1000 journalists are set to strike after two days of negotiations between IFJ-EFJ affiliate, the National Union of Journalists (NUJ) and Reach, the UK’s largest national and regional news publisher, broke down without a deal. The International and European Federation of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) have backed the workers’ demands for a fair pay rise and fully support the strike, which starts on Wednesday 31 August. NUJ members across Reach titles will strike on Wednesday 31st August. Union representatives unanimously passed a vote of no confidence in the chief executive, and also agreed to add an additional day of strike action to…

A Polish court extended the pre-trial detention of Spanish journalist Pablo González for the second time on 23 August, meaning he will spend up to a further 3 months in jail. The journalist, who was covering the humanitarian crisis on the Polish-Ukrainian border, was arrested on 28 February in the south-western city of Rzeswów, accused of being “an agent of Russian intelligence”. The International and European Federations of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) and their Spanish affiliates urge the authorities to release González without further delay, and ensure he will receive a fair trial. “The Polish court has ordered González to be remanded…

Today, 24 August, marks both the Ukrainian day of Independence and six months since the beginning of the Russian war of aggression. On this occasion, the partners in the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) reiterate our continued solidarity with the journalists and media workers who risk their lives and safety to bring the world independent, balanced, and accurate information from the frontlines. The killing, kidnapping, and other attacks on journalists must stop and those responsible must face justice for their crimes under national and international law. The safety of media workers is essential to inform the world about the realities…

Local journalism is in a dire situation. To address the problem, the Journalists’ Union of Germany (DJV) has launched a project with the aim to revive local journalists. The project highlights the important role of reporting exactly where people don’t expect (but journalists truly find) the biggest headlines: in the province. Far from big media metropolises, in small towns, communities or villages, the so-called “Hinterland”. An increasing migration to the cities, financing difficulties that often end in fusion and not to forget the adaption of modern working techniques and consumption patterns, are problems which most local journalists are familiar with.…

The partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) denounce the obvious misuse of public funds by Patricia Schlesinger, former director of Berlin’s public broadcaster Radio Berlin Brandenburg (RBB). We welcome her instant dismissal while demanding a thorough investigation and calling for improved accountability in publicly funded media. On 15 August, the Rundfunkrat, which supervises the broadcaster, decided to instantly dismiss Ms. Schlesinger following her decision to step back from her position as director on 7 August. The dismissal was made in response to a wave of allegations related to mismanagement of public funds. Among the allegations are the allocation…

EFJ President Maja Sever reflects on the attack on her on 1 August in the bay of the island of Tijat in Croatia. The story is quite simple. The inhabitants of the village where I spent my summer holidays, on a small island on the Adriatic coast of Croatia, are revolted by what they describe as the devastation, usurpation and illegal use of the bay of a neighbouring islet. They are fighting to preserve the site through legal means, but the atmosphere has been tense and unpleasant for several years. Only recently has the story made its way to the…