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

Rossella Puccio: the truth is revolutionary - Article

Since the beginning of the year, the European consortium Media Freedom Rapid Response has recorded 34 cases of violation of press freedom in Italy, including assaults, verbal attacks, and strategic lawsuits. We talked about it with Rossella Puccio, an independent journalist who was the victim of attacks and intimidation

By Serena Epis

Originally published by OBCT, also available in ITA

North Macedonia: International press freedom mission finds fragile progress in need of further support - Article

This week OBCT joined MFRR partners in a fact-finding mission to North Macedonia organised by the Association of Journalists of Macedonia. While the coalition recognises an improvement in media workers' working conditions, it also warns that the landscape of journalism in the country remains fragile

Acts of Intimidation against Journalists – First Quarter 2023 - Reports

“Acts of intimidation against journalists – First Quarter 2023” ("Atti intimidatori nei confronti dei giornalisti") is a regular report published by the the Department of Public Security of the Italian Ministry of the Interior.  The scope of the analysis is to examine the ongoing situation in the country with respect to the evolution of threats posed to the safety of journalists

How to assess national resilience to online disinformation? — Comparing Finland and Lithuania - Reports

This policy brief analyses the role of national resilience in resisting disinformation, also with the help of the Finnish and Lithuanian respective cases

Greece: MFRR to fund legal appeal for lawsuit against Alterthess - Article

OBCT joins MFRR partners in expressing dismay over the recent court ruling involving a SLAPP lawsuit against Greek media outlet Alterthess and one of its journalists, Stavroula Poulimeni. Given the dangerous consequences that such a legal precedent could have, MFRR organisations have decided to provide funding to cover legal fees for their appeal

Weaponizing GDPR: How EU data protection threatens press freedom in Greece - Article

The instrumental use of EU data protection threatens press freedom in Greece. The case of journalist Stavroula Poulimeni and the independent media outlet Alterthess, sentenced in the first instance to pay compensation of 3,000 euros to Efstathios Lialos, executive of the Hellas Gold gold mine

By Alessio Giussani

Originally published by OBCT, also available in ITA

Urgent action needed by the Netherlands to protect civic space against SLAPPs and other forms of legal intimidation - Article

OBCT joins media freedom organisations in urging the Netherlands to adopt regulatory measures against SLAPPs

Republika Srpska, the criminalisation of defamation and the squeeze on media freedom - Article

The parliament of Republika Srpska approved in the first instance a bill to amend the criminal code which reintroduces the crime of defamation. Now sixty days of public debate and then back to the assembly. A dangerous step backwards for freedom of expression 

By Arman Fazlić

Originally published by OBCT, also available in ITA and BHS

Action needed: the EC Safety of Journalists Recommendation - Article

18 months since the adoption of the European Commission's Recommendation on the safety of journalists in the EU, MFRR partners call on the Commission and Member States to implement the provisions of the Recommendation without further delay