutch affiliate Nederlandse Vereninging van Journalisten (NVJ) in condemning a new law under which Dutch citizens travelling to an area “controlled by terrorist groups” must request permission from the justice ministry. This new regulation threatens the freedom to inform, EFJ said, calling on the Dutch senate to make an exception for journalists or to withdraw the bill. The bill, proposed by the Dutch Minister of Justice and Security Ferdinand Grapperhaus (our picture), was approved by the Lower House on 10 September. Under the proposed law, failing to request the justice ministry’s permission before travelling…

Wednesday 16 October 2019 will mark two years since the brutal assassination of Malta’s best-known investigative journalist and anti-corruption campaigner, Daphne Caruana Galizia. Although three men have now been formally charged with her murder, a date for their trial has yet to be set while those who ordered her killing remain at large. To honour Daphne Caruana Galizia’s memory and to continue calling for justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ),  the Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights Defenders (a joint FIDH-OMCT programme), Reporters Without Borders (RSF)…

Poland’s ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party wants to regulate the status of the country’s journalists, and to create a “new media order.” PiS is proposing a new regulatory framework for the conduct of journalism in its 232-page election manifesto,in preparation for the October 13 general election. The ruling party argues that the journalist profession is one which depends on public trust and should, therefore, be regulated in a similar way to that of the medical and legal professions. This would mean establishing a body to oversee ethical and professional standards, education and entry into the profession. The proposed reform…

A group of government supporters attacked the offices of the online media Hayeli.am, highly critical of the Armenian authorities, on October 5. The group threw eggs and posted offensive posters at the entrance of the offices of the publication in Yerevan, the capital of the country. The four suspects are all known as ardent supporters of Armenian Prime Minister and were protesting against a headline that they consider pro-Azerbaijani published by the news website last week: “Aliyev’s belated but ‘strong’ response to Pashinian”. The article was about Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev’s public reaction a statement on Nagorno-Karabakh made by Armenian…

Kosovo Police detained four Serbian journalists from Radio Belgrade at a police station in Southern Kosovska Mitrovica on Friday, 4 October for six hours. On the same day, Pink Television and Tanjug News Agency crews were held up for several hours at Jarinje administrative crossing. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its Serbian affiliates the Journalists’ Association of Serbia (UNS), the Independent Journalists’ Association (NUNS) and the Journalists’ Union of Serbia (SINOS) in supporting their protest for the protection of journalists and the right of informing freely. The Radio Belgrade crew, which included journalist Nataša Aćimović, sound technician Aleksandar Bojović, producer Svetlana…

On 29 September, the Madrid radio M21 stopped airing its programmes following a decision from the newly elected city council of Madrid, leaving the thirteen media workers in an uncertain situation. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliates in Spain Federación de Asociaciones de Periodistas (FAPE) and Federación de Sindicatos de Periodistas (FeSP) in expressing solidarity with M21’s staff. They are calling on the new Mayor and the city council of Madrid to reconsider their decision. Madrid’s Mayor, José Luis Martínez-Almeida had been accusing repeatedly the radio to be the former mayor mouthpiece, renaming the station ‘Radio Carmena’…

Russian journalist Yulia Yuzik was arrested on 3 October in her hotel room in the Iranian capital Teheran. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) joined their Russian affiliates in urging Iran to clarify the reasons for her arrest. In the absence of evidence, the EFJ calls for the journalist’s immediate release. Yulia Yuzik had her passport confiscated by the police as she entered Teheran airport on 3 October and was told she would get it back on her return. She was arrested later in her hotel room by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) for allegedly working for…

Twelve journalists working at the the public service broadcasters (PSM) in Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Serbia and the UK attended the first meeting of the Broadcasting Expert Group (BREG) has raised serious concerns over the increasing political interference on public service media. In the meeting held at the EFJ headquarters in Brussels, discussion over the development of the independence of PSM shows a worrying trend of political interference all over Europe, even in the “traditionally democratic countries” in Northern and Western Europe like Denmark and Austria. Particular attention was also paid to the situation of Poland,…

A journalist of Radio Sarajevo was attacked and several journalists were threatened by a group of fans of the Football Club Sarajevo on the evening of September 27. The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ/IFJ) joined its affiliate in Bosnia and Herzegovina, BH Journalists, in demanding harsh sanctions against the assailants. After breaking into the newsroom, a group of hooligans harassed for more than two hours, including death threats, a radio reporter to remove an article about a fan who had been convicted to a five-year prison sentence for drug possession. He was then forced to call other editorial…

AGEMI (Advancing Gender Equality in Media Industries) is an online resource which provides a range of helpful materials for media practitioners and everyone interested in progressing gender equality. You will find 100+ examples of good practices in a searchable database (Resources Bank of Good Practices), interviews with journalists and gender experts (GEM Talks) and a set of learning resources (GEM Learn) on topics including representation, advocacy, language, technology and safety. The moving image resources have professional subtitles in English, French and Spanish and can also be accessed via AGEMI’s You Tube channel, AGEMI Project. All the resources are free to download…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined today the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the UK and Ireland renewed call for an independent investigation into the murder of Sunday World journalist and union activist Martin O’Hagan. In a joint statement marking the anniversary of Martin’s murder on 28 September 2001, Michelle Stanistreet, NUJ general secretary and Séamus Dooley, NUJ assistant general secretary called for the appointment of an external investigator to carry out an independent inquiry into the murder and the subsequent failure of the police to secure conviction for the murder. The statement said: “The NUJ remains gravely concerned at…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joined their affiliate, the Union of Bulgarian Journalists (UBJ), to express support to the journalists of the Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) who are facing widespread pressure from their management.  The crisis in the Bulgarian public service media started with the dismissal of the longtime radio journalist and legal expert Sylvia Velikova and the five-hour broadcasting suspension of the BNR’s Horizont Channel on September 13.  During a hearing at the regulator (Council of Electronic Media – CEM) on the following days, the editorial board of the radio channel…