The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) today published a list of 94 journalists and media staff killed in work-related incidents during 2018. The new death toll marks a slight increase up from 82 killings recorded last year and represents a reversal of the downward trend from the last three years. In Europe, four journalists have been killed in 2018: Jan Kuciak (Slovakia), Jamal Kashoggi (Turkey), Victoria Marinova (Bulgaria), and Antonio Megalizzi (France). The list does not include the Russian journalist Maksim Borodin who died in suspicious circumstances in Ekaterinburg (Russia). In its 29th list, the IFJ says that this year’s roll call of…

The European Federation of Journalists is supporting the initiative of the European Center for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), also joined by two other media freedom organisations (PEN International and RSF), to request immediately the Albanian government to drop initiative on amendment of media laws currently being discussed in the country and raising serious concerns about media freedom situation. The joint-letter sent to Prime Minister Edi Rama says : Request to drop initiative on amendment of media laws in Albania Dear Prime Minister Edi Rama, Dear Minister of Justice Etilda Gjonaj, Copy: Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the Council…

This December, the German Association of Journalists (DJV) developed an online survey to record the time freelance journalists need for writing their articles in the magazine sector. The collected data will be used to realistically calculate the personal hourly rate for the freelance journalists working in the magazine sector. The survey was closed on  15th December and the results should be available at the beginning of the new year. The data will be then presented anonymously to the publishers with the goal of guaranteeing fair fees for all journalists and finally agree on Joint Remuneration Rules. The European Federation of…

On  28th November, the Dutch Association of Journalists (NVJ) agreed on a “working conditions policy plan” aiming to adapt the rates of freelance journalists in line with the employed journalists. NVJ is negotiating with the publishers to guarantee  4 to 4,5 % salary increase to the publishers association. The NVJ has chosen a comprehensive approach in the negotiations with the publishers to guarantee better rights for both employees and freelancers. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) welcomes this decision in times when more and more freelance journalists suffer precarious working conditions throughout Europe. The plan is part of a broader…

The Hungarian public media MTVA became on Monday 17 December the focal point of the protest movement that started last week in the capital against Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, over the passing of new bills, including the so-called “slave law”. According to media reports, thousands of demonstrators gathered outside state public broadcaster MTVA headquarters. About ten opposition members of parliament (MP) entered the building with the aim to read the demands of the protesters live on air. The requests included the overturn of a controversial labour law, the annulment of the judicial reform and a call for more independence and objectivity…

On December 13, Antonio Megalizzi, an Italian journalist who had been seriously hurt at the head during the gun attack on the Christmas market in Strasbourg, died after being for few days in a coma. His conditions were partiicularly bad since the very first moment and when he arrived at the hospital it was clear that he was struggling between life and death. Megalizzi, who was only 28 years old, went in Strasbourg as a voluntary journalist of Europhonica, a shared radio show aiming to give voice to independent student and university media interested in Europe. The show broadcasts from the European Parliament…