European Federation of Journalists

Building Trust in Media in South East Europe and Turkey

With financial support from the EU and UNESCO, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is promoting freedom of expression and press freedom in South East Europe and Turkey. The project, entitled Building Trust in media in South East Europe and Turkey, seeks to strengthen freedom of expression, access to information, free, independent and pluralistic media, ensuring that journalists and media are key drivers for democratic, sustainable and peaceful development in the region.

The project is being implemented in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Turkey, as well as in Kosovo (administered by the UN Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo in the context of UN Security Council Resolution 1244) since 2016.

The focus of the project Building Trust in Media in South East Europe and Turkey is on improving media accountability mechanisms, media internal governance and information literacy among citizens to strengthen civil society support for the media and demand for quality media.

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is working towards the objective to develop national social dialogues and ensure the implementation of labour rights in the field of media, in partnership with its affiliates in the region.

Promote and share our activities on online social networking services (Facebook, Twitter,…) using the hashtag #TrustInMediaSEE

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Campaign: Journalists are #EssentialWorkers

During the health crisis, journalists have been playing a crucial role. When most of us are required to stay home, they act as our eyes and ears on the ground bringing trustworthy and reliable information to us. Yet, in some European countries journalists are still not considered as essential workers impeding their ability to work. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) launched, in partnership with its affiliates in Albania, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Serbia and Turkey, a social media campaign to raise awareness about the need to regard journalists as essential workers.  In the region, the COVID-19 pandemic meant for…

Kosovo: new report shows how Covid-19 exacerbates existing problems for media workers

It appears to be a global trend that the Covid-19 outbreak has aggravated previously existing problems in the journalism industry and added another layer that concerns health measures for journalists. Kosovo is no exception as shown by a report called “The impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the economic situation of journalists, cameramen and photojournalists” published on 27 October by the Association of Journalists of Kosovo (AJK). This research focuses on the consequences of Covid-19 on the economic situation for media workers, the difficulties in reporting and the lack of necessary protection equipment. The study was carried out during the period…

North Macedonia: online media Vidi Vaka endorsed the European Charter on journalists’ working conditions

The Trade Union of Macedonian Journalists and Media Workers (SSNM) hold a press conference today in Skopje to announce their new collaboration with Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM), the Council of Media Ethics of Macedonia, NGO Onlimit Media and Vidi Vaka portal, on two major texts for journalists’ labour rights. The four parties signed the Charter on journalists’ working conditions and the draft Fair Working Contract for journalists and media workers in digital media. By doing so, they commit to respect all journalists’ and media workers’ labour rights, their freedom of expression as well as ethical and professional standards.…

UNESCO-EFJ project ‘Building Trust in Media in South East Europe and Turkey’ to start phase 2

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) will start in 2020 the phase 2 of the EU-funded project “Building Trust in Media in South East Europe and Turkey” in partnership with the UNESCO. Together with its members in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Turkey and Kosovo, the EFJ will organise three annual regional workshops to further develop national social dialogues and ensure the implementation of labour rights in the field of media in the region. Strong cooperation with the EFJ Labour Rights Expert Group (LAREG) will be continued to develop exchanges between journalists’ organisations from Eastern and Western…

Ambassador of Canada to the EU: “Journalists are modern heroes”

On 14 June, the UK Representation to the European Union (EU) and the Mission of Canada to the EU hosted the event “Thought is free: Protecting and promoting media freedom”. In two panels, six discussants shared their thoughts on media freedom, fact checking, safety of journalists, the loss of trust in media and the daily struggles of female journalists. The event was organised in the lead of the Global Conference for Media Freedom to take place on 11-11 July in London. In his opening statement, the Ambassador of Canada Dan Costello quoted journalists to be “modern heroes”, listing a worrying…

Magazine by young journalists looks into working conditions in Western Balkans & Turkey

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) published on 8 May 2019 a magazine focusing on journalists’ working conditions in the Western Balkans and Turkey. The contributors are six students in journalism from the region, winner of the 2019 Journalism Students Award. The first edition was organised by the journalists’ unions and associations in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH Journalists), Kosovo (AGK), Montenegro (TUMM), North Macedonia (SSNM), Serbia (SINOS) and Turkey (TGS), in partnership with the EFJ. The objective was to involve the young generation in the debate on working conditions in countries where journalists often face precariousness, insecurity and lack of…