The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the Danish Journalists’ Union (DJ) have strongly condemned Turkish border police for the assault of Danish journalist Nagieb Khaja on 2 December while crossing the border into Syria to cover the refugee crisis. The EFJ member in Denmark, DJ, has immediately written to the Ambassador of Turkey in Denmark protesting the attack on Khaja.  Following the demand of the organisations to investigate the assault, the Turkish authority has responded today that they have started an investigation into Khaja’s case. Mogens Blicher Bjerregård, the EFJ President said, “We have witnessed Turkey’s disregard for the…

The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ) have today joined their affiliate, the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ), in condemning the decision of the Russian government to add the Glasnost Defense Foundation (GDF), a Russian media non-governmental organisation, to the Justice Ministry’s list of so-called “foreign agents” last 19 November following an unscheduled inspection. The labelling of GDF follows a 2012 law which requires Russian-based NGOs that receive funding from abroad and engage in “political activity” to register as “foreign agents”. Under this law, organisations added to the list – around 100 groups, according to the OSCE…

A debate on the revision of the Audio-Visual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) and the independence of media regulatory authorities will be hosted by the European Parliament by MEP Sabine Verheyen on 7 December. The aim of the meeting is to provide MEPs and other stakeholders with an overview of the key challenges to be addressed in the revision. The European Commission recently conducted a public consultation (closed 30 September 2015) and is currently preparing revisions to the Directive which will then be submitted to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union. The meeting will include contributions from Lorena Boix Alonso, Head of Unit,…

Update : Please sign the petition to free journalists in jail At a press conference held today (01/12/2015) in Istanbul, Reporters without Borders (RSF) together with the International and European Federation of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ), the Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS), Journalists Association of Turkey (TGC), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the International Press Institute (IPI), World Association of Newspapers and News Publishers (WAN­IFRA), World Press Freedom Committee (WPFC) and the Ethical Journalism Network (EJN) launched the following international appeal for the release of Cumhuriyet journalists Can Dündar and Erdem Gül :  International appeal – First as prime minister and now as president,…

On 19 November, the EFJ organised its biannual Freelance Experts’ Group (FREG) meeting, in which participants from 8 European countries discussed EFJ activities, national developments regarding freelance activities and ideas for the  future working programme to be adopted by next year’s EFJ General Meeting. Below is a snap shot of the main topics debated by the participants. EFJ issues & activities Results of the survey “Mapping Freelance Journalists” : Please click HERE for more information. The Rights and Jobs in Journalism EFJ project debriefing : The Dublin Freelance conference on atypical workers, which was organised in September 2015 by the National union of…

The EFJ has created a short survey aiming to collect latest information among EFJ affiliates to provide an overview of the current recruitment strategy, development of services and youth in journalists’ unions. This will help the EFJ map out the situation in our membership better its services for members in this area in the future. 19 members have already responded. Some of them have also shared their best practices in a workshop on recruitment in Copenhagen in May. You can find out the top 10 tips on recruitment and organising in the EFJ membership.  If you have not responded yet,…

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has launched an global survey for journalists unions & associations aiming to get a better overview of the changing nature of employment in the Media Sector and the unions & associations strategies to respond and adapt their services and recruit future generations of journalists. This is a first attempt to conduct a global survey. The survey takes 30 minutes but provides crucial information about the status of journalists, journalists unions and the underlying trends affecting the profession. All the EFJ members are called to respond to the survey.  Please find it HERE. The results of the survey…

The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) are today (27/11/2015) calling on the Turkish authorities to immediately release journalists Can Dündar and Erdem Gül and drop all charges against them. The two journalists working for the daily newspaper Cumhuriyet have been arrested yesterday in Istanbul following a judicial complain initiated by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on charges of “procuring information as to state security”, “political and military espionage”, “declaring confidential information” and “doing propaganda on behalf of a terror organization”. All accusations are in fact based on the article and footage released by Cumhuriyet on May 29 with the headline “Here are the weapons Erdogan…

