From Silence to Strength: A Regional Response to SLAPPs in the Western Balkans - Reports

The newly released Balkan Civil Society Development Network Report examines the SLAPP phenomenon across the Western Balkans

2024 EC Rule of Law Report: EU Accession Countries and Member States on Equal Footing, Civic Space Threats Overlooked - Reports

The report provides an analysis of the European Commission’s Rule of Law Report on Accession countries 

SafeJournalists and MFRR partners: Death Threats to Editorial of Weekly Magazine Nacional in Croatia - Article

OBCT joins partners in the SafeJournalists Network and the Media Freedom Rapid Response in urging Croatian institutions to immediately respond to the death threats addressed to the weekly magazine Nacional 

Media Capture in the Western Balkans: From captured states to captured media - Reports

The policy brief produced by Southeast European Leadership for Development and Integrity (SELDI)  provides an analytical insight into the mechanisms behind media capture in the Western Balkans countries, as a phenomenon that negatively affects the media landscape in those countries through impairment of media freedom and pluralism. With the region being on track for EU accession, media capture presents a paramount problem that the brief addresses

North Macedonia: Media freedom groups urge authorities to cease harassment of journalist Furkan Saliu - Article

OBCT joins international media freedom, free expression, and journalist organisations in calling on authorities in North Macedonia to cease harassment of Furkan Saliu

North Macedonia, media and public funds - Article

In view of the upcoming political and presidential elections, the Macedonian government has reintroduced forms of public funding for the media. However, the country's media organisations argue that the move may aggravate the influence of political interests on news outlets

By Aleksandar Samardjiev 

Originally published by OBCT, also available in ITA

North Macedonia: Ruling against Investigative Reporting Lab and its editor must be overturned - Article

MFRR and SJN express dismay at judge's decision recommending that ministry shuts down one of the country’s leading investigative journalism platforms

Also available in ITA

Open letter: “We refuse to let the anti-SLAPP directive be a missed opportunity” - Article

OBCT joins international organisations in calling for robust anti-SLAPP Directive

Also available in ITA

Media Freedom in North Macedonia: fragile progress - Reports

From 5-7 June 2023, OBCT joined MFRR partners in a fact-finding mission in North Macedonia organised by the Association of Journalists of Macedonia. This report presents the key findings and recommendations stemming from that mission

Western Balkans Journalists’ Safety Index - Narrative Report North Macedonia 2022 - Reports

“Western Balkans Journalists’ Safety Index Narrative Report North Macedonia 2022” is a publication by Safeyournalists network. The scope of this document is to analyse the ongoing situation in the country with respect to legal environment, prevention of attacks, regularity of judicial processes which have an impact on the safety of journalists