The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in expressing serious concern over today’s decision (04.02.2021) by a court in Budapest to reject the temporary license extension to Klubrádió in Hungary, warning it will have far-reaching implications for what remains of media pluralism and independent journalism in the country. The MFRR stresses that this decision effectively consigns Klubrádió to broadcasting exclusively on the internet and represents a significant win for the ruling Fidesz party and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in their decade-long campaign to destroy one of the last remaining independent broadcasters which…

On Wednesday 3 February, Moscow’s Tverskoy District Court sentenced Mediazona editor-in-chief Sergey Smirnov to 25 days administrative arrest for retweeting a reference to an anti-Kremlin protest. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) condemns this abusive and disproportionate sentence and supports the appeal filed by the journalist’s lawyer, Fyodor Shirosh, from the human rights organization Apologia Protesta. Police officers in Moscow arrested Smirnov outside his home on Saturday 30 January, while he was on a walk with his young son. Smirnov spent several hours in police custody before being allowed to return home to his family pending trial. Smirnov was accused of repeatedly…

Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky has banned three television channels from operating in Ukraine by revoking their broadcast licences and blocking assets after accusing them of being pro-Russian. The International and European Federation of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ) condemned what they called “an extra-judicial and politically motivated ban and a blatant attack on press freedom that must be urgently reversed”. TV broadcasters ZIK, NewsOne and 112 Ukraine have been forced off the air for a period of five years following a decision by Zelensky that critics said stifles freedom of speech. The three broadcasters employ around 1,500 people, whose jobs are…

On the eve of the start of the trial of RSF’s Turkey representative, Erol Önderoğlu, who is facing a possible 14-year prison sentence, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined 16 press freedom and human rights NGOs in expressing support for this journalist and staunch defender of the right to inform in Turkey. The below-named freedom of expression, human rights and journalists’ organisations denounce the judicial persecution of journalists in Turkey, and especially the journalist Erol Önderoğlu, who represents the press freedom watchdog Reporters without Borders (RSF) in the country. Erol faces a lengthy jail sentence for his work defending…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) to express serious concern over the €10 million euro lawsuit launched against Italian news magazine L’Espresso by a former Vatican Cardinal over its reporting on his alleged involvement in a corruption scandal involving the use of Holy See funds. The lawsuit hinges on a report L’Espresso published on 24 September 2020 which broke the news that investigations by the Italian Finance Police had implicated the cardinal in the embezzlement of €100,000 of Vatican money to a charity organisation controlled by his brother in the Cardinal…

UPDATE 02/02/2021: Supporters of Alexei Navalny rallied in Moscow and St. Petersburg after a court sentenced the Kremlin critic to prison, on 2 February. Police detained 23 journalists, mainly in Moscow. —————————– The Russian Journalists’ and Media Workers’ Union (JMWU) and the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ) recorded on 31 January at least 120 cases of detention, obstruction and violence against journalists while covering protests in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, in Russia. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) call on the Russian authorities to stop intimidating journalists and let them do their job. On…

An online international mission to assess the state of media freedom and the safety of journalists in Serbia is taking place from 28 January to 1 February 2021. The mission is led by ARTICLE 19 as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), which monitors, tracks and responds to violations of press freedom and threats against journalists and media workers in European Union Member States and Candidate Countries. The mission is organised in partnership with the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS), one of the affiliates of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) in Serbia. The MFRR partners, including…

On 22 January 2021, Jean Chéritel, the CEO of the Chéritel group, a fruit and vegetable wholesaler in the Brittany region of France, dropped his defamation action against freelance investigative journalist, Inès Léraud. The legal threat related to Léraud’s investigation, published in Basta! on 26 March 2019, which shed light on alleged illegal practices of the company. The manner by which the lawsuit was dropped echoes a previous lawsuit brought against Léraud by Christian Buson, a Breton agri-food business owner, who also dropped his lawsuit a few days before the start of the trial in January 2020. While the MFRR welcomes the dropping…

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…

The management of the French weekly Valeurs Actuelles and the French Union of Magazine Publishers (SEPM) have launched legal proceedings against the French press council, (‘Conseil de déontologie journalistique et de médiation, CDJM’), the independent body that mediates between journalists, media, news agencies and the public on all matters relating to journalistic ethics in France.  The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) denounce this attempt to torpedo the CDJM and reaffirm their support for a body that aims to restore trust and improve professional ethics. The court will examine the case on 2 February initiated by Valeurs Actuelles on…

Riots have taken place in several cities in the Netherlands following the the government’s decision to impose a 9pm curfew to curb the circulation of the coronavirus, on Saturday 23 January. Several journalists were physically attacked in a context of growing hostility towards the press. The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ/IFJ) join their affiliates in the Netherlands, the NVJ, in condemning the attacks and expressing alarm over the escalation of violence against media professionals since last year. The unrest has started last weekend in protest against the curfew which came into force on Saturday. At least seven cases…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in calling on Montenegrin authorities to follow up on verbal commitments and immediately provide Lakić and her family with adequate police protection. These new assassination plots must also be swiftly and thoroughly investigated to ensure that both the perpetrators and those ultimately responsible for ordering Lakić’s death are brought to justice. Olivera Lakić is an investigative journalist who covers organised crime and corruption. On 25 December 2020, the special state prosecutor announced two suspects’ arrest for planning her assassination, with other suspects who are already in prison. They are…

The Russian Journalists’ and Media Workers’ Union (JMWU) and the Russian Union of Journalists (RUJ) recorded on 23 January at least 52 cases of detention and violence against journalists while covering protests in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, in Russia. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) condemns the use of violence against journalists. On Saturday, across Russia, tens of thousands of people defied a heavy police presence to join some of the largest rallies against President Vladimir Putin in years. OVD Info, an independent NGO that monitors rallies, said about 3,100 people had been detained, more than 1,200 of…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) calls on the Russian authorities to respect press freedom and allow journalists to operate freely as they cover the mass demonstrations in support of jailed opposition leader Alexei Navalny, scheduled for Saturday 23 January. Since 20 January, Russian police and the Russian media regulator have issued warnings to several journalists, as well as to news outlets and social media platforms, discouraging them from covering protests in support of Navalny. The Russian Prosecutor’s Office announced on 21 January that police will be “focused on taking preventive measures, and if there are grounds – bringing the…

The Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism has released a report titled “Journalism, Media, and Technology Trends and Predictions 2021”, which draws from the major events of 2020 and their disruptive effect on journalism. This outlines what to expect as a result of rapid digital change following the Covid-19 pandemic in a new world “where the physical and virtual coexist in new ways.” A key finding is that the pandemic has forced us to rethink where the limits of free speech should lie for giant tech platforms. According to the report, we should expect a more interventionist approach on…

In 2020, attacks against journalists in Germany more than doubled compared to previous years, according to the latest figure of the federal government. Demonstrations are considered as high-risk sites for journalists, and police officers were often unable to protect media professionals. The European Federation of Journalists and its German affiliates, the DJV and dju in ver.di, call for increased support and protection for media workers.  At the request of the Green parliamentary group, the federal government published official figures for the attacks on media workers in 2020. It recorded 252 incidents, among which 22 were physical injuries, 33 were damages…