Three years have elapsed since the assassination of Giorgos Karaivaz, a veteran Greek crime reporter. The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) today joins the undersigned members of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) to commemorate his death and renew demands on the Greek authorities to redouble their efforts to bring the perpetrators to justice. Giorgos Karaivaz was one of Greece’s most prominent investigative journalists specialising in organised crime and police reporting when he was gunned down in broad daylight outside his Athens home on 9 April 2021. The execution was conducted by professional hitmen who escaped on a motorbike and…

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the partner organisations of the Rapid Response for Media Freedom (MFRR) in expressing its deep concern at the actions of the Slovak government towards Slovakia’s leading commercial broadcaster, TV Markíza, aimed at silencing its critical journalism. We call on Markíza’s owners, the Central European Media Enterprises (CME), to resist the pressure and guarantee the editorial independence of the newsroom. TV Markiza has been under pressure from the moment the new government was formed in September 2023. Prime Minister Róbert Fico accused it last November of being part of the “enemy media” and quickly…

Amidst Romania’s Super Election Year, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners unveil their latest mission report, delving into the pressing issues surrounding media freedom in the country. To engage on this crucial topic, join our webinar today, 4 April, at 2 PM CET. Romania faces a year of intense political campaigning as the country organises European and local elections in June, presidential elections in September, and parliamentary elections in December.  Against this backdrop, the MFRR partners conducted an online fact-finding mission in Romania to assess the state of media freedom in the country. Meetings with Romania-based journalists, regulators, civil…

In a letter to Serbian authorities, the International and European Federation of Journalists (IFJ-EFJ) joins partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in urging them to address death threats faced by journalists Ana Lalić Hegediš and Dinko Gruhonjić, in Serbia. We are deeply concerned that no decisive action has been taken to conduct a thorough investigation, arrest the perpetrators and provide the journalists with adequate protection. 

The escalation of threats and violence suffered by journalists in Novi Sad, northern Serbia, has reached an unprecedented level in the past fortnight. The undersigned organisations urge the Serbian authorities to conduct an immediate and thorough investigation into the persistent attacks on journalists and ensure that perpetrators are prosecuted accordingly.  In just ten days, no fewer than seven journalists have faced threats and assaults in the city of Novi Sad alone. Whether it is physical assaults, verbal abuse, online harassment or death threats, the ability of Serbian journalists to do their job is severely compromised and their safety is at…

The partners from the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR)  publish the latest edition of its Monitoring Report which documents press freedom violations from January to December 2023. The latest Monitoring Report – produced by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the International Press Institute (IPI), and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) as part of the MFRR – gathers and analyses all media freedom violations recorded on Mapping Media Freedom throughout the year 2023.   War in Ukraine The 2023 report opens with a thematic chapter on the ongoing war in Ukraine and its repercussions for press…