Women journalists in Montenegro, dealing with endless criminal proceedings - Article

Twenty-three-year-old Ivana Vlaović has been working as a journalist for four years, Olivera Lakić for nearly three decades. The two women have never worked together, and they probably have not even met during their field reports. What they have in common, however, is the time they spent in the courtrooms of the Podgorica High Court

By Danijela Lasica 

European Democracy Shield: Bolstering independent media at the core of democratic resilience - Article

In the face of rising digital manipulation, shrinking civic space and collapsing media business models, the European Democracy Shield offers an important opportunity to ensure safety of journalists and media viability, among other things, but only if turned into concrete action. This is what MFRR aims to follow

EU Enlargement Package: Assessments must now translate into meaningful media freedom action - Article

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today welcomes the publication of the 2025 EU Enlargement Package  and highlights key media freedom developments and concerns that should shape negotiations with candidate countries moving forward

Impunity Day: MFRR renews urgent call for justice for murdered journalists around Europe - Article

To mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on November 2, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) honours the memory of those who have lost their lives in the pursuit of truth and demands justice for the crimes committed against them

Media freedom, a prerequisite for EU enlargement - Article

To advance in their European integration path, Western Balkan candidate countries must ensure media freedom and pluralism. For Montenegro and North Macedonia, this means moving beyond formal commitments and demonstrating through concrete actions that democratic reforms are more than words on paper

Towards Stronger Anti-SLAPP Protections in Romania - Article

Growing awareness of SLAPPs in Romania has spurred new legislative and civil society initiatives. Yet, their success will hinge on coordinated action to protect journalists and uphold freedom of expression

Montenegro: public service hostage to cronyism - Article

Following the recent conviction for abuse of office of the President and three members of the Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG) Council, controversy continues over the appointment of Boris Raonić as director of the Montenegrin public broadcaster

From Survivor to Defendant – How the law is being weaponized to silence victims of sexual violence - Reports

Index on Censorship's latest report examines how SLAPPs are being used to silence survivors of sexual and gender-based violence. It highlights the urgent need for legal and policy reforms to protect survivors’ right to speak out and uphold freedom of expression

Call on President von der Leyen to address media freedom crisis in the Western Balkans - Article

Against the backdrop of a rapidly worsening media freedom crisis across the region, most prominently in Serbia, a coalition of international media freedom, journalists’ and freedom of expression organizations calls on European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen to raise the threats to the protection of journalists and media pluralism with the respective authorities during her visit to the Western Balkans this week (13-16 October)

Georgia: urgent action to safeguard independent journalism - Article

The undersigned media freedom, journalists’, and freedom of expression organisations strongly condemn the intensifying crackdown on Georgian journalists and press freedom defenders who continue to face institutional repression and physical attacks.