The European Commission presented on 14 September its proposal for a directive on copyright in the digital single market. The Authors’ Group* – representing more than 500 000 authors, including writers, literary translators, composers, songwriters, journalists, photographers, film/TV directors and screenwriters in Europe – welcomes the directive, in particular the proposal to address the key issue of creators’ weak bargaining position in their contractual relationships and fair remuneration in contracts. The Authors’ Group supports the European Commission’s commitment to address problems related to the forced transfer of rights of authors to publishers, producers and broadcasters. Achieving a well-functioning market-place for…

A group of Russian journalists and editors are meeting their European Union counterparts in Brussels on the 15th and 16th September for a seminar entitled “Journalistic standards in reporting the EU and the portrayal of Russia: against stereotypes in the media”. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), in association with its affiliate the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ), will host this two-day event in the Residence Palace. The meeting is part of an initiative spearheaded and funded by the EU Delegation to the Russian Federation. The seminar will draw on the expertise available in Brussels in the area of professional reporting of the…

The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ/IFJ) organised a press conference on 12 September on the theme: Turkey’s failed coup: implications for journalists, unionists and human rights activists at the Press Club in Brussels. Sanar Yurdatapan, a Turkish composer, human rights activist and initiator of Freedom of Expression Initiative-Turkey, was invited to speak about the prior and post-coup situation for freedom fighters. After showing a video footage showing the escalation of hate speech at the highest level in the country, he gave a brief picture of today’s Turkey where oppression, insults and threats towards media, activists and opposition parties have become a common place.…

The Media, Arts and Entertainment sector has seen significant changes in the structure of the labour market and in the organisation of work both within and outside the framework of the traditional employment relationships – with an established trend towards various forms of atypical working arrangements. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the International Federation of Actors (FIA), UNI MEI and the International Federation of Musicians (FIM) have today launched a handbook on ”The Future of Work in the Arts, Media & Entertainment Sector”, outlining conclusions and recommendations addressing atypical work in the Media, Arts and Entertainment sector. The launch…

The International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) Emergency Fund is established since 2013 to provide women journalists with a lifeline of support in times of crisis. Now more than ever, journalists around the world face real dangers as a result of their reporting. The Emergency Fund is sustained with the support of individual donors to address the growing need to provide direct assistance to women journalists who are suffering. The IWMF Emergency Fund provides women journalists with: Small grants for psychological and medical care for incidents directly related to threats and crises caused by one’s work as a journalist; Three months of…

The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) invite you for a press briefing on “Turkey’s failed coup: implications for journalists, unionists and human rights activists”, with Sanar Yurdatapan, Initiative for Freedom of Expression-Turkey and moderated by Mehmet Koksal (EFJ-IFJ). It will take place on Monday 12 September from 10:00 to 12:00 at the Press Club Brussels, 95 rue Froissard, in Brussels. Şanar Yurdatapan is a composer and human rights activist. Born in Susurluk (Turkey) in 1941, he became well-known as a composer and song-writer during the 1970s.  In 1979, he established DEMAR (Democratic Artists Community).  Following the military coup of 1980, he left…

Journalists and media workers from South East Europe and Turkey are able to share best practices, illuminate present challenges in labour rights and benefit from legal expertise after joining European Labour Rights Experts Group. “If journalists’ working conditions are poor, how can media be the driver for sustainable and peaceful development in the region? By promoting these exchanges, UNESCO and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) aim for a collective upgrade of media professionals’ rights, for the benefit of publics and democracy,” commented Mehmet Koksal, project officer from EFJ. Under the EU-funded project “Building Trust in media in South East…

The Croatian technical Government decided to extend the term to Siniša Kovačić as acting HRT general manager from 6 months to 1 year besides internal and external opposition. With early elections scheduled for September 11, the technical government in July opened a ten-day-consulting process on a decree to amend the law on the Croatian Radio-Television, HRT in order to allow the acting head of HRT to stay on for a year, instead of six months, which is the timeframe stipulated under the existing law. While the regulation says that the present acting HRT general manager term shall be expanded until…

