News

Safety of Journalists: Recommendations to the UK Government

29/06/2020

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) outlines examples of good practice from across EU Member States and Candidate caountries that can be incorporated into the approach of the UK National Committee and Action Paln for the Safety of Journalists. Here the full text

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The Vice-President of the EU Commission confirms the engagement against SLAPP

29/06/2020

In an aswer to a Parliamentary Question submitted by MEPs Viola Von Cramon-Taubadel, David Casa and Stelios Kouloglou, the Vice-President Vera Jourová confirms the Commission's commitment to tackle strategic lawsuits against public participation

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Legal threats against EUobserver: an international call for solidarity to stop the use of SLAPPs

25/06/2020

We join Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners, journalist bodies, free expression and journalist support organisations in expressing our concern about the legal threats made against EUobserver in Luxembourg and Belgium. We call to stop the use of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) actions across Europe. Left unreformed, such legal threats will be sufficient to silence media workers and outlets. We stand in solidarity with EUobserver and will continue to monitor developments around the case

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Turkey must end the harassment of journalist Can Dündar and lift the block of his online radio

22/06/2020

We join PEN International and other 37 civil society organisations in deploring the decision to block Özgürüz, the online radio station headed by Can Dündar, a Turkish journalist living in exile in Germany, whom OBCT interviewed during a festival in Italy. Here the text of the call

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IPI: Latest Media Freedom Violations in Europe, a summary for June

22/06/2020

As lockdowns lift and Covid-related violations drop, spike in arrests and physical attacks on journalists covering protests in European states. Within its activity in the Media Freedom Rapid Response, the International Press Institute is giving an overview of violations of freedom of expression and threats to media workers

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SLAPP: positive steps announced by Věra Jourová, Vice-President of the European Commission

19/06/2020

In answering to a letter sent by several MEPs, the Vice-President of the European Commission for Values and Transparency stresses the importance of an EU action about strategic lawsuits against public participation and announces several initiatives and responses, included in the European Democracy Action Plan

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Open letter ahead of Germany’s Presidency of the Council of the European Union

18/06/2020

Several media freedom organisations urge German leaders to proactively lead the Member States in the Council towards effective solutions that will bring about real progress in the challenges faced by freedom of expression and journalism

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Europe’s recovery after the pandemic and Civil Society

17/06/2020

More than 30 civil rights organisations are asking EU institutions to safeguard the civil society sector in view of the European Recovery Plan after the pandemic

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Turkey: the Public Advertising Agency and bans implemented on newspapers

15/06/2020

20 international and local press freedom organisations and signatories are writing to the Public Advertising Agency (BIK) in Turkey in order to repeat the concerns about BIK’s criteria regarding the distribution of public advertisement and bans implemented on newspapers

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Press Cartoonists in Europe must be protected

11/06/2020

Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners call for press cartoonists to be protected to ensure they can realise their right to free expression across Europe

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