Update: On 27 December 2021, President Andrzej Duda vetoed the bill. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined 17 media freedom and journalists’ organisations in writing the following letter to the Polish president, urging to apply a presidential veto to the lex TVN. Dear Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland, The undersigned international media freedom and journalists groups are writing to urge you to apply a presidential veto to the so-called “Lex-TVN” amendment passed by the Sejm on December 17, which we believe poses a fundamental threat to media freedom and pluralism in Poland. This bill represents a…

The undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today express their concern about the increasing number of attacks against journalists across Germany, particularly in the context of anti-vaccine demonstrations. We call for better safety measures and protection as well as thorough investigations of attacks against journalists covering such demonstrations. Moreover, preventative measures are needed to stop such attacks from happening. Finally, we encourage media workers to report press and media freedom violations.  Already in 2020, reported attacks against journalists had more than doubled compared to the previous year. This dramatic increase to 255 aggressions can be attributed to…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliates in Croatia and the SafeJournalists Network in condemning the threats received by the fact-checking portal Faktograf.hr and its employees, targeted by intimidations attempts since 10 December 2021. The threats and lynching were prompted by entrepreneur Nenad Bakic, a businessman known for his inclination to sue the media. Bakic used his Facebook profile, which has over 40.000 followers, to threaten to launch a criminal lawsuit against the portal for allegedly censoring his post and comments of Faktograf’s social media pages. He then wrote that he would be interested in  “whether it would be legal to…

Danish intelligence services warned the Danish media companies JP/Politikens Hus, Berlingske Media and DR Nyheder not to publish any classified information. This happened after the recent arrest of four intelligence officers accused of leaking information. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the Danish Union of Journalists (DJ) strongly condemned this disturbing “warning” to Denmark’s leading media outlets and called on the concerned services to stay away from the press. On 13 December, the Danish Police Intelligence Service, PET, and the Defence Intelligence Service, FE, warned Stig Ørskov, JP/Politikens Hus’ CEO, Anders Krab-Johansen, Berlingske Media’s chief executive, and Sandy French,…

A reporter and her crew working for Italian public broadcaster RAI were held in a Bucharest police station for several hours on Monday 13 December after an anti-vax Romanian Senator kept them locked up inside her office during an interview. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) condemns the attack on the RAI crew and the unjustified arrest of the journalists by the Romanian police. Italian journalist Lucia Goracci and her crew were detained after the alleged attack by the husband of Senator Diana Iovanovici Sosoaca, after the Senator locked the crew in her office. During her interview by Lucia Goracci,…

The Trade Union of Macedonian Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM) just launched a campaign to call for the urgent adoption of the amendments to the Criminal Code to better protect journalists. The changes were announced in July 2021 by Justice Minister Bojan Maricic but have not yet been passed. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) urged the Parliament not to further delay these important reforms. The EFJ had welcomed the introduction of the amendments last summer considered as “an important step forward for press freedom in the country”. Requested by the journalists’ association and union in North Macedonia for several years, the provisions, if voted, will help…

Ten journalists are currently detained in Crimea and another five have short-term administrative arrests, according to the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU). The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliate in Ukraine in calling for their immediate release. A solidarity action was organised on 3 December 2021 by the NUJU during a special online meeting. Almost 300 journalists, public figures, human rights activists, students and lecturers in journalism universities showed support to the imprisoned journalists, as part of the online course for journalists “In Focus – CRIMEA”. They are citizen journalists, most of them are representatives of…

The Center for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF) organised a webinar with the School for Journalists and Media Practitioners on the safety of journalistson 6 December 2021. EFJ Director Renate Schroeder moderated the debate on “Ensuring the Safety of Journalists: a constant battle”, with Audrius Perkauskas, deputy head of unit “Audiovisual and Media Services Policy” at the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Communications Networks, Content and Technology (CONNECT), Urška Umek, Head of Media Unit at the Council of Europe’s Information Society Department,  Mária Žuffová, research associate at the Center for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom at the European University Institute,…

