Highlight

The ECPMF Resource Center is on-line!

Recent developments in Poland and Turkey epitomise how seriously the EU is faced with a growing number of media freedom violations both in its member states and among candidate countries, with journalists and media professionals targeted on a daily basis with threats, censorship and intimidations limiting the circulation of independent information. While concerns over the issue are increasing at European level, Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso (OBC) and the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) have launched www.rcmediafreedom.eu an online platform that enables journalists, policy-makers, scholars, and citizens to access up-to-date materials on media freedom and pluralism in Europe.

Resource Centre: a toolbox for media freedom

A new online platform was developed by OBC and the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF). The platform enables journalists, policy makers, scholars, and citizens to access updated materials on media freedom and pluralism in Europe. Marzia Bona describes it in this article.

This is our last newsletter for 2015, happy Holidays to all our readers!

On 21st November OBC invites you to Rovereto, Italy, for the special event TRANSEUROPE. Civil society networks. Celebrating OBC 's 15 birthday, an international conference aims to foster public debate on the state of today's Europe, starting from some of the key challenges our continent is facing. The exodus of refugees along the "Balkan route", armed conflicts and international interventions, threats to the freedom of information: all these issues bring the Balkans, Turkey and the wider post-Soviet space, from Ukraine to the Caucasus back at the centre of the spotlight.

Two plenary sessions and three parallel workshops will allow citizens to engage in a dialogue with journalists from 13 European countries, as well as with experts, scholars, politicians, and international diplomats. Several questions are up to debate, with a common thread: what can possibly be the contribution of civil society networks in overcoming the complex challenges Europe is faced with?

Go to the programme

On 21st November OBC invites you to Rovereto, Italy, for the special event TRANSEUROPE. Civil society networks. Celebrating OBC 's 15 birthday, an international conference aims to foster public debate on the state of today's Europe, starting from some of the key challenges our continent is facing. The exodus of refugees along the "Balkan route", armed conflicts and international interventions, threats to the freedom of information: all these issues bring the Balkans, Turkey and the wider post-Soviet space, from Ukraine to the Caucasus back at the centre of the spotlight.

Two plenary sessions and three parallel workshops will allow citizens to engage in a dialogue with journalists from 13 European countries, as well as with experts, scholars, politicians, and international diplomats. Several questions are up to debate, with a common thread: what can possibly be the contribution of civil society networks in overcoming the complex challenges Europe is faced with?

Go to the programme

On 21st November OBC invites you to Rovereto, Italy, for the special event TRANSEUROPE. Civil society networks . Celebrating OBC 's 15 birthday, an international conference aims to foster public debate on the state of today's Europe, starting from some of the key challenges our continent is facing. The exodus of refugees along the "Balkan route", armed conflicts and international interventions, threats to the freedom of information: all these issues bring the Balkans, Turkey and the wider post-Soviet space, from Ukraine to the Caucasus back at the centre of the spotlight.

Two plenary sessions and three parallel workshops will allow citizens to engage in a dialogue with journalists from 13 European countries, as well as with experts, scholars, politicians, and international diplomats. Several questions are up to debate, with a common thread: what can possibly be the contribution of civil society networks in overcoming the complex challenges Europe is faced with?

Go to the programme

On 8th and 9th October, Europe’s top journalists, academics, media companies and politicians meet in Leipzig, Germany, at the European Media Freedom Conference 2015. The event is the first of its kind for the newly-established European Centre for Press and Media Freedom. Please find the programme and registration here http://ecpmfconference2015.sched.org

On 8th and 9th October, Europe’s top journalists, academics, media companies and politicians meet in Leipzig, Germany, at the European Media Freedom Conference 2015. The event is the first of its kind for the newly-established European Centre for Press and Media Freedom. Please find the programme and registration here http://ecpmfconference2015.sched.org

On 8th and 9th October, Europe’s top journalists, academics, media companies and politicians meet in Leipzig, Germany, at the European Media Freedom Conference 2015. The event is the first of its kind for the newly-established European Centre for Press and Media Freedom. Please find the programme and registration here http://ecpmfconference2015.sched.org

#ECPMF

On the 24^th of June in Leipzig began its activities the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom - a pan-European network supported by more than 30 journalists’ and human rights organizations, investigative centres, academic institutions, unions, media houses and media lawyers. OBC is a founder member.

ECPMF mission is to unite Europe’s highly fragmented media freedom community and to address media freedom violations in EU member states and beyond.

June 30 ECPMF will have a meeting with the president of the European Parliament Martin Schulz followed by a discussion and press conference in the European Parliament that brings together experts on press freedom, prominent journalists and media policy researchers in order to consider these issues and highlight the struggles on the ground.

Good News

The long labour dispute which initially sought a drastic cut in our staff is over. A lot has changed since March, when the situation had turned out to be extremely bleak.

First of all, our community showed all its solidarity. Extraordinary support came from thousands of people and hundreds of associations, universities, newspapers and magazines, and institutions. This is where we can start over from.

Then, the European Union confirmed its support by entrusting us with a new project on media freedom. We will get to share more details on the new initiative in the next few weeks.

Finally, local institutions of Trentino realised that OBC is a service for the territory as well as Europe and deserves a relaunch.

All this led to a solution that avoids dismissals thanks to a voluntary resignation and the internal solidarity that allowed for a drastic cut in hours for journalists.

Now, more than ever, it is necessary to work together with our historic supporters to relaunch our project with ambition.

We want to thank you again, readers and friends. It is especially thanks to you that OBC can celebrate its 15 years of work and - together with you - keep working for the Europe we want: democratic, sustainable, and solidary.