The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the major network of journalists’ organisations in Europe, today called on European leaders to protect free flow of information and ensure that media freedom will be guaranteed as states strive to tackle the COVID-19 pandemic. The EFJ joined together with eight other press freedom bodies and journalists’ organisations to express its profound concerns about the dangers of governments taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic to punish independent and critical media and to introduce restrictions on the access of media to government decision making and action. While recognizing that certain emergency measures are needed to…

Sixteen human rigths and professional organisations urged Turkish Government not to discriminate against political prisoners in its forthcoming early parole bill. The Arrested Lawyers Initiative, European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Foundation of Day of the Endangered Lawyers, Freemuse Association, International Association of People’s Lawyers, International Observatory of Human Rights, International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), Italian Federation for Human Rights, Lawyers for Lawyers, Lawyers’ Rights Watch Canada, Liga voor de Rechten van de Mens, Platform for Peace and Justice, Social Justice Advocacy Campaign, Open Dialogue Foundation, Media and Law Studies Association made a…

UPDATE (30/03/2020): The Hungarian Parliament on Monday voted to allow the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán to rule by decree without a set time limit. Under new law, people who spread what are viewed as untrue or distorted facts now face several years in jail. —————————— The Hungarian government demanded today an indefinite extension of the state of emergency. The bill would give prime minister Viktor Orbán sweeping powers to rule by decree, and the power to impose prison sentences of up to five years for promoting false information. The government has portrayed its request as a necessary response to…

UPDATE: In Denmark, freelancers and self-employed journalists who can justify a loss of more than 30% of their income will receive 75% compensation from the State (no more than 3000€ per month) between 8 March and 8 July. Amids the Corona Virus Disease pandemic (COVID-19), European governments, EU institutions and social partners take emergency measures to protect workers’ health and lives and avoid an unprecedented economic downturn. EFJ affiliates are working hard to protect their members including the growing number of freelancers. On March 20, the European Federation of Journalists’ Freelance Expert Group (FREG) had its first online meeting focusing…

The work of journalists is more necessary than ever, in a context of health crisis. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes the professional and social commitment of its members. However, the EFJ is strongly concerned about the cost-cutting measures (salary cuts, unilateral reductions in working conditions, etc.) imposed on journalists and media workers by some media companies. The EFJ considers these measures unfair and counterproductive. We call on European and national political authorities to protect the social status of employed and self-employed journalists. Together with the UN, OSCE and IACHR media freedom watchdogs, the EFJ believes that “governments must…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomed the joint statement issued today by David Kaye, UN Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Harlem Désir, OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media, and Edison Lanza, IACHR Special Rapporteur for Freedom of Expression calling on governments to promote and protect access to and free flow of information during COVID-19 pandemic. In light of the growing disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the monitors for freedom of expression and freedom of the media for the United Nations, the Inter-American Commission for Human Rights,…

We are all affected by the Coronavirus pandemic, and we all have a responsibility to cope with this crisis. In this very challenging time, journalism has a vital role in informing the public with fact-based data. A lot of tips and professional advice has circulated to reduce the spread of dis- and misinformation. It is now that worried people look out for trusted news. COVID-19 is developing at global scale, and with disinformation and nationalistic, even racist rhetoric on the rise, independent journalism is systemically relevant for our democracies. We cannot accept any measures trying to limit the free media,…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes the measures being taken to ensure the safety of journalists during the COVID-19 outbreak. However, we condemn the attitude of some employers in the sector who are forcing their journalists to work from the newsroom. In the current situation, journalists’ health and safety is our first priority. We call on all media employers to apply the principles of prevention, implementing all appropriate measures to protect the health of journalists in the workplace. The EFJ has learned from its affiliates that some employers in the sector are refusing to allow journalists to telework. The…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) regrets the lack of a coordinated European health response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The EFJ calls on European policy-makers, at EU and national level, to make clear recommendations in coordination with all relevant stakeholders. Journalists must be able to deliver factual information and clear recommendations to citizens who are more and more irritated by the inflation of information around the COVID-19. They have a duty to counter dis- and misinformation about the coronavirus. They have a responsibility to give the floor to experts, qualified to comment on such sensitive issues. The EFJ joins the…

