Media

Intimidated, attacked and barred from entering the country: press freedom organizations urge for protection of journalists’ rights in Georgia

31/10/2024

International community must place effective pressure on Georgia to uphold press freedom and secure a safe environment for journalists

Addressing Key Challenges to Media Freedom in Albania and Serbia

30/10/2024 -  Serena EpisSukanya Sengupta

To contribute to the European Commission’s Rule of Law monitoring, OBCT, in partnership with SCiDEV and IJAS, produced two Shadow Reports outlining the challenges and gaps in media freedom in Albania and Serbia. The main findings were presented during a webinar

SLAPP in Croatia, a plague

21/10/2024 -  Giovanni Vale Zagreb

Over a thousand lawsuits filed between 2016 and 2023 against journalists and media outlets, nearly half of which are SLAPPs, or strategic lawsuits against public participation. These are frivolous lawsuits that aim to silence freedom of expression

Tribute to Daphne Caruana Galizia and all courageous journalists threatened for their work

16/10/2024

On 16 October at 12 pm in front of the Residence Palais, seven years after the tragic death of the Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, Media Freedom Rapid Response, journalists and representatives of media freedom community will come together to commemorate her brilliant work and dedication

Serbian judge’s lawsuits set to chill press freedom

15/10/2024

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) expresses grave concern regarding the legal threats facing the Serbian investigative news organization KRIK and its journalists. These abusive legal actions include demands for imprisonment and bans from journalism. We stand with the journalists on trial, and urge Serbia to implement anti-SLAPP safeguards to protect independent media

Ukraine: MFRR and partners mourn death and demand justice for Victoria Roshchyna

14/10/2024

Ukrainian journalist died in unclear circumstances in Russian custody

Islands of integrity: the struggle of independent media in Albania

14/10/2024 -  Luisa ChiodiSukanya Sengupta

Lufti Dervishi, a founding member of the Albanian Center for Quality Journalism, emphasises the challenges that Albanian journalism faces today. The media are entangled in corruption, self-censorship, and state-sponsored disinformation. However, not everything is negative, and there is still reason for hope

Media Freedom in the Western Balkans: Challenges in the Framework of EU Enlargement

11/10/2024

As political interference and threats to journalists grow, the EU's new legislative measures, including the anti-SLAPP directive and the European Media Freedom Act, aim to safeguard press freedom in member and candidate countries. A recent webinar highlighted the struggle for media independence in Albania and Serbia amid their EU accession efforts

Albania: Smear campaigns against independent media and civil society organizations must stop

08/10/2024

SafeJournalists Network and organizations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) strongly condemn the attacks on the Council of Media Ethics of Albania (KSHM) and the think tank - Center Science and Innovation for Development (SCiDEV) that has issued a shadow report on media freedom in Albania, as well as on researcher Blerjana Bino

Croatia: Major challenges ahead to improve media freedom

25/09/2024

The international media freedom mission to Croatia has highlighted several significant concerns regarding media law reform, transparency of state advertising, and the safety of journalists including SLAPPs. While some promising initiatives have been noted, the path is still long ahead for Croatia to ensure a free and independent media landscape

Press freedom on trial in Greece: support Alterthess' appeal

19/09/2024

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium expresses its full support for Greek journalist Stavroula Poulimeni and media outlet Alterthess ahead of their appeal on 19 September 2024

Call for independent investigation into Emilia Șercan case

17/09/2024

OBCT joins free expression organisations and media outlets in urging Romanian authorities to ensure that the legal cases concerning investigative journalist Emilia Șercan are handled independently and swiftly, following recent court decisions that exposed prosecutorial mishandling of the investigations

MFRR Monitoring Report: January - June 2024

10/09/2024

In the first six months of 2024, the Media Freedom Rapid Response recorded 756 media freedom alerts across Europe

Romanian Court reopens investigation into smear campaign against journalist Emilia Șercan

09/09/2024

Court's decision acknowledges earlier failures to provide justice to Șercan

Croatia: International mission to assess media freedom challenges

09/09/2024

On 9 September, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) will begin a press freedom mission to Croatia. The delegation will meet online with government representatives, journalists and journalistic associations, civil society, and renowned media experts to discuss the most pressing challenges to media freedom and pluralism in the country

