European Federation of Journalists

Media Freedom Rapid Response

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) is a partner of Media Freedom Rapid Response project (MFRR) aiming to promote an independent, pluralistic media landscape, to safeguard media workers, especially harassed female media workers and to protect the rights of journalists. The RRM helps to mitigate the consequences of the recently observed deterioration of media freedom in several European Union, Member States and Candidate Countries.

Overall Objective

The overall objective of this project is to provide practical support for journalists to improve media freedom in Europe.

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) is designed to detect, answer and prevent violations of press and media freedom. It consists of three layers: monitoring, categorisation, responses.

Specific objectives

1. Mapping Media Freedom (MMF) in Europe (EU & Candidate Countries): Media violations are on the rise especially under the current coronavirus crisis. One of the key components of the project is to monitor and document a wide range of media violations conducted by any actors, whether individuals, state actors or business, so that actions can be taken rapidly to address the violations.

2. Practical supports: Based on the media violations reported, the project offers a wide range of immediate to long-term, practical support ranging from legal help, safety advice and training, safe house for journalists, advocacy and mission, and online resources. You could find more information about the legal support here and more details about safe house for journalists here.

3. Advocacy & Trial Monitoring: Joint media advocacy will also be carried out by the project including joint statements, national missions (in Czech Republic, Hungry, Spain, Serbia), roundtable advocacy meetings with EU policy-makers. The EFJ will involve the relevant national members when carrying out such national missions. Trial Monitoring especially for Turkey, Malta (for the case of Daphne Caruana Galizia) and Slovakia (for the case of Ján Kuciak) will be carried out and participated by the project partners to help find justice for journalists who are put in jails or murdered.

Anyone can submit and report a media violation to the MMF platform online.

Actions

Latvia: Anti-Corruption Bureau interferes with media editorial freedom ahead of municipal elections

Latvia’s Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) requested information from two media outlets, LETA and Re:Baltica, about content published on their websites in the context of the pre-election municipal campaign to be held on 7 June 2025. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its affiliate the Latvian Journalists’ Association (LŽA) in expressing its concern about questions by a state agency into editorial decisions. On 14 and 15 May 2025, Latvia’s news agency LETA and the Baltic Centre for Investigative Journalism Re:Baltica, received similar letters from the Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) to provide explanations regarding published content about…

Albania: MFRR and SafeJournalists condemn blatant intimidation of journalists covering parliamentary elections

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined its partners from the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and the SafeJournalists Network (SJN) to raise alarm over numerous incidents of intimidation and obstruction faced by journalists covering the Albanian parliamentary elections. Since the 11 May election, at least 20 journalists and media entities have faced reporting interference and pressure, including from public officials. All incidents were captured in multiple videos. Throughout election day, at least five journalists covering the vote experienced alarming incidents across the country, including verbal abuse, physical aggression, and interference in their reporting. Incidents documented by the MFRR and…

Hungary: Foreign funding bill poses most serious threat to independent media in years

A newly introduced bill which would allow for the blacklisting, financial restriction and potential closure of media outlets and civil society organisations receiving foreign funds poses a severe threat to independent journalism and press freedom and should be immediately challenged under EU law, the undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) said today. Draft legislation submitted on May 13 by the Fidesz party of Prime Minister Viktor Orbán represents the most serious attack on Hungarian media in years and is the latest step in a more than decade-long campaign by the government to stigmatise independent journalism, undermine its…

France: We renew calls to end police violence after new attacks on journalists at May Day protest

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its partners from the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in condemning state security forces’ deliberate violence against journalists covering the International Workers’ Day protest in Paris on 1 May, including physical violence and arbitrary confiscation of protective masks. We call on the French authorities to rigorously enforce national safety protocols to protect media workers and end recurring police violence against the press during demonstrations. Under the Ministry of Interior’s National Law Enforcement Plan (SNMO), state security must ensure journalists’ rights to cover law enforcement operations, protect them, and…

Croatia: New attack on journalists over environmental reporting, activation of government safety protocols

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) condemned the attack on Nova TV’s investigative journalist Danka Derifaj and camera operator Miroslav Bokan while filming a report on the long-term environmental destruction along the Una River in Croatia. We also join our Croatian affiliates (TUCJ and CJA), and the SafeJournalists Network (SJN), in welcoming the prompt action of the Lika-Senj County Police, who arrested the individuals responsible under the government’s safety protocol for journalists signed with the Ministry of Interior, TUCJ, and CJA. On 10 May 2025, at around 6 pm, Reporter Danka Derifaj and camera operator Miroslav Bokan from Nova TV’s…

Croatia: Weekly Novosti faces drastic funding cuts amid political pressure

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners today in condemning the drastic annual cuts in funding for the weekly magazine Novosti, the only print media for the Serb minority in Croatia and one of the most respected publications in the country, which is well-known for its critical reporting of the government. Co-financed by the Croatian public body Council for National Minorities as part of the Programme for Cultural Autonomy of Minorities, Novosti recently had its 2025 budget decreased by 35 percent compared to last year, despite an increase of the Council’s annual budget…