Silencing Voices in Italy: The Erosion of Media Freedom - Article

Italy's media is in crisis, battling legal onslaughts and facing a surge of censorship one year after the establishment of the far-right government led by Giorgia Meloni

By Sielke Kelner

(Originally published by Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung , 16.01.2024)

Croatia, the assault on the local press - Article

2024 is the year of elections for Croatia: European, political and presidential elections will take place between next June and December. And with the electoral competitions, the race for control of the local media, particularly the regional ones, is gaining ground in a hardly transparent way

By Giovanni Vale 

Originally published by OBCT. Also available in ITA and BHS

Albania: SPAK must respect source protection in case of journalist Elton Qyno - Article

OBCT signs a joint letter together with media freedom partners in the SafeJournalists Network, the Media Freedom Rapid Response, and Reporters Without Borders addressed to the head of the Special Prosecution against Corruption and Organized Crime (SPAK) to raise concerns over the recent attempts to reveal the source of Albanian journalist Elton Qyno

Disputes over access - A Study on Journalists’ Practices and Freedom of Information Policies in the Baltics - Reports

Despite their high rankings in the World Press Freedom Index, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania face notable deficiencies in freedom of information. Supported by RSF, Balticada Investigations Studio conducted a study on the challenges that media professionals face when trying to access public data in the region

2024 Premio Roberto Morrione Academy - Training

Associazione Amici di Roberto Morrione has opened a call directed at providing professional training to young investigative journalists

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

Bosnia and Herzegovina: Republika Srpska president Dodik verbally attacks journalist - Article

OBCT joins partner organisations of the MFRR and South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO) in condemning Milorad Dodik's verbal attacks and threats against N1 journalist Snezana Mitrović 

Also available in ITA

Italy: MFRR partners condemn summons of RAI presenter Sigfrido Ranucci - Article

OBCT, together with MFRR parteners, condemns the summoning of RAI presenter Sigfrido Ranucci by the Parliamentary Committee and urges the Italian Parliament to guarantee RAI independence

Also available in ITA

Netherlands: Vexatious lawsuit against Het Financieele Dagblad condemned - Article

OBCT joins the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE) in deploring the lawsuit against Dutch daily newspaper Het Financieele Dagblad (FD) and in expressing solidarity with the FD and its journalists. The case, of which the hearing will take place on 13 November 2023, is a clear attempt to silence and discourage Het Financieele Dagblad and its journalists from further reporting

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