Based on a recent study by the Centre of Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) that maps news deserts in Europe, the Local Media for Democracy (LM4D) project financially supports independent local media outlets operating in areas at risk of becoming news deserts. We talked to Ante Fumić, owner of Lika Club, about the opportunities from the development of the Lika App, which aims to provide relevant news, information, and content that directly serves the interests and concerns of the local community. By focusing on their specific needs, the app will enhance accessibility to regional media and foster a stronger…

Danish newspapers Politiken with TjekDek revealed last month that thousands of false advertisement campaigns published on the Meta platforms were targeting in particular DR and TV2 journalists. Most of the fake articles were not removed by Meta, despite being reported as fraudulent. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) urges Meta to take responsibility for protecting the credibility and professionalism of journalists and remove all the fakes from its platforms.  Deepfake is a growing phenomenon worldwide that involves the unauthorised use of well-known journalists’ images or voices to spread false stories and lure people into sending money.  Among the journalists targeted,…

Journalists at Italy’s public broadcaster RAI are on strike this Monday 6 May to protest against the “stifling control” exercised over their work by Giorgia Meloni‘s government, the journalists’ union Usigrai said in a statement. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its Italian affiliate, the Italian National Press Federation (FNSI), in giving its full support to the strikers. The Usigrai union has criticised political attempts “to turn RAI into a mouthpiece for the government”’. This is one of the main grievances behind the 24-hour strike that began on 6 May. Other reasons include staff shortages, the unilateral cancellation of…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in demanding the immediate release of Andrey Gniot, a Belarusian journalist and pro-democracy activist who is being held in custody by Serbian authorities on politically motivated charges formulated by the regime of Alexander Lukashenko. Since October, Serbian courts have been deliberating upon a request to deport Gniot to Belarus. According to the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), an independent trade union in exile, Gniot was arrested immediately upon his arrival to Serbia on October 30. He was detained based on an international arrest warrant…

The EFJ is looking for a subcontractor to provide expertise as part of the implementation of the EFJ project entitled Stand Up for Journalism.  This programme is funded by the European Commission (DG Employment). The deadline for submission of bids is Friday 14 June 2024. Find more information here

On World Press Freedom Day, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) stand in solidarity with journalists and media workers everywhere and reaffirm our commitment to defending press freedom across Europe. Across Europe, journalists and media workers are regularly stopped from doing their job. Among EU Member States and candidate countries alone, over 1,000 media freedom violations have been documented on Mapping Media Freedom Platform. Belarus has one of the most oppressive media climates in the world. The most recent figures report 36 media professionals in Belarus are behind bars. The crucial role of…

To mark World Press Freedom Day – the theme of which this year is “Journalism in the face of the environmental crisis” – the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) pays tribute to the local journalists who play a unique role in providing critical information to the public on environmental issues, and connecting local stories to the broader climate crisis.  “On World Press Freedom Day, we emphasise that an atmosphere of security and respect must be built to allow media professionals to report accurately on the climate crisis. We need to ensure that journalists reporting on environmental and climate stories can…

On World Press Freedom Day (WPFD) 2024, the partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) stand in solidarity with media workers everywhere and draw attention to the deteriorating press freedom situation in Europe. Since WPFD 2023, the MFRR partners have documented more than 1,000 media freedom violations affecting over 1,500 journalists or media entities in European Union Member States and candidate countries. As the year progressed, the MFRR witnessed physical attacks, harassment online and offline, the continued use of vexatious lawsuits to stifle critical reporting, further pressure on sustainable revenue streams for independent media, government attempts to muzzle public media, and tragically…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners to express concerns over the terrorism investigation by the Spanish authorities of journalist Jesús Rodríguez Sellés. The journalist left Spain for Switzerland citing a lack of guarantees for practicing his profession and the threat of arbitrary arrest in Spain. The investigation, lasting for four years after the alleged crime, coincides with negotiations over the amnesty law for pro-independence leaders. Fearing politicization of the case, the Media Freedom Rapid Response partners call for a review of the investigations’ circumstances, allowing Rodríguez Sellés to continue his journalism freely.…

On Labour Day 2024, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is calling on a broad alliance of civil society – readers and listeners, journalists’ organisations and associations, academics, and media freedom NGOs – to stand up for journalism and convince employers and decision makers that the protection of journalists and journalism is essential to democracy. “Europe’s information ecosystem is at a crossroads. Misinformation and filter bubbles, oligarchic media capture and unprecedented attacks on journalists amid their subjection to precarious working conditions — all are leading to a brain drain from the industry. This could have a devastating impact on the…

This International Workers’ Day, all eyes are on Europe. As we celebrate the bonds of friendship between workers and the collective power we have through our trade unions and associations, we also look ahead to the EU elections. At a time when journalists and media workers are coming under increasing pressure and becoming more and more precarious, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) in calling on workers to mobilise, at the ballot box, against political forces hostile to freedom and labour rights. As specified in the Council of Europe Recommendation on the protection…

Konstantin Gabov and Sergey Karelin are the latest journalists to be arrested in Russia for “extremism” following their alleged work with Navalny’s Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK). Both journalists have worked for international media, such as Reuters for Gabov and Deutsche Welle and Associated Press for Karelin. While denied the charges, they will face up to six years in prison if convicted. The International and European Federation of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) demand the immediate release of the journalists and reiterate the condemnation of the Russian authorities’ continued crackdown on independent journalists. On 27 March 2024, Sergei Karelin, who has dual Russian and Israeli citizenship,…

Journalist Sergei Mingazov from the Russian edition of Forbes magazine was charged with spreading “false” information about Moscow’s military offensive in Ukraine, on 26 April 2024. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) denounces the accusations against Mingazov, a member of the Journalists’ and Media Workers’ Union (JMWU), an EFJ affiliate, and once again condemns the continued crackdown on independent journalists by the Russian authorities. A court in Khabarovsk today placed Mingazov under house arrest for two months for “reposting about the events in Bucha” on the Telegram channel Khabarovsk Mingazeta. Bucha is the Kyiv suburb where Russian troops have been accused…

On 25 April, the Ankara public prosecutor’s office requested the conviction of 11 journalists from the Mesopotamya News Agency (MA) for alleged ‘membership in a terrorist organisation’. The case comes just as the Journalists’ Association of Turkey (GCD) is publishing its annual report on press freedom in Turkey. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), present in Ankara, joins its Turkish affiliates GCD, TGS and DISK Basin-Is in denouncing the intensification of pressure on journalists by the Turkish government. The EFJ condemns this climate of terror aimed at imposing widespread self-censorship. The 2023 report published by GCD, as part of the European ‘Media…

On the night of 22-23 April 2024, the Belgian federal police searched the premises of the building of the Kurdish television channels Stêrk TV and Medya Haber (Medya News) in Denderleeuw, Flanders. The police operation was conducted as part of a European Investigation Order (EPO) on terrorist financing. The news channels reported serious material damage and equipment seizure. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its Belgian affiliate, the Flemish Association of Journalists (VVJ), in strongly condemning the show of force that accompanied the search and urged authorities to guarantee that the confidentiality of journalists’ sources is respected. The search…

The 2023 Report on the state of media freedom and the safety of journalists in Serbia was published on 15 March 2024, assessing the pressure experienced by media professionals in the country. Entitled “Behind the headlines: Threats, attacks and pressure on journalists in Serbia”, the research was conducted in collaboration with the Journalists Association of Serbia (UNS) and the Independent Journalists Association of Serbia (NUNS), with the support of the European Union and Council of Europe, based on a survey of 130 journalists and media workers. The report presents the major challenges to the safety of Serbian journalists by examining…