TRADE UNIONS FOR A FAIR RECOVERY: Strengthening the role of trade unions in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 crisis COVID-19 has underlined the importance of Social Dialogue in societies across Europe. While it has come to the forefront during the pandemic, it is crucial that effective social dialogue is at the heart of the National Recovery and Resilience Plans (NRRPs). Strong unions are essential for a fair recovery ! The pandemic has been asymmetrical, affecting different countries in different ways. To adequately tackle this, the EFJ and the ETUC are launching an initiative funded by the European Commission which…

This call for proposals is launched in the context of an EU-funded Project “TRADE UNIONS FOR A FAIR RECOVERY: Strengthening the role of trade unions in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 crisis”. For more information and the application processes of the above call, please download the following documents. Description of the call for proposals Lump-sum calculation reference Application form Annex 1 Estimated budget  Annex 2 Profit & loss account Annex 3 Declaration of Honour Annex 4 Statement of exclusion The deadline for application is 29 October 2021. Please make sure that you have completed all the required documents in…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its partners in the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) are highly concerned by a barrage of attacks and harassment of journalists by protesters at demonstrations across Europe in recent weeks against new government measures taken in light of the Coronavirus-pandemic. They fit a disturbing pattern observed throughout the region of increasing violence, harassment and intimidation of journalists and media workers at COVID-related protests, rooted in growing anti-media sentiment that fuels anger and distrust: In Germany, Jörg Reichel, the regional manager of the German journalists’ union dju in ver.di, was brutally attacked on the margins of an unauthorised…

A large crowd of demonstrators against new Covid-19 measures and mandatory vaccination attacked the Cypriot TV station Sigma TV on 18 July. The mob vandalised the station’s headquarters in Nicosia, throwing crackers, breaking windows and damaging cars outside the building. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliate, the Union of Cyprus Journalists, in condemning this brutal attack and calling on the authorities to conduct thorough investigations. On Sunday evening, demonstrations against mandatory vaccination took place outside the Presidential Palace in the capital of Cyprus, Nicosia. Groups of protestors clashed with police and at around 9:30 PM local time,…

On 8 March International Women’s Day, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) calls for more vigorous actions to be made by governments and employers’ organisations to improve gender equality as the Covid crisis has deepened gender inequality.  Members of the EFJ experts groups on labour rights and freelances have looked at the working conditions of journalists during this period and noticed that working-from-home and lockdown policy has had a much greater impact on female journalists.  In Germany, according to a study from the Hans-Böckler Stiftung, women spend 1.7 hours more on work concerning family duties, since men tend to work…

In an age of information overflow when disinformation is on the rise, media plays an ever-important role in providing trustworthy and quality information to citizens. With insights offered by our experts in the field, this workshop will address the pressing questions: How can fostering audience engagement and artificial intelligence properly improve quality in journalism and regain trust from audiences? How has Covid-19 changed the trust relationship between the media and its audiences? Registration You can already register for the workshops. Click here to register for Day 1, click here to register for Day 2. Below, you find the draft agenda…

DOWNLOAD THE FULL REPORT HERE The year 2020 seems to add another sad chapter on the decline of media freedom in Europe. Main reasons were the impact of the Covid-19 crisis, police violence and online harassment. Find all details in first MFRR-report. The monitoring report compiled by European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and International Press Institute (IPI), with support from ECPMF, gives unprecedented insight into the threats to media freedom in EU member states and Candidate Countries. Within the monitored period from March to June a total of 120 alerts were registered on the mappingmediafreedom.org platform from two-thirds of the countries covered…