Czech Republic: Public media funding bill raises concerns over compatibility with EMFA

A new government bill which would overhaul the funding model for the Czech public media risks financially weakening the broadcasters, eroding safeguards for their financial independence and violating European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), the undersigned Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and other media freedom, journalist and freedom of expression organisations warn today. Our organisations call on the European Commission to closely assess this bill regarding its compatibility with Article 5 of EMFA and to ensure that no reforms are undertaken which threaten the financial, editorial or institutional independence of the Czech public media.…

EFJ slams UK for pushing through data retention law

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today has criticised the UK government’s hasty move to rush through a controversial data retention law that will allow the government to have greater control of personal data of citizens and journalists. “It is shocking that the UK government is pushing through a law that has just been invalidated by the European Court of Justice (ECJ),” said Ricardo Gutierrez, EFJ General Secretary. “We are extremely concerned that such an intrusive law will violate the privacy of citizens as well as those of journalists whose duty to protect confidential sources could be compromised.” The EFJ…

EFJ FOCUS 16 June 2014

  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 16 June 2014 EDITORIAL Putting Media Pluralism on EU agenda Over 200 candidates for the European Elections have endorsed our Manifesto calling for media freedom and pluralism in Europe.  Now some of them have been elected to serve the citizens for the next five years, they shall keep their promises by putting media pluralism at the heart of the EU agenda because Europe’s democracy relies on independent and pluralistic journalism. The new European Parliament and…

Media under attack: Balkans and former Soviet Union press freedom review, January 2011- December 2013

Media Under Attack has been compiled by the IFJ and the affiliated unions in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Russia and Ukraine where we have  just completed a 3 year programme of press freedom and safety campaigning for journalists. The report provides an overview of the media situation for each country, details press freedom violations recorded since 2011 and outlines the continuing challenges facing journalists unions and their members. Further contributions have been made from Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey. Read the report HERE

EFJ Focus, 30 April 2014

The new issue of the EFJ Focus is now available in English, French and German. To subscribe, simply click HERE. If you missed the previous issues, see our archives.

TGS-EFJ Kicks Off First Capacity Building Workshop

(26-27.04.2014) The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its affiliate in Turkey, the Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS for Türkiye Gazeteciler Sendikasi), organised the first workshop for a two-year project called “Press Freedom and Empowering the Journalists Trade Union Movement in Turkey”. The project is funded by the EIDHR (European Instrument for Democracy and Human Rights) of the European Commission. The workshop covered the issues on union capacity-building, recruitment strategies, legal assistance and the TGS-EFJ campaign for the freedom of imprisoned journalists. The workshop also discussed the preparation of a major international conference for 2016. Renate Schroeder (EFJ Director) and Mehmet Koksal…

The right thing – An authors’ rights handbook for journalists – English and French

This is a manual for journalists in Europe, on authors’ rights. Authors’ rights laws provide the legal foundation for charging money for journalists’ work – as the law of ownership of physical property is the foundation for the business of a shoe-maker or a pin-factory. In other words, authors’ rights are in economic theory what gives journalists’ essentially non-physical product, words and pictures, value in the market. Labour rights laws intervene to give journalists the right to be paid for their time and first use of their work. Read in English or French  

EFJ FOCUS, 11 March 2014

The new issue of the EFJ Focus is now available in English, German andFrench. Got a smartphone? Scan the QR code and read the Focus while you are on the move! To subscribe, simply click HERE. If you missed the previous issues, see our archives.

Members of Labour Rights Expert Group

Elected members of the Labour Rights Expert Group (LAREG) in 2014 are Chair     Philippe Leruth     Renate Gensch     Rainer Reichert     Yannis Kotsifos     Seamus Dooley     Franco Siddi     Marta Barcenilla     Nathalie Weber     Michelle Stanistreet  

Mapping changes in employment

In 2012 the EFJ and EURO-MEI carried out a joint project on mapping changes in employment in the media and journalism industry. The project assessed the impact of employment changes on the media and journalism industry on journalists and media workers. It analyzed the employment changes and illustrated how these changes impact on trade union representation and organizing. The survey focuses on two case studies, France and the U.K, but also takes into consideration other countries. Please click HERE to read the final report. The EFJ is the European group of the International Federation of Journalists The EFJ represents over 260,000…