The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the undersigned international media freedom and journalists organisations in raising the alarm over a draft law submitted to Bulgarian parliament by the far-right Vazrazhdane (Revival) party which would introduce a Russian-style “foreign agent” law involving potential sanctions for media outlets that receive funding from abroad. The draft legislation has been developed by the pro-Russian Vazrazhdane party, which became the fourth largest faction in parliament in the recent elections and is currently in negotiations to form a coalition government. While the passing of the law in the current political climate remains doubtful, it nonetheless…

International media freedom and journalists organisations, including the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), warn that while significant progress has been made by the current government in depoliticising the public broadcaster, regulatory bodies and the legislative framework for the media environment, toxic rhetoric and smear campaigns against media, underfunding of public broadcaster and lack of transparency risk undermining the progress. Following a two-day fact-finding mission to Prishtina on 15-16 November 2022, the partners of the Council of Europe’s Platform on Safety of Journalists today publish their findings on media freedom and the safety of journalists in Kosovo. During the visit the…

Members of the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE), with the support of the coalition’s Italian group and Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), express solidarity with Roberto Saviano who attended the first hearing in the proceedings for aggravated defamation initiated against him by current Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. We are seriously concerned about the criminal proceedings initiated in 2021 by the current Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, the leader of Fratelli d’Italia. Under the current provisions on defamation, Roberto Saviano risks imprisonment for his criticism of Meloni during a TV programme. Such accusations act as a gag on freedom of expression,…

Is there a story in your local town, somewhere in Europe, that you think is worth sharing with the rest of the world? If the answer is yes, but you lack resources, we may have the solution for you: a grant to support local investigative journalists and/or local news media outlets from several European countries who want to do investigative reporting at the local level in resonance with the European level.  Why local? In every nook and cranny of the world, there are many stories waiting to be told. This grant programme aims to tackle the shortage of local journalists…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) brought its full support to the Spanish and British journalists arrested and detained for covering climate actions this month and joined the Federación de Sindicatos de Periodistas (FeSP) and National Union of Journalists (NUJ) in condemning the arrests. Across the world, climate activists increase the number of actions to raise awareness around the climate crisis. Mouvements such as Futuro Vegetal in Spain and Just Stop Oil in the United Kingdom have recently been on the forefront of the climate scene with impactful actions, resulting in arrests of activists and, worryingly, of journalists and media…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomed the Trade Union of Croatian Journalist (TUCJ)’s initiative to restart negotiations on a branch collective agreement in the media. “A journalist who is not afraid of losing his job can be a truly free journalist,” quotes a press release from the TUCJ. The TUCJ is working on the creation of public media policies to improve social dialogue, media regulation and implement stronger collective agreements, the main goal of the union. It aims to bring together all trade unions in the media sector and has gathered a team of representatives of the Trade Union of Croatian Journalists (SNH), the Trade Union of…

Between 15 and 18 November 2022, partners of the Council of Europe’s Platform on Safety of Journalists will visit Kosovo and Albania to assess the current state of media freedom and protection for journalists in the two countries. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) will join the mission along with ARTICLE 19, the Committee to Protect Journalists, the European Broadcasting Union, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, the International Press Institute and Reporters Without Borders. Partner organisations have requested meetings with respective Prime Ministers, ministers, representatives of parliamentary media committees, judicial authorities, local officials, regulatory bodies, public broadcasters…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) supports the German Journalists’ Association (DJV) in opposing a dominant share at the German commercial broadcaster ProsiebenSat.1 by the Italian media group Media for Europe (MFE), owned* by Berlusconi. The reason for concern is the increase in potential voting interest in Germany’s second-largest privately owned television company by an Italian broadcaster, which is controlled by the family of former Italian Prime Minister and media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi. According to the Italian broadcaster MFE, it has secured an additional stake of up to 4% in ProSiebenSat.1 via financial instruments, which would increase its share of voting rights…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is concerned about the verdict of a SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) case against investigative Serbian Crime and Corruption Reporting Network outlet “KRIK”. The media outlet is fined for publishing news about the trial of a crime gang in Serbia. KRIK quoted court material from a public trial against a local crime gang called “Jotka’s group” in April 2021. The media outlet quoted the defendants who claimed the group has ties with the Interior Minister Bratislav Gašić, who is also high-ranking member of the Serbian Progressive Party and former Head of Serbia’s Security Information Agency (BIA). A wiretapped conversation…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is worried by the results of a new study by the Platform for Investigative Journalism and Analysis (PINA). The results reveal an important issue when it comes to the protection and prosecution of online harassment against women journalists in North Macedonia. In collaboration with its affiliates, the Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM-ZNM) and the Trade Union of Macedonian Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM), the EFJ called for the adoption of the long-awaited amendments to the Criminal Code in North Macedonia to deal with all types of attacks against journalists ex officio. According to the survey…

