Against the backdrop of a rapidly worsening media freedom crisis across the region, most prominently in Serbia, a coalition of international media freedom, journalists’ and freedom of expression organisations calls on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to raise the threats to the protection of journalists and media pluralism with the respective authorities during her visit to the Western Balkans this week (13-16 October).   Since October last year, our organisations have recorded extraordinary pressures on media freedom across the region. The abrupt shutdown of Al Jazeera Balkans, the intensifying political pressure on the N1 and Nova TV channels and…

The Central Election Commission of Kosovo (KQZ) rejected accreditation requests from Serbian and Albanian-language media outlets, as well as international media, ahead of the 12 October local elections. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its members the Journalists’ Association of Serbia (UNS) and the Safe Journalists Network (SJN) in condemning a discriminatory decision that is violating media freedom and the right of citizens to receive information in an official language. According to information from the Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AGK), dozens of Serbian-language outlets registered and operating in Kosovo were refused accreditation at a KQZ session. In addition,…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its partners from the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and undersigned organisations in strongly condemning the intensifying crackdown on Georgian journalists and press freedom defenders who continue to face institutional repression and physical attacks. As the Georgian Dream (GD) regime’s Prime Minister explicitly promises to stifle dissent, we reiterate our urgent call for the EU and the international community to respond forcefully to the ruling party’s clampdown on media and civil society. Media freedom in Georgia remains dire and continues to deteriorate. At least 11 journalists from both independent and government-controlled media were…

On 7 October 2025, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) met with the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) at the EBU headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The two long-standing partners, committed to defending public service media across Europe,  discussed the need to strengthen their cooperation to address the unprecedented challenges facing public service media today. In a political environment marked by the growing presence of far-right parties in European governments, both organisations share deep concerns over increasing hostility towards public service media and journalism. Recognising the growing challenges faced by reporters covering conflicts, demonstrations and divisive topics such as politics, migration, climate,…

On 8 October 2025, Bulgaria’s parliamentary Legal Affairs Committee urgently approved, at first reading, amendments to the Criminal Code introduced by the “There Is Such a People” (ITN) party. The draft law proposes prison sentences and fines for the dissemination of information about a person’s “personal life” without their consent. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its Bulgarian affiliate AEJ-Bulgaria condemn this disproportionate restriction on journalists’ right to cover private matters that are in the public interest. We demand the outright withdrawal of these provisions, which contravene European legal standards. The proposal defines “personal life” broadly, covering personal, family,…

Today the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and The Self-Investigation release a new report entitled “Stronger Minds, Stronger Media: Why protecting journalists’ mental health is essential for journalism’s future”. This research collects good practice examples, provides recommendations to journalists’ representatives, media organisations and helpful resources. The issue of mental health has largely been ignored until recent years in the journalism sector, but more and more studies and evidence show that stress related to a highly competitive work environment, with 24h-news cycle, as well as low pay and job insecurity contribute to mental health problems. It leads to burnout, some leaving…

The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) extend their condolences to the family and relatives of French photojournalist Antoni Lallican, who was killed by a drone on Friday 3 October in Ukraine. The EFJ and IFJ condemn this war crime and calls on the authorities to launch an investigation to identify those responsible. This is the first time a journalist has been killed by a drone in Ukraine. The circumstances surrounding the incident, which occurred on Friday morning at 9:20 local time, near the eastern city of Druzhkivka, in the Donetsk region, remain under investigation. According to the Ukrainian Ground…

On 30 September 2025, at least four Serbian journalists were targeted with anonymous printed leaflets, which were distributed to private mailboxes and public spaces in Belgrade and other cities. The scale of this coordinated smear campaign is suspected to be significant, given the increasing number of cases being reported throughout the country. The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) and their Serbian affiliates (GS KUM Nezavisnost, NUNS, UNS, and SINOS) urge the authorities to conduct immediate and thorough investigations into these threats, to identify, apprehend, and sanction the perpetrators. The printed leaflets describe each journalist as having ‘bloody hands’,…

On 30 September, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and 15 partner organizations wrote to leaders in Germany, Italy, and the Czech Republic to call for a full or partial suspension of the EU-Israel Association Agreement. The agreement sets out the EU’s legal and institutional framework for political dialogue and economic cooperation with Israel. The European Commission recently proposed suspending “certain trade-related provisions” because of “a breach of essential elements relating to [the] respect for human rights and democratic principles.” Now EU member states must decide whether to go ahead. However, some EU member…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) publishes its position paper on Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the future of journalism in Europe, after it was adopted by the EFJ Steering Committee in Brussels, on 30 September.  The spread of AI profoundly affects reporting practices that had been used in newsrooms until now. AI is able to assist journalists’ work in helping with translation and fact-checking. But it can also be used maliciously to generate misinformation, or give preference to a small number of media sources in its training and output, thus harming media pluralism and information integrity. AI in journalism must…

Following a three-day mission to Sofia between 24-26 September, a coalition of international journalists and press freedom organisations, including the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), concluded that progress is needed to prevent and prosecute attacks on journalists, resolve the ongoing dispute over the leadership of the public broadcaster, guarantee the independence of the Council for Electronic Media (CEM) and pass anti-SLAPP legislation. Despite the important work of key journalist associations, there is a low level of solidarity within the journalistic profession. The mission, organised by the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform and the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) also found that Bulgaria…

At least six journalists have been injured since early September while covering the protests against the 2026 national budget plan. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners condemn the deliberate violence by law enforcement officers and call once again on the French authorities to protect and recognise the work of journalists as essential during protests. On 18 September 2025, a journalist from the public television channel France 2 was hospitalised in Lyon after being injured while covering the second day of the “Bloquons tout” (Block Everything) protests against the French government. The journalist…

Following a meeting with the Palestinian Ambassador to the EU in Brussels, the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) and the European Trade Union Federations, including the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), reiterate their call for more decisive and principled action by the European Union on Gaza. We welcome the New York Declaration on the Peaceful Settlement of the Question of Palestine and the Implementation of the Two-State Solution, including the statement that “recognition and realization of the State of Palestine are an essential and indispensable component of the achievement of the two-State solution”. In line with the Statement of the…

Between 24-25 September, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) will join a coalition of international media freedom and journalist organisations travelling to Bulgaria to conduct a press freedom mission on behalf of the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform and the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR). The delegation, which will include the EFJ General Secretary, Ricardo Gutiérrez, will conduct a series of meetings over two days in the capital Sofia with stakeholders including the Bulgarian President, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior, Council of Electronic Media (CEM), Office of General Prosecutor, Commission for Personal Data Protection, Central Election Commission, and representatives…

TikTok employees are continuing their strike this week amid the social media company’s refusal to engage in collective bargaining after announcing the layoffs of 150 content moderators. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its German affiliate ver.di and the striking workers in urging management to enter into constructive dialogue and negotiate a collective agreement. “We trained your machines, pay us what we deserve!” This is what TikTok employees in Germany are demanding, following the announcement that about 150 content moderators in Berlin from the Trust and Safety department and TikTok Live will be replaced by Artificial Intelligence (AI) and…

September 19 marks one year since the death of Victoria Roshchyna, a Ukrainian journalist who had been held for over a year in Russian captivity. On this day, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its MFRR partners in remembering Victoria and demanding justice for her death from Russian authorities. Roshchyna’s body was repatriated to Ukraine and buried in Kyiv only on 8 August 2025, almost one year after the official date of her death recorded by Russian authorities. According to Ukrainian forensic investigators, Roshchyna’s body showed numerous signs of torture, including burn marks from electric shocks, cuts on the…