Imagine you are being locked away in a prison for 14 years without trial for crimes you have not committed? On Sunday 15 November, you can experience the injustice facing the Swedish-Eritrean journalist, Dawit Isaak, who has been detailed Eritrea for 14 years now. To share the solidarity with Dawit, you will be put in a  four square metres of pitch dark and stifled surroundings symbolize Dawit Isaak’s prison cell for 15 minutes. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) will join a campaign launched by the Belgian branch of the world association of writers, PEN, to highlight the struggle of…

In view of the ongoing trilogue negotiations, informal tripartite meetings attended by representatives of the European Parliament, the Council and the Commission on reaching the proposal for an EU directive (also know as trade secrets directive) “on the protection of undisclosed know-how and business information against their unlawful acquisition, use and disclosure”, journalists’ and media organisations expressed their concern regarding a potential damaging impact on press freedom. A letter has been sent to the rapporteur, shadow-rapporteurs, members of the European Parliament of the Legal Committee, the Permanent representatives of the EU member states (COREPER) and relevant  contacts in the European…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) has received worrying reports concerning a smear campaign against independent and investigative journalists working for the Balkan Investigative Reporting Network (BIRN), the Centre for Investigative Journalist (CINS) and the Crime and Corruption Reporting Network (KRIK) in Serbia. According to BIRN Serbia, the Serbian Prime minister Aleksandar Vucic publicly supported “the theory that independent investigative centres in Serbia are paid by foreign donors to destabilise the government” and the prime minister “is using his position to dismiss opponents, qualifying them as mobsters, thieves and criminals despite no evidence or opportunity for them to defend themselves. This creates an…

EFJ Director Renate Schroeder was invited by the European Free Alliance/The Greens to a panel discussion about “Press Freedom-keeping Journalists safe” yesterday in the European Parliament. She informed the meeting about the different activities the EFJ is involved when it comes to mapping media freedom, the Council of Europe Platform to promote the protection of journalism and safety of journalists and pledged the EP to stand up for journalist’ rights, media freedom and democracy, which at the moment is too often compromised by geopolitical interest. Sasa Lekovic, President of EFJ affiliate, the Croatian Journalists’ Association, and co-author presented the SEEMO…

On November 11, the Budapest Centre for the International Prevention of Genocide and Mass Atrocities hosted a round-table on the role of journalists in preventing genocide and countering extremism at the Hungarian Institute of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The opening panel featured the keynote speech of András Trom, Head of Section of Foreign and Security Policy of the Association of Hungarian Journalists (MUOSZ), an EFJ affiliate. The Budapest Centre noted that “Trom pointed out the key role that journalists have in society, insofar as they are charged with reporting on events and thus mediating people’s understanding of reality. In this sense, the quality…

Greek media will strike will hold a 24-hour strike starting from 6:00 am on Thursday until 6:00 am on Friday, following the general strike that has been scheduled by the country’s public and private sector unions, including the Panhellenic Federation of Journalists’ Unions (an EFJ affiliate), for Thursday 12 November. The strike for journalists covers all print media (newspapers and magazines), public broadcaster ERT and all private TV, radio and internet media, Athens-Macedonian News Agency, Secretariat General of Information and Communication and all Press Offices. The Journalists’ Union of the Athens Daily Newspapers (JUADN-ESIEA), also member of the EFJ, has called on its…