Georgian journalist Alexander Lashakarava was found dead at his home on 11 July 2021, a week after he was badly beaten during the Pride march in Tbilissi. The exact cause of the death is still unknown. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliate in Georgia, the Independent Association of Georgian Journalists (IAGJ), in expressing its deepest condolences to Alexander’s family and called on Georgian authorities to conduct a transparent investigation. A cameraman for independent TV station Pirveli, Alexander Lashakarava, 37, was one of the journalists assaulted by a violent mob of anti LGBTQI+ protesters while reporting from the Pride…

On 7 July, exiled Turkish journalist Erk Acarer was attacked with “fists and knives” in the courtyard of his apartment building in Berlin. Acarer has lived in German exile since 2017 because of his critical reporting of the Turkish government. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its German affiliates, the German Journalists Association (DJV) and the German Journalists Union (dju in ver.di), as well as its Turkish affiliates in strongly condemning this aggression. The attack took place on Wednesday night in the Berlin district of Neukölln, where three assailants beat him with their fists and knives in his yard. The journalists reported…

UPDATE (08/07/2021) The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ/IFJ) expressed again international solidarity with Belarusian journalists and their affiliate the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) as the crackdown against critical voices continues. On 30 June, detained journalist Andrej Aliaksandraŭ was charged with high treason. If convicted, he could face up to 15 years in prison. Aliaksandraŭ, who has been in custody since January, was previously charged with “organising and preparing actions grossly disturbing public order”. Those charges were based on allegations that he helped pay the fines of journalists and protesters who were detained in last year’s anti-Lukashenko demonstrations.…

Today, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) published a report examining initiatives that aim to promote sustainable innovative journalism, including those that explore new business models. This report, written by international media expert Marc Gruber follows and updates a previous report on digital journalism and new business models and a workshop held in 2018. Against the backdrop of a collapsing traditional business model for media, journalism has to constantly reinvent itself and be viable and financially sustainable. Structured in six sections, this report provides numerous examples and approaches that show common trends and ideas to reach this much-needed sustainability and innovation. The survey found that successful…

More than 50 journalists were physically attacked and injured yesterday on 5 July by far-right protesters as they reported on Pride events in Tbilisi. The International and European Federation of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) join their affiliate in Georgia, the Independent Association of Georgian Journalists (IAGJ), in condemning the violent attacks against the press and the LGBTQI+ community, and call on the authorities to ensure those responsible are quickly identified and prosecuted. Anti-LGBTQI+ protesters disrupted the “March for Dignity” during the 2021 Tbilisi Pride and attacked activists and media representatives. Journalists covering the event were harassed, beaten and their equipment was stolen and damaged. Among the journalists injured…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined Index on Censorship and 12 other human rights, freedom of expression, media freedom, and journalists’ organisations in unreservedly condemning the arbitrary detention and judicial harassment of human rights defender and journalist Andrei Aliaksandrau, who is now facing up to 15 years in prison on baseless charges of “treason to the state”. Aliaksandrau has long been a defender of freedom of expression in Belarus and beyond, having previously held positions at the Belarusian Association of Journalists, Index on Censorship, and Article 19 among other media and free speech organisations. Aliaksandrau was detained in January…

Tuesday morning, Russian authorities raided the apartments of several investigative journalists and their family members in Moscow. Amid a growing pressure exerted by Russian authorities on independent news media and journalists in recent months, the European Federation of Journalists together with the Journalists’ and Media Workers’ Union (JMWU) in Russia strongly condemn the raid and the unlawful actions of Russian authorities. The police raided the journalists of the investigative online outlet Proekt: editor-in-chief Roman Badanin, correspondent Maria Zholobova, and the home of the parents of deputy-in-chief Mikhail Rubin. Rubin was detained near Zholobova’s residential building and brought to his parents’…

The Slovenian government of Prime Minister Janez Janša is overseeing an increasingly systematic effort to undermine critical media, a coalition of press freedom organisations and journalism groups warn today in a new report. The report concludes that Slovenia, which assumes the rotating presidency of the EU on July 1, has seen press freedom deteriorate ever since Janša returned to power in March 2020. Since then, the ruling SDS party has embarked on a multipronged campaign to reshape the media landscape in favour of a pro-government narrative, renewing tactics successful during previous administrations and forging ahead with new forms of pressure.…

