Vice-President of the European Commission Vera Jourova presented a Recommendation ‘on ensuring the safety of journalists’ on 16 September 2021. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomed this timely recommendation as well as the Commission’s commitment to the safety of journalists. However, as this legislation is non-binding, the EFJ stressed the need to swiftly put in place a mechanism to thoroughly monitor significant action of Member States towards this end. During the press conference, Vera Jourova paid tribute to all the journalists attacked, and in particular to those who paid “the highest price”. She highlighted the impact of the COVID-19…

The partner organisations in the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) welcome the European Commission’s Recommendation on ensuring the protection, safety and empowerment of journalists and media professionals in the European Union, presented today. The document is a testament to the Commission’s much-needed engagement in the defence of press freedom and media pluralism as critical elements of the Union’s foundational values in the face of increased attacks and threats to journalists and media workers across the region in recent years. At the same time, it serves as an indictment of the lack of meaningful action by a number of member states…

In Sarajevo, Borka Rudic, the General Secretary of the BH Journalists’ Association (BHN) and professor in journalism Lejla Turcilo, are targeted by nationalistically motivated hateful comments on social networks. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliate in Bosnia in condemning the smear campaign and urging the authorities to investigate the case. This campaign is the continuation of coordinated attacks, hateful comments and defamatory statements, which started a year ago on social media against professor Turcilo, led by several media outlets and journalist Alena Lena Demirović. Lejla Turcilo is the head of the Department of Journalism and Communication at…

As the European Parliament today debates the Pegasus spyware scandal, the undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) call for an immediate investigation into the alleged use of the spyware against journalists by Hungarian authorities and urge the strong implementation of new EU rules on the export of cyber-surveillance technology around the world. Revelations by the Pegasus Project that at least 180 journalists in 20 countries had their phones infected by the NSO Group’s spyware underscored the need for urgent action by the international community to tackle the unregulated spread of such technology and to create safeguards for…

The President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen gave the annual address on the State of the Union in front of Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) on 15 September. In her speech, she stressed the need to better protect journalists, media outlets’ independence and the public right to information. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomed a strong statement in favour of media freedom and demanded concrete binding initiatives for EU member states to make these words a reality. President Ursula von der Leyen gave a long speech outlining her vision for the future of Europe and…

Originally published on journo.com Turkey’s Journalists’ Union (TGS) has hanged a decision to strike at the Istanbul office of Agence France-Presse (AFP), a global news agency. The three-month talks for a collective labor agreement between TGS and AFP ended with no deal this week, the union said in a statement on Sept. 10, declaring that “the employer’s representatives turned a deaf ear to the demands of AFP employees and came to the table with almost ridiculous offers.” The main disagreement between negotiating parties was the rate of wage raise. The employer’s representatives offered an 11% raise —a figure that the unionized…

Luxembourg’s Prime Minister and Media Minister Xavier Bettel met with the Association of Professional Journalists in Luxembourg (ALJP) on 9 September 2021 to discuss access to information for journalists.  Bettel met with Roger Infalt (ALJP President), Luc Caregari (Secretary General), Ingo Zwank and Misch Pautsch (members of the Board of Directors) as well as the Ministry’s Media and Communications Department, Paul Konsbrück (outgoing head of cabinet) and his successor Jeff Feller. After the meeting, Infalt said he was optimistic, as Bettel showed great awareness of the issue. Bettel’s comments during the meeting suggested that he was aware of the issue…

Police summoned Le Média journalist Thomas Dietrich to Puteaux police station (Paris), where he was interrogated for two hours over a recent journalistic investigation. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) joined their affiliate in France, the SNJ-CGT, in denouncing the attempted intimidation and have called on the authorities to dismiss the groundless complaint against him. The summons followed a complaint filed by the former head of the Chadian political police, Mahamat Ismaël Chaïbo, for “threats to commit a crime or an offence” after the journalist went to his home in Paris to ask him questions. The journalist denied…

More than 250 days have now passed since the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) last received state funding for carrying out its public service mission from the government of Janez Janša, which currently presides over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union. Since the beginning of the year, the STA has been forced to operate without public funds guaranteed to it under two separate laws while a contractual dispute manufactured by the Government Communication Office (UKOM) is played out with the aim of forcing the agency to submit to greater government control. As the Slovenian government took over the…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its partners in the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today strongly condemn the attack on the Slovenian public broadcaster RTV Slovenija (RTVSLO) by Covid-19 deniers and anti-vaccination protesters last Friday.  At around 8:30pm on 3 September 2021, protesters broke into the RTVSLO studio in Ljubljana. The group of about 20 protesters, believed to be from the OPS group (Aware Residents of Slovenia), entered the building and managed to break into a newsroom. The group was demanding airtime on RTVSLO platforms to share their anti-vaccine views and an end to what they alleged was…

ABOUT THE COURSE  The safety of journalists has become ever more important in recent years with an increasing number of journalists facing threats, harassment and injuries in relation to their daily work. While some threats require a broader political and cultural change among multi-stakeholders, others can be mitigated by individuals and organisational level by journalists and media organisations. With this in mind, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) has developed this course to address individual journalists with the aims to enhance their personal capacities in making aware of operational media associated…

In recent days, several Maltese journalists and media outlets have been victims of online spoofing in what appears to be a major campaign to spread disinformation and discredit those who are targeted. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ/EFJ) have joined their affiliate, the Institute of Maltese Journalists (IGM), in denouncing these shameful intimidation attempts and call on the authorities to investigate those responsible for them. For the past week, numerous false articles and emails purporting to be written by journalists, organisations or public figures and containing false information have been spread in the country. On 26 June, blogger…

The Belarus Supreme Court dissolved today the Belarusian Association of Journalists (BAJ), the only independent representative organisation of journalists and media workers in Belarus and one of the country’s most prominent champions of freedom of expression. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) strongly condemn this parody of justice. Today, in Minsk, the Belarus Supreme Court held a hearing on the dissolution of BAJ, the EFJ and IFJ affiliate in Belarus. For over 25 years, BAJ and its membership of over 1,300 media workers has promoted freedom of expression and independent journalism in Belarus, facilitating…

UNESCO just published an open-access handbook for journalism educators, media organisations and associations on how to report on migrants and refugees. This timely publication was researched and edited by the Erich Brost Institute for International Journalism at the TU Dortmund University in Germany. The volume can be used as a self-learning tool or as part of journalistic training. Journalists learn how knowledge and awareness of accurate facts, reliable sources and ethical reporting are key to cover migration and forced displacement. The goal is to improve the coverage of migration and create a more balanced and informed public debate across countries…

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyj last week banned the opposition media news site Strana.ua and imposed sanctions on its editor-in-chief, Ihor Huzhva. Lawyers have criticised these measures for their “lack of legal basis”. This decision comes only six months after closing down three TV channels in early 2021. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliate in Ukraine, the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU), in calling this extrajudicial action a threat to press freedom and media pluralism in the country. On 21 August 2021, it was revealed that President Volodymyr Zelenskyj banned Strana.ua, one of the largest news…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is hosting a series of webinars on teleworking and hybrid working during and after the Covid-19 pandemic. This new way of working has brought new challenges to journalists and media organisations, such as issues regarding the separation of work and private life at home in connection to mental health and the right to disconnect. As it has become clear that this “new normal” will last beyond the current health crisis, the webinars will discuss the challenges and address how journalists organisations and media employers should adapt. The webinars received financial support from UNESCO and the European…