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

France mission report: Media freedom at critical juncture ahead of the 2027 presidential election

Although France enjoys a legal and regulatory framework which is generally supportive of media freedom, challenges are mounting ahead of the 2027 presidential election, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) concluded with its partners from the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) in a new report published today.  The report follows an international press freedom mission to Paris in June, which was led by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and joined by partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR). The mission was also joined by Reporters Without Borders (RSF), EFJ French affiliates (SNJ, SNJ-CGT, CFDT Journalistes and FASAP-FO),…

Ukraine: One year after Antoni Lallican was killed in the field, MFRR partners demand justice

One year after French freelance photojournalist Antoni Lallican was killed by a targeted Russian drone strike in Ukraine, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners renew their call for effective cooperation between the French and Ukrainian investigations to ensure that justice is secured. Our organisations extend their condolences to Lallican’s family and stand in solidarity with all journalists working under extraordinary risk in Ukraine. A Russian first-person view (FPV) drone killed Lallican on October 3, 2025, in a direct strike near the town of Druzhkivka in Ukraine’s eastern Donetsk Oblast, around 15km from the…

Steadfast support for Massimo Moratti, MFRR researcher, as he is facing an expulsion order from Serbian authorities

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners and the undersigned press freedom and free expression organisations in expressing our firm support for our colleague Massimo Moratti, the Senior Research Affiliate for the Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), as he faces expulsion from Serbia in apparent connection with his human rights work. We urge Serbian authorities to immediately withdraw the expulsion order and allow our colleague to remain in the country with his family and continue his work. On 4 September, Serbian authorities denied Moratti’s request for temporary residence on grounds of “unacceptable security…

Tackling online harassment of women journalists as a professional risk issue

Today, the European Economic and Social Committee (EESC) held a Fundamental Rights and Rule of Law (FRRL) Group hearing dedicated to the topic of online harassment of women. This provided the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) with an opportunity to reaffirm the importance of tackling online harassment of women journalists as a professional risk issue. “Online attacks do not remain confined to the screen. We have been monitoring several incidents that have escalated offline, putting women journalists at serious risk and requiring a timely response and safety measures. Unfortunately, online harassment is difficult to tackle as threats are under-reported and…

Germany: Press freedom at stake in upcoming Saxony-Anhalt elections

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins its Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners in viewing the upcoming state elections in Saxony-Anhalt with great concern. On 6 September, a decision will also be made on press freedom and the future of the public service broadcaster Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR). The Alternative for Germany (AfD), classified as far-right extremist in Saxony-Anhalt, is leading in the polls. In its 100-day programme, the party promises that its ‘first official act’ in government will be the immediate termination of the Interstate Broadcasting Agreements (Rundfunkstaatsverträge). This promise threatens the very existence of public broadcaster Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk…

Malta: MFRR laments major setback after acquittal in Daphne Caruana Galizia murder trial

The European federation of Journalists (EFJ) joins the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners today in lamenting the failure to convict the alleged mastermind in the trial for the murder of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and hope that the demoralising verdict will swiftly be overturned on appeal. On 2 September, powerful Maltese business tycoon Yorgen Fenech was cleared by a jury of any involvement in the journalist’s 2017 car-bomb assassination, leaving the case in a state of partial impunity. The jury in the Maltese capital Valletta reached its decision on the first day after just eight hours of…