The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today joined media organisations in demanding a journalist’s privilege (Article 17) over content moderation, ahead of the vote on the European Media Freedom Act scheduled next week in the European Parliament. Media freedom and journalistic integrity have not only become the plaything of individual governments in the EU in recent years. Also, very large online platforms (VLOPs), that have become key distribution channels for editorial content, are increasingly exerting influence on the media landscape and restricting media freedom and pluralism. Based on their algorithms and content moderation practices, VLOPs decide who gets to read,…

In the run-up to the European Parliament’s vote on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), scheduled on 3 October 2023, 500 journalists have signed the letter below calling on MEPs to introduce an absolute ban on the deployment of spyware against journalists. Dear honorable Members of the European Parliament, Ahead of the upcoming vote of the draft report on the proposed European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), journalists in Europe are urging you to introduce an absolute ban on the surveillance of journalists through spyware in this text.  Some of us, and many of our colleagues across Europe and the world, have…

The results of the 2023 Media Pluralism Monitor (MPM), which have just been published, confirm the decline in media pluralism in Europe. Of the 32 countries analysed (the 27 EU Member States and the five candidate countries), barely seven present a satisfactory situation. For the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), this new study confirms the urgent need to considerably strengthen the provisions of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), which is currently being examined by the European Parliament. “This scientific study is a real setback for European governments, who have just watered down the EMFA when the evidence shows that…

EU governments want to authorise the spying of journalists and their sources on vague grounds of “national security”. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) strongly rejects the position of the EU Council on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) and denounces a blow to media freedom, arguing that such legislation would put journalists and their sources even more at risk. The Council reached today, 21 June 2023, an agreement on the much-needed European Media Freedom Act, a legislation proposed by the European Commission on 16 September 2022 with the intention to introduce safeguards against political interference, media concentration, and to…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined European organisations, representing thousands of media outlets, journalists and all other media workers across the EU, in calling on Member States to ensure effective protection of sources in the proposed European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). While we welcome the intentions of Article 4, which “aims to guarantee that journalists and editors can work without interference, including when it comes to protecting their sources and communications”, we consider the protections foreseen in the Commission’s draft to be insufficient to effectively shield journalists from undue interference, prohibit surveillance of journalists and protect journalistic sources and…

The European Commission’s 2026 report on the rule of law, published on 17 July, underestimates the seriousness of the attacks on press freedom and media pluralism. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) calls on the European Parliament, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) and the Committee of the Regions to take a critical look at this report. The EFJ believes that the EU’s mechanisms for addressing the decline in the rule of law are largely ineffective, as, despite four years of recommendations from the European Commission, most Member States have failed to turn guidance into tangible action. The report…

Record levels of physical violence against journalists, death threats and online smear campaigns, entrenched impunity, and tight political control over the media landscape – media freedom in Serbia is in a deepening crisis with a rapidly closing window for independent journalism to operate. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), together with its partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform, today presents a report which outlines the deteriorating situation for media freedom and safety of journalists in Serbia. The report is a result of an international mission to Belgrade that took…

On 9-10 March 2026, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners for its third visit to Rome in five years. The MFRR mission found that Italy has continued on a negative trajectory, resulting in a further erosion of media freedom. This report presents the findings from the mission and MFRR’s ongoing monitoring, offering an analysis of the four most urgent issues identified by the consortium.The persistent political interference in Italy’s public broadcaster Radiotelevisione Italiana (Rai) epitomises the most concerning trend in the Italian media sector, its governance and funding models failing to comply with…

The Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) has just published the Media Pluralism Monitor 2026 (#MPM2026), the most comprehensive EU-wide assessment of risks to media pluralism and press freedom. The report shows that the working conditions of journalists, in terms of salaries and social security schemes, are deteriorating. The situation is particularly worrying in one in three countries in Europe. This year’s findings show how weak business models, big tech, lack of protection against legal intimidation practices, and market concentration are challenging the resilience of media pluralism in Europe, despite the entry into force of the European Media…

On 15 July 2026, the European Commission will publish its seventh annual Rule of Law Report. This exercise has become a familiar ritual aimed at providing a thorough stock-take of where judicial independence, media freedom, anti-corruption efforts and checks and balances stand across the Union, followed by recommendations that too often disappear into the next reporting cycle without consequence. The undersigned 37 civil society, including the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), human rights, journalism and media support organisations urgently call on the European Commission to take more direct and verifiable measures to uphold, protect and restore the rule of law…

The passing of a law by the President of Poland which will establish stronger safeguards against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) is a long-awaited victory for media freedom which will provide important legal protections for public interest journalism, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners said today. Our organisations welcome the passing of the amendment, which will establish a strong legal basis in Poland to fight SLAPPs. The law covers both domestic and cross border SLAPPs ensuring implementation of both EU Anti-SLAPP Directive and Council of Europe Recommendation Against SLAPPs. Crucially, the Polish law…

The Czech government plans to replace the licence fee with state budget funding for public service media from January 2027. The proposed funding levels would represent a significant real-terms cut, with no safeguards for the independence of the public service media, no prior consultation with the broadcasters, and insufficient time for public and parliamentary debate. On Friday, the EFJ Annual Meeting unanimously adopted a motion, tabled by the Syndicate of Journalists of the Czech Republic (SNCR), calling on the Czech government “to immediately reconsider the proposed reform and ensure full compliance with the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), particularly with…

This year, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) held its annual meeting in Ankara, Turkey (18-19 June). Hosted by the Journalists’ Association (GCD), the event themed ‘Journalism under siege’, brought together 85 representatives of 42 journalists’ trade unions and professional associations from across Europe and the newly elected president of the International Federation of Journalists, Zuliana Lainez. “You came at the time when you were most needed,” declared GCD Chairman Nazmi Bilgin, referring to our symbolic presence, in a country where journalists have long paid a high price for their reporting of public interest. The annual meeting kicked off with GCD…

From 9-11 June 2026, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) conducted a joint mission to France to assess the current state of media freedom in the country. This statement presents the mission’s preliminary findings.  The mission was led by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and joined by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), ARTICLE 19 Europe, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), and the International Press Institute (IPI). The mission was organised with the support of local partners, the journalists’ trade unions SNJ, SNJ-CGT, CFDT-Journalistes, as well  the French…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and the undersigned organisations – representing public service media, journalists, and press freedom organisations across Europe and globally – in calling on the Lithuanian authorities to ensure all outstanding recommendations of the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission on the Law on Lithuanian National Radio and Television are addressed. With this open letter, we call on the Lithuanian authorities, including the Seimas, the Government and the President, to complete the legislative work begun this year and to ensure that all outstanding recommendations of the Council of Europe’s Venice Commission…

From 4-5 June 2026, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) hosted a two-day workshop focusing on EU legislation impacting media freedom and the digital environment. Around 40 journalists, journalists’ representatives, experts and policymakers gathered in Brussels to discuss the application in practice of key European legislation for journalists and the media sector as a whole. “Today we’re here to exchange experiences, strengthen our advocacy and ensure that media freedom does not remain a beautiful phrase in European legislation, but become something that journalists actually feel in their everyday work,” said Maja Sever, President of EFJ, in her opening remarks. Key…