This interview was originally published on Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT) on 01/07/2022. Quickly resolving the economic issue relating to journalists, fighting harder against SLAPPs or gag complaints, using the rule of law to improve media conditions. These are the keywords of Maja Sever, the first woman to lead the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ). Busy, hardworking, cheerful, Maja Sever (born in 1971) is one of the best-known faces of Croatian journalism and, since mid-June, she has also been the new president   of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ). With almost three decades of experience, Sever has built her career in…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in welcoming the resounding exoneration of four Greek journalists and publishers who faced criminal charges and potential lengthy prison sentences linked to their media outlets’ investigative reporting which unveiled the Novartis pharmaceutical scandal. The acquittals represent an important validation of watchdog journalism in Greece and a vital – yet costly – victory for the rule of law and press freedom. On 30 June 2022, the Judicial Council of the Supreme Court ruled that all allegations made against the journalists were baseless and declined…

The rise of online hate speech poses challenges both to media professionals and our democratic values. This training module, divided into 4 elements, is designed to help media professionals deal with ethical problems. Module 1: Practices on migrants and refugees Module 2: Inclusion through media Module 3: Media Against ‘Hate Speech’ Module 4: How to counter hate speech and manage an online community These publications were produced as part of “Media Against Hate”, a Europewide campaign initiated by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and a coalition of civil society organisations.

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is co-signing together with other civil society organisations a policy brief on the upcoming European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), as the European Commission is currently finalising the draft proposal. We thank the European Commission for taking on this task and the ambition it has to deal with fundamental threats to Europe’s media landscape. We take this opportunity, as a coalition of journalists, media freedom groups and human rights groups, to develop our statement of 9th May and to address issues around the European single market, media ownership and transparency of economic relations with the…

On Sunday, 26 June, Turkish police broke up the Istanbul Pride march, assaulting and detaining over 200 demonstrators and several journalists including an AFP photographer. The International and European Federation of Journalists (IFJ and EFJ) stand with their Turkish affiliates in condemning the crackdown on journalists while doing their job. Despite the ban on the march ordered by the governor and the heavy police presence, protestors gathered in large numbers around Taksim Square. The last authorised march in 2014 drew thousands of participants and the event has taken place every year since 2015, even though it was banned each year. Police detained about…

The Reuters Institute, in cooperation with Oxford University, recently published the Digital News Report 2022, which documents the latest trends in the global news industry. After two years of pandemic and the global crisis that began in February with the Russian Federation’s decision to invade Ukraine, consumers around the world seem to be suffering from a news fatigue. Overall, the growing lack of trust in traditional institutions and biases towards news producers and services are significantly changing a market where new models are dynamically evolving. Falling interest in news Compared to the last data collected in 2015, it is clear…

Update (30 June 2022): On 30 June 2022, we were informed by the author of this blog that the plaintiff/civil party has lodged an appeal with the Supreme Court (Court of Cassation) against the Antwerp CA judgment of 9 June 2022. —————– This article was previously published by the “Leuven Blog for Public Law”. It is reproduced with the permission of the author, Dirk Voorhoof, who is emeritus professor at the Human Rights Centre UGent, founding member of the Legal Human Academy and member of the expert committee of the Council of Europe on SLAPPs (MSI-SLP). When Belgian news site Apache‘s chief editor Karl…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) coalition today expressed serious concern over the recent €1,000 fine issued to Pulitzer prize-winning photographer Javier Bauluz under Spain’s controversial ‘Gag Law’. The fine represents another example of the need for the Spanish government to urgently reform the most problematic elements of the law in line with international human rights standards to protect freedom of expression and the freedom of the press. In November 2020, the photographer had been documenting the arrival of thousands of refugees and migrants to Gran Canaria. As he attempted to…