Guilty verdicts in retrial: an important step in long fight for justice The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today joined the partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR)  in welcoming the confirmed guilty verdicts handed down to four former officials in the Serbian state security services for the murder in 1999 of leading journalist and editor-in-chief Slavko Ćuruvija. The decision by the Higher Court in Belgrade to reaffirm the convictions in the retrial is an important victory for the family and all those involved in the long fight for justice for his assassination and represents another important milestone in the fight…

Updated (03/12/2021) The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomed the proposed EU Digital Services Act as a long overdue and crucial tool to create a safer, fairer and more accountable online environment. The journalists’ community believes that the DSA must be stronger in order to guarantee a digital media ecosystem based on trust and audience engagement, in particular in the fight against disinformation. Today the platforms determine who sees when and what – based on their content recommendation systems, algorithms and terms and conditions. The power of the big platforms and gatekeepers has contributed to the market failure we face…

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (IJAS) express concern over the limited time and space available to openly debate various amendments of the Penal Code proposed by the Ministry of Justice of Serbia. While well intentioned, the amendments are problematic from a freedom of expression perspective. Our civil society organisations call for a broader and open consultation that comprehensively integrates the implications of the amendments on the exercise of human rights in Serbia.  We recognise that journalists in Serbia face numerous threats to their physical safety and are often the target of harassment…

Belarusian authorities arrested and searched the houses of several independent journalists across the country for simply doing their job on 1 December. The European and International Federations of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) join their Belarussian affiliate, the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), in solidarity with the journalists affected and condemn the government’s systematic harassment of independent journalists. The Belarusian police arrested at least four journalists in three different locations across the country on charges of “funding anti-government protests”. The officers also confiscated some of their equipment. According to BAJ, journalists Valeryia Lepeshava and Siarhei Niarouny were detained by the Belarusian police in the eastern…

The fourth Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) monitoring report documents attacks against press workers and media across EU Member States and Candidate Countries between January and June 2021 and is again shaped by the Covid-19 pandemic. The number of violations is alarming and has continued to rise: This is the highest figure of attacks ever recorded by the MFRR partners and the data testify that demonstrations are becoming an increasingly dangerous environment due to radicalisation and polarisation. read the full report here Compiled by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Press Institute (IPI), with the support of the European Centre for Press…

After the Journalists Union of Turkey (TGS) signed its first collective agreement in 18 years with the newspaper Cumhuriyet in mid-November, the management dismissed eight journalists and union members. TGS understands this to be a discriminatory and retaliatory move against union organisation. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its Turkish affiliate in the call for the journalists’ immediate reemployment. In response, on Tuesday 30 November, TGS organised a protest with journalists and press freedom advocates in front of Cumhuriyet’s headquarters in Istanbul at 11 am local time. Although Cumhuriyet put forward economic reasons for the dismissals, TGS General Secretary…

Journalist of Toscana TV Greta Beccaglia was groped by a football fan while she was reporting live from the Empoli vs Fiorentina game in Empoli on 27 November 2021. The European and International Federation of Journalists (EFJ-IFJ) joined its Italian affiliate, the FNSI, in strongly condemning this intolerable attack and calling for solidarity with Greta Beccaglia. The female journalist was interviewing fans pouring out of the Empoli stadium after the match when one fan approached her and slapped her on the backside – live on Toscana TV. Beccaglia reacted calmly, saying “Sorry, you can’t do this,” and professionally continued her…

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) will hold an online fact-finding mission to Greece in the first half of December to assess increasing concerns about media freedom and the safety of journalists in the country. The online mission will be led by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) and implemented together with its partners in the MFRR, including the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and representatives from other international press freedom groups. The delegation will meet with a range of domestic stakeholders, including journalists and editors, journalists’ unions and associations, civil society and academics, and representatives of…