Today is the UN International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, #EndImpunity. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) to demand governments put an end to impunity and to highlight and denounce crimes targeting journalists that remain unpunished while the masterminds walk free. On this day, the EFJ reminds that all those who commit crimes against journalists must face justice, as such unpunished crimes have a strong chilling effect on media freedom. The Council of Europe Platform for the Protection of Journalism records 26 impunity alerts involving 40 journalists: 14 in Kosovo,…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomed the Portuguese Union of Journalists (SJ)’s project on mental health of journalists and media workers in Portugal. The initiative aims at raising awareness and helping employed and freelance journalists navigate the rising challenges of digital journalism, especially difficult in these post-pandemic times. It includes a research study, three workshops, digital trainings and a concluding conference. It is headed by SJ’s former Vice-President Isabel Nery and board member João Miguel Rodrigues. The study: Analysing the digital journalism sector The project kicked off in March this year with a study on journalism as a high-risk profession, focusing on the digital journalism…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomed the launch of a new project by Flemish Association of Journalists (VVJ). The new project called Meldpunt, developing on the pre-existing website Persveilig.be, give the opportunity to Flemish journalists and media workers to report any attack that they face in the context of their work via an online form. The project has been thought out with the close cooperation of all competent ministers (Flemish minister of media Benjamin Dalle, federal justice minister Vincent Van Quickenborne and minister of the Interior Annelies Verlinden). It focuses on multiple domains: submission of alerts, sensitisation, training and information on topics such as…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned media freedom and journalist associations today express shared concern over an Italian prosecutor’s request for a six-month prison sentence in a case of defamation through the press involving three journalists. The lawsuit had been filed in response to their reporting on a labour lawsuit associated with a former minister. Prison sentences in cases of defamation through the press have been declared unconstitutional by the Italian Constitutional Court in 2021, except for cases of exceptional gravity. No journalist should face nor fear prison sentences for having published factual information in the public…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) condemns the establishment of branches of the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ) in the Ukrainian territories illegally annexed by Russia. The EFJ calls on RUJ to renounce these settlements and reaffirms its solidarity with its Ukrainian affiliates, the journalists’ unions NUJU and IMTUU. On Monday, the Russian Union of Journalists announced on its website that the organisation’s leadership had decided to establish four new branches in the Ukrainian territories illegally annexed by Russia on 30 September: in Donetsk, Lugansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson. The RUJ statement said that this was the main decision taken by…

The Minsk City Court has found journalist Ales Lubyanchuk guilty of allegedly founding or participating in an extremist group. The journalist was sentenced to 3 years in prison. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ) demand his immediate release. The EFJ joins its affiliate BAJ in denouncing the sentence against Ales Lubyanchuk. BAJ considers the verdict by Judge Alena Ananich as a revenge for his years of professional commitment. The EFJ and BAJ demand that Ales and other media representatives imprisoned for political reasons are released. “We once again call on international organisations to…