UK Home Secretary Priti Patel has accepted the US government’s request to extradite Wikileaks publisher Julian Assange in what the International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) condemned as a shameful decision that sets “a terrible precedent for all those who are daily fighting to tell the truth”. On 17 June, despite theIFJ and media calling on the government to reject the extradition request, the Home Secretary gave the green light, ignoring pleas to protect media freedom. Assange is currently fighting extradition to the US to face charges, mostly under the Espionage Act, relating to the leaking and publishing of the Afghan and Iraqi war logs. In the US, Julian Assange…

A Turkish court imprisoned pending trial 16 Kurdish journalists and media workers for allegedly “spreading terrorist propaganda” on 16 June 2022. The European and International Federation of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) and their four Turkish affiliates strongly condemn these massive arrests of journalists on groundless charges and urge for the immediate release of all of them. Last week, Turkish police detained 21 Kurdish journalists and media workers in a massive operation in the Kurdish-majority southeastern province of Diyarbakir on terrorism charges. Police raided the homes of several Kurdish journalists working for the pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya News Agency, the all-female Jin News website, a…

Croatian journalist and President of the Trade Union of Croatian Journalists (TUCJ) Maja Sever was elected President of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) on 14 June 2022 during the EFJ General Meeting taking place in Izmir, Turkey. Maja Sever succeeds Mogens Blicher Bjerregård from Denmark after three terms of three years each. Mustafa Kuleli (TGS, Turkey) was elected Vice-President. Maja Sever, 50, started her professional career as a war reporter for Croatian public broadcaster HRT in ex-Yugoslavia. She then became a political reporter for different HRT news programs. She is now a senior journalist with more than 20 years of…

Today, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined 72 other civil society organisations and professional bodies in writing to the European Commission with a strong demand: withdraw the legislation laying down rules to prevent and combat child sexual abuse (CSA) regulation, and replace it with an approach that upholds fundamental rights. We caution EU politicians and governments that when you fundamentally undermine how the internet works, you make it less safe for everyone. The proposal focuses specifically on detecting, reporting and removing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online and does not tackle broader dimensions of the grave issue of child…

After the call to parliament in Turkey by seven leading journalism organisations, including the Journalists’ Union of Turkey (TGS), the European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) joined 24 international media freedom, freedom of expression and journalists’ organisations to call for the immediate dismissal of the bill on “disinformation and fake news” which was submitted to the parliament on May 27 by the governing alliance of Justice and Development Party (AKP) and Nationalist Movement Party (MHP). The bill threatens up to three years imprisonment for those found guilty of the deliberate publishing of “disinformation and fake news” intended to instigate fear…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) will hold its General Meeting in Izmir, Turkey on 13-14 June and elect its upcoming Steering Committee for 2022-2025. The candidates are: CANDIDATES FOR THE EFJ PRESIDENCY Mariusz PILIS SDP, Poland View candidate profile and statement     Maja SEVER TUCJ, Croatia View candidate profile and statement         CANDIDATES FOR THE EFJ VICE PRESIDENCY Marta BARCENILLA ESCANO FSC-CCOO, Spain View candidate profile and statement Joachim KREIBICH DJU in VER.DI, Germany View candidate profile and statement (French and English) Mustafa KULELI TGS, Turkey View candidate profile and statement   Mariusz PILIS SDP,…

On May 26, a new Directory of State initiatives to protect journalists in Europe has been launched by ARTICLE 19 as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) project which the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is part of. This new resource aims to to map initiatives on the safety of journalists deployed by States, or in which the State is involved, within the countries covered by the MFRR. Who is this Directory for? Journalists: First and foremost, we hope that this Directory enhances journalists’ safety. It provides journalists with information about initiatives that exist to enhance their safety, which…

Dominique Pradalié from France, member of the National Union of Journalists (SNJ), was elected President of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) on 2 June 2022 at the 31st IFJ Congress in Muscat, Oman. After six years on the IFJ Executive Committee, Dominique Pradalié succeeds Younes Mjahed from Morocco. She was the only candidate. She received 193 votes in favour, 62 against and 11 abstentions. Dominique Pradalié has worked throughout her career in French public broadcasting, from ORTF to France Télévisions, and she has been editor-in-chief of the nightly news on France 2. At the same time as she was…