On 23 and 24 June, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) organised a two-day webinar on trends, skills and training in journalism as part of the Trust and quality in journalism project. Invited speakers addressed what journalistic skills are needed to thrive in the digital world and how media companies and journalists’ organisations can provide support to journalists. Day 1 The first day’s speakers were media professionals from various fields who shared their insights on the latest trends in journalism and skills required. Monique Hofmann, General Secretary of the German journalists’ union, dju in ver.di, opened the webinar by emphasising…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has launched a European survey on 3 May, World Press Freedom Day, as part of a wider campaign to push for a safer and healthier working environment for journalists. “The safety of journalists has been in the spotlight in recent years as a record attacks on journalists are being made, sometimes even resulting in deaths,” says Ricardo Gutiérrez, EFJ General Secretary. “The well-being and safety of journalists has long been neglected in the pursue of 24-hour speedy news. It is time to fulfil our duty of care for journalists’ both physical and mental health.”…

On 23 June 2021, the Reuters Digital News Report 2021 was published by the Reuters Institute for Journalism in cooperation with Oxford University. Apanel of experts discussed the findings for its launch. The most encouraging result of this extensive study is that the public’s trust levels have sharply risen during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, major challenges are how to build on the trust gained and to further engage high audiences. In the panel discussion, it appeared that major questions defining the future of news consumption concern how media can hold and engage subscribers, especially regarding young audiences: “It’s important to…

The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ/IFJ) has called on the Ukrainian authorities to continue to pursue the killers of Cherkasy journalist Vadym Komarov, two years after his death following a brutal attack. The call came as the head of the Cherkasy Regional Prosecutor’s Office Oleksandr Voronin and deputy head of the Cherkasy police Yevhen Rohachov updated reporters at a press conference about the progress of the investigation. During these 2 years, more than 1,700 interrogations and more than 200 investigative leads have been followed. Data from hundreds of cameras and more than 1000 phone calls have been analysed. The…

A year after the Constitutional Court ruled on the unconstitutionality of prison sentences in cases of defamation through the press, on 22 June 2021 the Court issued a follow-up decision declaring art. 13 of Law 47/1948 (Press Law) not compliant with the Constitution. The Court has however declared art. 595(3) of the Penal Code, which provides for a sentence between six months and three years of prison or the payment of a fine, compliant with the Constitution, as it allows the judge to order the imprisonment only in cases of “exceptional severity”. In June 2020, the Constitutional Court invited the Italian…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins ARTICLE 19, IPI, CPJ and 12 other human rights organisations calling on the Presidents of the European Council and the European Commission to ensure that the positive agenda proposed by the EU prioritises concrete and measurable improvements in Turkey’s domestic human rights record ahead of the European Council Summit Meeting. His Excellency Mr. Charles Michel President of the European Council Her Excellency Ms. Ursula von der Leyen President of the European Commission 23.06.2021 Your Excellencies, In advance of the forthcoming European Council Summit Meeting of 24 – 25 June, we, the undersigned press…

The Lazio regional administrative court issued a ruling on 18 June 2021 ordering the investigative programme Report, of Italian public television RAI, to reveal the sources of the journalists who produced the report “Vassalli, valvassori e valvassini”, which was broadcast on 26 October 2020, on RAI3 channel. The investigation concerns the management of public funds in the Lombardy region and the Milanese lawyer Andrea Mascetti, a close associate of the Lega party. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins Italian journalists’ organisations FNSI and Usigrai in denouncing this blatant violation of the confidentiality of journalistic sources. The court’s ruling grants…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliates in Croatia, the Croatian Journalists’ Association (CJA) and the Trade Union of Croatian Journalists (TUCJ) in condemning the daily paper Glas Istre for dismissing three journalists who openly criticised the paper’s biased editorial policy. Both CJA and TUCJ described the management’s decision to dismiss the journalists as “scandalous” and “shameful”. The three reporters who were given extraordinary dismissals, Zoran Angeleski, Danijela Basic-Palkovic and Borka Petrovic, accused in late May the daily paper’s editor-in-chief, Robert Frank, of trying to influence coverage of the local election campaign to benefit the long-dominant regional party,…