The Covid-19 pandemic has a great impact on journalists and journalists’ organisations across Europe. The working conditions of journalists has been greatly affected. The pandemic has underlined the importance of journalists’ unions and associations in supporting journalists in this challenging time. More than ever, stronger unions are essential to protect the rights of journalists and their working conditions. Together with the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has launched its funding scheme, co-funded by the European Commission, to support its members to continue and develop their core union activities to support the work of journalists.…

On 2 February, the Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA) has voiced dismay after the Rijeka Municipal Court sentenced Novi list journalist Dražen Ciglenečki to a fine of 30 days’ income for statements made on former Zagreb County Court President and now High Criminal Court Judge Ivan Turudić in one of his columns. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its Croatian affiliate in condemning the continuous pressure on journalists and media freedom in the country through the use of criminal and civil laws. The case dates back to 2014 when the journalist Dražen Ciglenečki published in the daily Novi list a…

Press freedom groups raise concern over unprecedented FOI obstructions The undersigned international media freedom organisations today express growing concern over the challenges that media outlets in Malta face in accessing public information through the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. The unprecedented appeals by some 30 government ministries and entities against a decision by the Information and Data Protection Commissioner which ordered the disclosure of information on public expenditure requested by The Shift News are emblematic of these challenges. The appeals stem from FOI requests that The Shift’s editor sent to various public bodies which sought documents about possible contracts and…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today in condemning the vexatious SLAPP lawsuit against the newspaper El Confidencial by the Spanish electricity company Iberdrola, which is claiming €17.6 million for alleged “reputational damage”. The MFRR partners see the lawsuit as another example of the urgent need for the introduction of anti-SLAPP legislation at the EU and national levels and reform of the current legal provisions on protection of honour and reputation in line with international freedom of expression standards. On 4 February 2022, multinational energy company Iberdrola filed a lawsuit…

During the first weekend of February, journalists, police officers, and MPs faced unprecedented threats and intimidation from participants taking part in the Convoy Finland protest in the capital of Helsinki. The EFJ joined its affiliate in Finland, the Finnish Union of Journalists (UJF) in condemning any forms of violence towards journalists and media workers. While covering the event, at least five reporters and cameramen working for MTV3, Iltalehti, and Yle were threatened by some individuals in the mob in the capitol’s street. Yle’s reporter and cameraman at the scene said they were continuously verbally and physically threatened. One microphone was…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is pleased to co-organise the second edition of theFree European Media conference which will take place in Gdansk, Poland, on the 17th and 18th of March. Last year, the event was cancelled due to the increased outbreak of the coronavirus. Across two days, journalists, media outlets, journalists’ organisations, academics and other stakeholders will discuss the vital role of press and media freedom in democracy, addressing the issues of journalists’ safety, media pluralism and diversity, media literacy and self-regulation. On this occasion, European Commission Vice-President Vera Jourova will launch the European Media Freedom Act, an…

The Russian authorities have moved to shut down Deutsche Welle’s Moscow office, ban the station from broadcasting in the country and cancel the press accreditation of its staff. The move comes following a decision by the German media regulator to uphold a ban on Russian media RT DE’s broadcasts in Germany amid claims it did not have a locally-issued licence. The International and European Federation of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) have urged authorities not to use media as a political football and to uphold the right to information. The dispute first broke out on February 2 when RT was banned by the German media…

On 14 and 15 March 2022, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is holding the conference “How can gender equality and diversity promote trust in the media?“ Distinguished speakers will meet in Málaga to discuss the impact that diversity and equality have on shaping public perception and trust in the media. Below, are the short bios and photos of the panelists. The final conference will wrap up the two-year project “Trust and Quality in journalism”. It is organised in partnership with the Andalusian Journalists Union (SPA) and the Federation of Journalists Unions (FeSP) and funded by the European Commission. Day 1 speakers Introduction:  Marta Barcenilla Escaño is…

