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

Greece: Press freedom organisations support Reporters United & EfSyn

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned press freedom groups in condemning the ongoing, abusive legal action by Grigoris Dimitriadis against the journalists who exposed Greece’s Predator spyware scandal. Greek institutions must enact strong legal protections for journalists against the growing trend of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation, aimed at silencing critical reporting. Investigative journalists from Reporters United, newspaper Efimerida ton Syntakton (EfSyn), and their colleagues – including Nikolas Leontopoulos, Thodoris Chondrogiannos, Christoforos Kasdaglis, and Dimitris Terzis – find themselves entrenched in an unacceptable legal harassment saga. Repeated Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) have been filed against them by…

Slovakia: Deteriorating press freedom prompts MFRR advocacy mission

On 25-26 November, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners, will conduct a solidarity and fact-finding mission to Slovakia to assess the state of press freedom in the country amid a scaling back of democratic freedoms. The mission will be led by the International Press Institute (IPI) and joined by ARTICLE 19 Europe, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and the European Center for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF). As the environment for freedom of expression, media pluralism and independent journalism becomes increasingly hostile, the delegation will meet with leading media organizations, press freedom advocates, and political leaders to discuss…

Ukraine: 1000 days later, journalists continue their fight

19 November 2024 marks 1000 days since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022. Marking this grim milestone, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the Media Freedom Rapid Response partners in remembering those journalists who have lost their lives reporting on Russia’s war of aggression. We also express our solidarity with those who continue to risk their lives to bring us critical news and information on this invasion. Since 24 February 2022, 13 journalists have been killed while reporting on Russia’s full-scale invasion–highlighting the risks and dangers faced by Ukrainian and international journalists covering…

Montenegro: MFRR partners call for the perpetrators of the attack on journalist Ana Raičković to be held accountable

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners in strongly condemning the verbal and physical attack on Ana Raičković, editor of the daily “Pobjeda”, as well as the attack on her family members. The MFRR partners welcome the swift reaction of the Basic State Prosecutor’s Office (ODT), which identified and detained four suspects on charges of “violent behaviour”.The consortium calls on the authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable without delay, following the Criminal Code, which prescribes higher penalties for attacks on journalists.  On 11 November, journalist Raičković was in a fast…

Bosnia and Herzegovina: MFRR and SafeJournalists urgently call for stronger protection for journalist Nataša Miljanović Zubac 

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners and the SafeJournalists Network (SJN) in calling for thorough and swift investigations into numerous threats against Nataša Miljanović Zubac, a journalist for the Radio Television of Republika Srpska (RTRS). Since the arson attack on her car in 2022, Zubac has been targeted by at least seven criminal acts, all unpunished. The MFRR partners and SJN also urge the Republika Srpska Ministry of Interior and the Trebinje District Prosecutor’s Office to increase police protection to prevent further threats to the life of the journalist. The safety measures…

Georgia: Press freedom organisations demand protection for journalists

The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) joined the undersigned press freedom and freedom of expression organisations in expressing deep concern over incidents of intimidation, threats, and physical and verbal assaults against journalists covering the 26 October parliamentary elections in Georgia. The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) documented at least 30 election-related media freedom violations involving 34 media professionals. Journalists and camera operators faced physical attacks on them and their equipment. This included an incident in Kutaisi where three individuals assaulted a CNews journalist at a polling station. In other cases, camera operators were attacked, and their equipment was damaged. Journalists were also insulted, threatened,…