Croatia, media under attack

10/09/2024 -  Giovanni Vale Zagreb

Media campaigns and even kidnapping threats to marginalise and silence an inconvenient media outlet: this is what is happening in Croatia to the maritime affairs website "morski.hr", an episode that reopens concerns about freedom of the press in the country

Turkey: prison sentence for journalist Bülent Mumay is unacceptable

27/08/2024

The undersigned freedom of the press and expression organizations denounce the decision by Turkish appeals court to uphold the 20-month prison sentence against renowned journalist Bülent Mumay

International organisations call on the EU to act against Israel’s killings of Palestinian journalists

26/08/2024

OBCT joins 59 other organizations in condemning Israeli authorities’ killings of Palestinian journalists, and calling for the suspension of EU-Israel Association Agreement and further EU targeted sanctions

BIRN Rejects Pressure to Delete News Reports About Turkish Fraudster

26/08/2024 -  BIRN

The Balkan Investigative Reporting Network said it will not take down reports about convicted Turkish fraudster Yasam Ayavefe and described an order from a Turkish court to remove the articles as an attack on media freedom

Italy: MFRR calls for constructive dialogue on media freedom recommendations

02/08/2024

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners stand in solidarity with journalists in Italy and call for an immediate end to all forms of attacks against them. We encourage all key stakeholders, including institutional ones, to join forces in enhancing the protection of journalists and media professionals

Silencing the Fourth Estate: Italy’s Democratic Drift

29/07/2024 -  Redazione

The Media Freedom Rapid Response today publishes the final report of the advocacy mission that took place last May in Rome. Public service independence, legal threats, conflicts of interest and market concentration are the main themes

Digital security in Serbia: another challenge to media freedom

22/07/2024 -  Serena Epis

Media outlets in the country are increasingly exposed to cyber attacks, online threats and manipulations. We talked about digital security and its impact on independent journalism in Serbia with Bojan Perkov, digital policy coordinator at SHARE Foundation

Media in Montenegro

10/07/2024 -  Sava Mirković Podgorica

After the dissolution of Yugoslavia and a transition period, in Montenegro - now a candidate country for EU membership - the evolution of the media landscape continued in parallel with the attempts to accelerate democratic developments. Interview with Mihailo Jovović, editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper Vijesti

Kosovo: Dangerous attack by MP Dimal Basha on ECPMF’S Senior legal advisor Flutura Kusari

01/07/2024

The Media Freedom Rapid Response Partners (MFRR) strongly condemn Lëvizja Vetëvendosje MP Dimal Basha’s abusive speech against ECPMF Senior legal advisor Flutura Kusari during a speech in the Kosovo parliament. Kusari, found herself singled out in a personal attack aimed at silencing the prominent activist, and resulting in a wave of online abuse and sex-based insults

Albania: freedom of the press crushed by the weight of politics

28/06/2024 -  Luisa Chiodi

Almost non-existent professional ethics, capture of the media by politics and financial unsustainability are just some of the main issues that make the Albanian media landscape particularly alarming. An interview

Media Freedom Mission to Romania questions fairness of electoral coverage

27/06/2024

Urgent reform of political funding for ‘press and propaganda’ needed to end media dependency on political parties

Italy: MFRR open letter to the President of the European Parliament and the President of the European Commission

25/06/2024

MFRR partner organisations sent a letter to President Metsola and President von der Leyen to express serious concerns about the declining media freedom in Italy and bring to their attention the findings of the recent advocacy mission to Rome

Transnistria “under blockade”

13/06/2024 -  Giorgio Comai

A media analysis of Transnistria’s main news agency and TV station shows just how insistently local media and politicians talk about being “under blockade”. The expression is exceedingly dramatic. But Chișinău should do more to allay immediate and pragmatic concerns of local residents

Serbia: media independence is an exception rather than the rule

13/06/2024 -  Serena Epis

Increasing political and financial pressure threatens the independence and editorial autonomy of many media outlets in Serbia. We interviewed Irina Milutinović, Senior Research Associate at the Institute of European Studies in Belgrade and co-author of the Country Report on Serbia of the Media Pluralism Monitor 2023

Croatia: SafeJournalists and MFRR partners express full solidarity and support to Hrvoje Zovko in further legal battle

07/06/2024

Following the decision of the Supreme Court to overturn the the previous verdicts on the case involving Hrvoje Zovko and the Croatian Radiotelevision (HRT), media freedom organisations show full support to the Croatian journalist in his appeal to the Constitutional Court