A dozen employees at the BBC Istanbul bureau, supported by the Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS), have finally seen their demands met on 28 January 2022, after a historic 15-day strike.  The journalists got an annual pay rise of 32%, private individual and family health insurance, a daily 60TL lunch voucher and 1,200TL support for glasses and contact lenses.  The labour action was prompted by the skyrocketing inflation rate in the country (nearly 36%) and no adequate access to health care since the Covid-19 pandemic, after a five-month negotiation process with the BBC that was not successful.   The strike, the…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in writing to Director Raimondas Andrijauskas and Deputy Director Danguolė Morkūnienė of the Lithuanian State Data Protection Inspectorate (SDPI) to express concern regarding their attempted obstruction of the investigative project “Karštos Pėdos” (“Hot Feet”)’s journalistic activity. 27 January 2022 Dear Director Andrijauskas, Dear Deputy Director Morkūnienė, We, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and partner organisations, are writing to denounce the administrative harassment of “Karštos Pėdos” (“Hot Feet”). We call on the State Data Protection Inspectorate (SDPI) to stop pressuring and obstructing the journalistic…

Journalists in Germany can now find out whether their employers or clients have joined the code of conduct to better protect journalists via the website Schutzkodex. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its German affiliates, the German Journalists Association (DJV) and the German Journalists Union (dju in ver.di), in welcoming this further development of the initiative to better protect journalists. Violence against media workers is increasing in Germany as well as throughout Europe, whether it be hate speech, (online) threats or physical attacks in the streets. This strongly imperils journalists and press freedom in general. Consequently, if more and more journalists turn their backs to such dangerous work environments,…

Belarusian journalist Aliaksandr Ivulin was sentenced to two years in prison on Wednesday, 19 January 2022, for his protest coverage. On the same day, freelance journalist Seviaryn Kviatkouski was detained upon his arrival in Belarus. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its affiliate, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), in condemning the ongoing crackdown on critical journalists in the country. In a criminal case against the well-known sports journalist and Krumkachy football player Aliaksandr Ivulin, the Savetski District Court of Minsk ruled a two-year prison sentence and found the journalist guilty of “organising and preparing actions that grossly disrupt…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today joined international media freedom and freedom of expression organisations in registering concern over the serious criminal charges levelled against two investigative journalists in Greece linked to their reporting on a major corruption scandal. Our organisations are following these two legal cases with utmost scrutiny given the obvious concerns they raise with regard to press freedom. Authorities must issue guarantees that the process is demonstrably independent and free of any political interference. On January 19, Kostas Vaxevanis, a veteran investigative journalist and publisher of the newspaper Documento, testified at the Special High Court on…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and affiliate in Montenegro (TUMM) today to renew our call for an end to impunity for the shooting of investigative journalist Olivera Lakić in 2018 and hope the recent arrest of suspects will lead to all those involved ultimately facing justice. Our organisations also welcome the recent cross party approval of amendments to the criminal code which will strengthen protections for journalists but stress the need for further reforms to create a safe and open environment for independent journalism. Lakić, an investigative journalist covering organised…

On 20 January 2022, the European Parliament in Strasbourg’s plenary session will vote on the Digital Services Act (DSA), a bill designed to shape the digital future and clean up the Internet. In the future, illegal content shall be easier to delete, personalized advertising easier to change, manipulative ads shall be banned and access to important data improved. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomed the proposed DSA as a crucial and long overdue tool to create a safer, fairer and more accountable online environment. The EFJ advocates for a stronger DSA  in order to guarantee a digital media ecosystem…

After roughly five months of negotiations, BBC journalists in Turkey are on strike today. The walkout comes after the British broadcaster refused to propose a reasonable offer to the Turkish Union of Journalists (TGS) over a pay rise that keeps up with the country’s inflation rate, better access to health care, and other key issues. Their walkout is backed by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the UK and Ireland, UNI Global Union and UK media union BECTU. With the inflation rate as high as nearly 36 per cent according to the BBC,…