Video

Conference recordings, documentaries and informative videos raising awareness on topics related to media freedom in Europe

Ensuring the safety of journalists: the role of law enforcement authorities

21/10/2023

In 2021 the European Commission adopted its Recommendations on the protection, safety and empowerment of journalists calling on Member states to ensure safe working conditions for journalists and media workers. Yet, threats and attacks against journalists remain an issue of concern in many EU member states as well as in candidate countries. The panel investigates the relationship between journalism and law enforcement authorities: on the one hand it will explore the potential for a constructive collaboration, while on the other it will discuss the potential threat that law enforcement authorities may represent when they act in a context of fragile rule of law.

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European Media Freedom Act

21/10/2023

The panel explores the innovations included in the European Media Freedom Act, focussing on how the challenging attempt to harmonise the norms and provisions that regulate journalism in the different member states can either promote or curb the free exercise of the profession and the rights to freedom of expression in the European space. From state advertising and state funded media to media ownership, from the protection of editorial independence to anti-surveillance measures, the EMFA addresses contested domains where conflictual political views and economic demands challenge the essence of journalism as a cornerstone of our democracy.

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Towards a European society equipped to respond to SLAPPs

20/10/2023

The anti-SLAPP proposed directive and the anti-SLAPP Recommendations adopted by the EC in April 2022 signal an increased awareness of the need for effective policy and practical tools to counter vexatious lawsuits against public participation. By exploring existing challenges and viable approaches to counter gag lawsuits, the panel tries to identify effective models to strengthen resilience and foster cooperation among relevant actors, such as journalists, activists and legal practitioners.

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Interview with Francesco Zambon

17/10/2023

Francesco Zambon was one of the speakers at the first public event of the CASE Italia working group on combating SLAPPs, organised in Rome on 16th October 2023 as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) project. In this short video, he explains what it means for a whistleblower to be targeted by a multi-million dollar lawsuit.

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Media, politics, and vexatious lawsuits - An Italian perspective

31/08/2023

An excerpt from the 2023 MFRR Summit dedicated to “Press Freedom on the Line” - which took place from the 29 to the 31 of March dedicated to the spreading of the SLAPP phenomenon in Italy. Recently, Italy has drawn the attention of several international organisations working on media freedom. A cause for concern is the rapid succession of defamation lawsuits and subsequent legal proceedings against Italian journalists and intellectuals brought up by politicians and high-ranking public figures. By exploring the case study of Italian newspaper Domani – which in a matter of months has been respectively threatened to be sued and sued by two high profile public figures – the discussion focused on defamation, SLAPPs, and the challenges Italian media face when reporting on public figures.

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Rule of Law Reports - Protecting media pluralism and independence?

30/08/2023

Within the context of the 2023 MFRR Summit dedicated to “Press Freedom on the Line” - which took place from the 29 to the 31 of March, this panel discussed the potential of the Rule of Law (RoL) mechanism by looking at the experience of transnational coalitions employing the RoL report for Europe-wide advocacy work. It addressed the following key questions: How can European mechanisms such as the Rule of Law (RoL) report contribute to strengthening the protection of independent journalism across Europe? To what extent does it help foster an open and informed debate in member countries?

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Surveying the landscape - Initiatives to counter spyware

30/08/2023

Within the context of the 2023 MFRR Summit dedicated to “Press Freedom on the Line” - which took place from the 29 to the 31 of March - this discussion explored the strengths and weaknesses of the current draft of Article 4 of the EMFA, through a comparative analysis of the existing independent authorities that the article requires member states to designate, in order to deal with complaints about breaches of provisions of the article itself. The lack of judicial ex-ante evaluation mechanisms were discussed as a key missing element which has attracted much criticism from media-focused NGOs and civil society organisations which have been called upon to provide feedback by the Commission.

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SLAPPs in Italy: Roberto Saviano on public figures seeking to silence criticism on questions of public interests

21/06/2023

This video was recorded at the margins of the panel co-organized by ARTICLE 19 Europe and Osservatorio dei Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response and the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) for the #ijf23 in Perugia, Italy.

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SLAPPs in Serbia: Bojana Jovanović on the burden of SLAPPs on independent investigative journalism and the public discourse

31/05/2023

Recorded at the margins of the panel co-organized by ARTICLE 19 Europe and Osservatorio dei Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response and the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) for the #ijf23 in Perugia, Italy.

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Milan city of refuge: protected residences for threatened journalism

06/12/2022

A public event to present the Journalist-in-Residence (JiR) project, coordinated by OBC Transeuropa, Q Code Mag and the European Center for Press and Media Freedom, members of the Media Freedom Rapid Response, to relaunch the idea of ​​Milan as a shelter city for journalists

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