From 31 August to 2 September, an international delegation of civil society organisations visited Istanbul to demonstrate solidarity with writers, journalists and media outlets in Turkey. The failed coup of 15 July, in which at least 265 people were killed, has traumatised the Turkish population and the government must bring those responsible for the violence to account. However, this must be done on the basis of specific, individual evidence of involvement in a crime and with full respect for international standards on the right to freedom of expression, the right to liberty and security and the right to a fair…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is backing the urgent call of his affiliates in Turkey (TGS & TGC) demanding the immediate release of Turkish journalists Cemil Ugur and Halil Ibrahim Polat detained since end-August 2016 at the province of Mersin (Turkey) while reporting for the daily newspaper Evrensel.   According to their lawyer, both journalists still in detention under the state of emergency “are exposed to insults and threats in prison” and the local police refuse to give further details about their situation. The EFJ and its affiliates are strongly concerned about the situation of journalists, the length of their detention and the alleged threats…

A delegation of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) met with Johannes Hahn, EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy & Enlargement Negotiations yesterday (05/09/2016) to discuss how to improve working and social conditions for journalists and how to foster high quality public service media (PSM) and media pluralism in the Western Balkans. “Unions are currently not playing the role they should play in Eastern Europe. The EU should support them and initiate social dialogue between stakeholders in the media industry”, said EFJ President Mogens Blicher Bjerregård emphasizing the need to empower journalists unions in this region. A concrete proposal mentioned was to organise “trilateral meetings” between social partners and…

The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) joined on 5 September their Ukrainian affiliates in condemning an arson attack that set ablaze the headquarters of private broadcaster Inter TV private broadcaster headquarters in Kiev, Ukraine. Reports said that a group of around 20 activists staged a rally yesterday in front of Inter TV’s building, set tyres on fire and threw a smoke bomb into the premises, causing a fire which damaged the first and second floor. The Independent Media Trade Union of Ukraine (IMTUU), an EFJ/IFJ affiliate, reported that one of its members, Inter TV journalist Olena Zorina, seriously injured…

The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ/IFJ), together with the Trade Union of Media of Montenegro (SMCG), have today sent a letter to the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Milo Đukanović, to share their deep concerns over the court proceedings of freelance journalist Montenegrin journalist Jovo Martinović. With this letter, EFJ president Mogens Blicher Bjerregård and IFJ president Philippe Leruth are urging the Montenegrin authorities to consider his journalistic work as a possible explanation for his alleged contacts with drug traffickers.  Jovo Martinović had been detained on suspicion of participating in a drug trafficking ring since 22 October 2015. He has always defended that…

On 2 September, the first hearing will take place in a trial concerning three former senior editors of Taraf daily newspaper, Ahmet Altan, Yasemin Çongar and Yildiray Oğur; and two journalists, Mehmet Baransu and Tuncay Opçin. The undersigned organisations believe the trial to be politically motivated and call on the government to drop all charges against the accused and to immediately and unconditionally release Mehmet Baransu, who has been held in pre-trial detention since his arrest on 2 March 2015. The charges pre-date the 15 July coup attempt, which the undersigned organisations also condemned; however, this is a trial of…

On 28 August, the police raided the main office of the Kurdish-language daily newspaper Azadiya Welat based in Diyarbakır. According to media reports, at least 23 staff members of the newspaper are currently detained at Diyarbakır Police headquarters following the raid, the names are : Yasemin Sayın, Hayat Yılmaz, Ahmet Kızılay, Arap Turan, Berxwedan Tulpar, Sürreya Dal, Zeynep İzgi, İbrahim Bayram, Engin Özelçi, Ahmet Boltan, Ceylan İpek, Mehmet Emin Kaya, Ziyan Karahan, Veysi Altın, Ercan Yeltaş, Azime Tarhan, Serdal Polat, Cengiz Aslan, Ferit Toprak, Mehmet Hüseyin Şahin, Mehmet Aydın, Pusat Bulut and Mehmet Emin Akgün. Dicle News Agency (DİHA) reported that the police justified the raid by the notice they received that “there are [illegal] organizational meetings held”. Phones and IDs of the employees have been…

The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ/IFJ), joined their affiliate, the Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AGK), in condemning an explosive attack at the home of the head of Kosovo’s public broadcaster RTK on 28 August, the second such attack in a week. Reports said that an unknown attacker threw an explosive device at the house of Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK)’s General Director, Mentor Shala, late Sunday in the capital, Pristina. Police told media that the device, which caused no casualties, was likely a hand grenade that was thrown in to the backyard while the entire family was…