Temporary Relocations. A toolkit - Article

This summary of issues, open questions, recommendations, and suggestions on how to implement a residency programme for journalists under pressure is the result of OBCT research consulting existing literature and conducting several interviews with managers and beneficiaries. This 10-page document goes through the main aspects of the implementation of a journalists-in-residence programme, highlighting 19 issues that are considered to be the most problematic and interesting at the same time. The toolkit is also accessible as a pdf.

Curated by Paola Rosà, May 2022

Turkey: international groups call on parliament to reject the “disinformation” bill as a tool of digital censorship - Article

Law designed to expand censorship online and criminalize free flow of information

PATFox: training for lawyers to identify SLAPPs - Article

Pioneering anti-SLAPP Training for Freedom of Expression seeks to train the lawyers defending journalists and media organisations, NGOs and activists against companies and governmental figures using lawfare to shut down legitimate criticism

Blocking, filtering and take down of online content - Legal Resources

This document presents a non-exhaustive selection of relevant provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights, related case-law of the European Court of Human Rights, and other relevant Council of Europe instruments

Italy: Concern after authorities search Report editorial office and home of journalist - Article

The partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today express serious concern over the searches carried out by police at the offices of Rai 3’s investigative programme ‘Report’ and the home of investigative journalist Paolo Mondani. We urge the Italian Anti-Mafia Investigative Directorate (DIA) to provide assurances that the confidentiality of journalists’ sources will not be jeapardised and to reaffirm its respect for the principles of press freedom

A series of Thematic Directories. WOMEN JOURNALISTS - Article

Another issue of our guides to the database of the Resource Centre, to help users navigate and understand what is available and where to find it. This directory is based on OBCT research about women journalists and their special needs for support, and gives an orientation among EU measures and support centres run by ngos. Also available as a pdf

Curated by Maria Francesca Rita

Media and surveillance, the Predator scandal shakes Greece - Article

As Greece loses 38 positions in the annual Reporters Without Borders ranking compared to 2021, the public learns about the surveillance of investigative journalist Thanasis Koukakis. The spyware used is called Predator and it is still unclear who is behind it

by Alessio Giussani

Bulgaria: the media, law, and freedom of information - Legal Resources

Interview with Nelly Ognyanova, a leading Bulgarian expert on media law, by Francesco Martino, OBCT

A series of Thematic Directories. CYBERSECURITY - Article

This series of directories is aimed at helping the user navigate the database of the Resource Centre: it gives some keys of interpretation, selecting items according to a special focus or following a chronological order. This issue concerns cybersecurity and is also available as a pdf

Who is afraid of journalists? The MFRR Italy Mission Report - Article

The collection of findings and recommendations by the partners of the MFRR, in a booklet curated by OBCT.

Following the MFRR Italy Mission from 4 to 6 April, coordinated by OBCT, the conclusions about SLAPP, defamation and safety of journalists are published here