EDITORIAL BY MOGENS BLICHER BJERREGARD, EFJ PRESIDENT The EFJ newsletter, EFJ Focus, is available in English, French and German. Labour rights in South Eastern Europe All evidence shows that strong unions and labour rights are prerequisites for journalists to guarantee quality journalism. This is the message I delivered in a high-level European conference (see below) on  media freedom in Western Balkans and Turkey on 4 November in Brussels. I stressed the importance of journalists’ labour rights, capacity building of journalists’ organisations and a long-term action plan to improve the working conditions of journalists and achieve media freedom in the region. The European Commissioner…

To mark the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women on 25 November, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has joined European trade unionists pledging to end violence against women at workplace and in society. According to the European Trade Union Congress (ETUC), the shocking facts are that One in three women have been a victim of physical and/or sexual violence. Just over 1 in 10 of those women were assaulted by someone from work – a supervisor, colleague or customer. Up to half of women in European Union countries experience unwanted sexual advances, physical contact or other forms…

Update (07/07/2016): The prosecuted journalists were acquitted in Vatileaks trial. Vatican Court declared it has no jurisdiction to try journalists in leaks scandal. ——- Italian journalists Emiliano Fittipaldi and Gianluigi Nuzzi are facing up to eight years in jail in Vatican if convicted for publishing books revealing alleged corruption and mismanagement of tens of millions of Vatican funds based on leaked documents. The two journalists called the process “Kafka-esque”. Neither they nor their lawyers had seen the court file detailing the accusations against them hours prior to the trial. Gianluigi Nuzzi spoke for the first time with his Vatican court-appointed lawyer Monday…

A new survey launched by the European Federation of Journalists reveals the diversity of the freelancers’ professional situations and disparities of their labour rights’ protection in Europe. On 19th November, the EFJ had its biannual meeting with the Freelance Experts’ Group (FREG). Together, they discussed the results of the survey “Mapping Freelance Journalists” conducted since May by the EFJ to collect updated database regarding the social status of the freelance journalists and their representation in professional associations and unions in Europe. Thirty-three organisations from 28 countries have responded to the online questionnaire. The results reveal disturbing disparities between levels of freelancers…

    LITHUANIAN JOURNALISTS’ UNION (LŽS) Address Jogailos g. 11, Vilnius 01116, Lithuania President Audrys Antanaitis – pirmininkas@lzs.lt; audrys.antanaitis@lzs.lt Phone + (85) 212 2805 Email info@lzs.lt Website http://www.lzs.lt/   LITHUANIAN ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONAL JOURNALISTS (ZPA) Address Jazminy g. 15, Purmaliy k., LT-92444 Klaipèdos, Lithuania President Chair of the Board Birutė Davidonytė – birute@redakcija.eu Jurate Damulyte – j.damulyte@gmail.com Phone +37 0612 77 817 Email lzasociacija@gmail.com Website https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61552577721568  

Update (18/12/2015): The ILO received a total of 258 entries from contestants in 68 countries. Follow this link to discover the winners. ———————- Recent debates on the migrants and refugees crisis have put media under spotlight raising the question of fair and ethical reporting. The International Labour Organisation (ILO) has launched its first-ever global competition for the media, entitled ‘Reporting Fairly on Labour Migration’ to recognise exemplary media coverage on the topic. The winner will be announced on the International Migrants Day on 18 December and he/she will receive $1,000. The work of the winner will be promoted widely as an example of good practices worldwide. The competition is organised…

In wake of the Paris attacks, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has expressed its solidarity with the families and friends of the journalist Guillaume B. Decherf and cameraman Mathieu Hoche, as well as all citizens who are affected by the attack on Friday 13 November. “The French people has responded admirably to the terrorists by declaring loudly that they were not afraid. So as the journalists who are working round the clock bringing citizens information about the attack,” said the EFJ General Secretary, Ricardo Gutierrez. “Journalists will not give in. As they have done it in the aftermath of…

Imagine you are being locked away in a prison for 14 years without trial for crimes you have not committed? On Sunday 15 November, you can experience the injustice facing the Swedish-Eritrean journalist, Dawit Isaak, who has been detailed Eritrea for 14 years now. To share the solidarity with Dawit, you will be put in a  four square metres of pitch dark and stifled surroundings symbolize Dawit Isaak’s prison cell for 15 minutes. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) will join a campaign launched by the Belgian branch of the world association of writers, PEN, to highlight the struggle of…