The European Federation of Journalists today joined its partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in urging the Greek government to withdraw proposed amendments which would introduce fines and jail sentences for journalists found guilty of publishing “false news”. We believe the draft law’s vague definition and punitive sanctions would undermine the freedom of the press and have a chilling effect at a time when independent journalism is already under pressure in Greece. The proposed amendments to Article 191 of the Civil Code, brought forward by the Ministry of Justice, would include penalties for those found guilty of disseminating…

Speech by Mogens Blicher Bjerregård (EFJ President) on 8 October 2021:  Welcoming you all to the EFJ Annual Meeting 2021 in Zagreb, Croatia, we will start with the great news of today that the Nobel Peace Prize winner this year is press freedom and journalism. Maria Ressa, one of the most courageous and prominent investigative journalists from the Philippines, and the editor-in-chief of an independent newspaper in Russia, Dmitry Muratov, are the well-deserved announced winners, and this will have an enormous impact on press freedom. Choosing the editor-in-chief at Novaja Gazeta, where Anna Politkovskaya and other killed journalists worked, is extremely important.…

Between 14 and 16 October, the General Secretary of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) as well as representatives of the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), ARTICLE 19, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) will visit Malta to meet with members of the Maltese Government, civil society representatives, journalists, and other key stakeholders. The mission takes place four years after the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, on 16 October 2017. Despite modest progress in some areas, the ongoing impunity for the brutal murder and broader systemic failings continue to negatively impact Malta’s press…

The undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today express serious concern over a new Media and Information Agency (MIA) established by the government of Prime Minister Edi Rama in Albania and urge the ruling Socialist Party to immediately cancel its establishment to ensure it will not be used to further solidify control over the flow of public information. We also urge the European Union to immediately engage with the Albanian government to raise these concerns as a matter of priority in future accession talks. Plans for the new agency, announced during the first session of the new…

On 25 and 26 October 2021, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is holding a series of webinars “Trust in media: Photojournalism in the digital age“. Distinguished speakers will discuss the role of photojournalists and the challenges they face in a changing environment and how risks to health and safety can be mitigated. Below, the short bios and photos of the panelists. To register for day 1, 25 October, from 1 PM – 3.15 PM, click here. For day 2, 26 October, from 1 PM – 3.15 PM, click here. Day 1 Radomir Krackovic graduated from the Faculty of Political Sciences in…

Greek service of pan-European television channel Euronews is threatened with closure before the end of the year. The service, which is funded by the European Commission, could become the first broadcaster in an official EU language to be shut down. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliates, the Journalists’ Union of Athens Daily Newspapers (JUADN) and the Journalists’ Union of Macedonia and Thrace (ESIEMTH), in calling for the Greek service to be continued to preserve media pluralism and secure jobs.  The news follows a press conference held this summer between Euronews Greece CEO Michael Peters and Euronews Greece employees,…

The EFJ is looking for a subcontractor to provide expertise as part of the implementation of the EFJ project entitled Promoting Health and Safety at Work in Journalism through Training & Social Dialogue.  This programme is funded by the European Commission (DG Employment). The deadline for submission of bids is Monday 01 November 2021. Find more information here

The Turkish Association of Journalists (GCD) published its Quarterly Media Monitoring Report documenting the state of press freedom in Turkey for the months of April to June 2021.  A number of topics are addressed in the report including rights violations for media workers in the country, the situation of media workers, press card regulations, disinformation, the impact of social media on journalistic works, new initiatives and advocacy work.  According to the report, polarisation of the media in Turkey escalated strongly in the second quarter of 2021, with issues of “rights violations, targeting, violence, arrests, imprisonments, restraints, threats, investigations, self-censorship, fines…

This call for proposals is launched in the context of an EU-funded Project “TRADE UNIONS FOR A FAIR RECOVERY: Strengthening the role of trade unions in mitigating the impact of the COVID-19 crisis”. For more information and the application processes of the above call, please download the following documents. Description of the call for proposals Lump-sum calculation reference Application form Annex 1 Estimated budget  Annex 2 Profit & loss account Annex 3 Declaration of Honour Annex 4 Statement of exclusion The deadline for application is 29 October 2021. Please make sure that you have completed all the required documents in…

Twenty years ago today, Sunday World journalist Martin O’Hagan was shot dead in Lurgan, Northern Ireland. To this day, no one has been held to account for his brutal murder. The undersigned partners in the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) stand in solidarity with O’Hagan’s family, colleagues and friends as we call for justice in his case.  On 28 September 2001, O’Hagan was shot several times from a passing car while walking home from a local pub with his wife, who was not hurt in the attack. As a reporter, O’Hagan specialised in stories about drug gangs and paramilitary organisations.…

On 22 and 23 September, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) hosted a two-day webinar on “Trust in media: Telework during and after the Covid-19 pandemic”. Distinguished speakers explored the challenges, opportunities and future of work in the journalism sector. In particular, the practice of hybrid working will be the trend. Media employers and journalists’ organisations play an important role to help journalists transit smoothly to the new working environment while guaranteeing decent and fair working conditions for all. The webinars were part of a cooperation between the Trust and quality in journalism project, co-funded by the European Commission (DG…

The Municipal Civil Court of Zagreb, Croatia, imposed a temporary reporting injunction on the publisher of the news website H-alter following a series of articles about the Child and Youth Protection Centre’s work irregularities. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliates, the Croatia Journalists’ Association (CJA) and the Trade Union of Croatian Journalists (TUCJ), in denouncing a direct form of censorship. On 21 September 2021, the Croatian judiciary ordered to stop the articles’ publication and to bar H-alter from further investigation into the actions of the Health Polyclinic for the Protection of Children and Youth of the City of Zagreb, the only…

In a plenary debate, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) asserted its commitment to supporting press freedom, the safety of journalists and media pluralism against the backdrop of increasing attacks across the EU. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and Reporters without Borders (RSF) held interventions to inform about the hostile environment where 16 journalists were murdered since 2015 and impunity largely prevails. The linked opinion SOC/635Securing media freedom and diversity in Europe was adopted, calling on the Commission to apply rules of budget conditionality and impose sanctions on Member States where European values including the rule of law…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined 61 other organisations in a joint statement to ask the European Commission to strengthen its annual Rule of Law report.  The EFJ and its partners called for the EU to revise and amend the report with the view to examine more closely press freedom issues over Europe. With the aim of improving the credibility, inclusiveness and impact of the next Rule of Law report, the statement issued a set of recommendations, noting that this year’s report – published in July 2021 – “overlooked some serious media freedom issues, particularly related to the capture…

The “Photojournalism in the Digital Age” webinar – the last in the series of five as part of the “Trust and Quality in Journalism” project – will be held online on the 25th and 26th of October 2021. The webinar will discuss the role of photojournalists in the digital age and the challenges they face at work. The second day’s panel will explore how risks to health and safety can be mitigated. Registration Registrations are open! To register for day 1, 25 October, from 1 PM – 3.15 PM, click here. For day 2, 26 October, from 1 PM –…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its partners in the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) as well as its affiliate in Romania, the FAIR-MediaSind, to express serious concern over the brutal beating of two filmmakers who were shooting a documentary about illegal logging in Romania and call on the country’s prosecutor general and law enforcement authorities to ensure all those responsible are swiftly brought to justice. On 16 September 2021, journalist and freelance filmmaker Mihai Dragolea and director Radu Constantin Mocanu were attacked and badly beaten by around 20 people armed with sticks and axes while they were documenting…