Croatia: International fact-finding mission to assess status of press freedom - Article

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners will conduct an international mission to assess the current state of press freedom and safety of journalists in Croatia. The mission will take place online between 9 and 20 September 2024

Croatia: Faktograf journalist Melita Vrsaljko assaulted twice in a week - Article

OBCT and the undersigned organisations express deep concerns about the physical attacks targeting Melita Vrsaljko, a journalist working for the Croatian fact-checking website Faktograf.hr and the Climate Portal

Media in Montenegro - Article

After the dissolution of Yugoslavia and a transition period, in Montenegro - now a candidate country for EU membership - the evolution of the media landscape continued in parallel with the attempts to accelerate democratic developments. Interview with Mihailo Jovović, editor-in-chief of the independent newspaper Vijesti

By Sava Mirković

Originally published by OBCT. Also available in ITA and BHS

European Commission study on journalist safety lacks solutions while security deteriorates - Article

Media freedom groups highlight disconnect between report findings and ground realities

Germany: journalist Ignacio Rosaslanda was physically assaulted by police while covering a police operation - Article

The undersigned international media freedom, free expression, and journalist organisations call on the German authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the physical attack by Berlin police on Mexican video journalist Ignacio Rosaslanda while he was covering a police operation.

Romania: Super election year calls for press freedom assessment - Article

Upcoming mission of European media freedom consortium to evaluate concerns

SafeJournalists network, MFRR partners, and Coalition for Media Freedom condemn continuing pressures and attacks on journalists in Serbia - Article

The SafeJournalists network, Media Freedom Rapid Response partners, and Coalition for Media Freedom condemn the growing pressure on Serbian journalists, recently exemplified by a physical attack on journalist Vuk Cvijić, and the demand for prison sentences for the journalists of the media outlets KRIK and Pištaljka. We call on the authorities to prioritise addressing the rise in attacks against the press and to genuinely commit to improving the safety of journalists

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

Bosnia and Herzegovina: authorities must urgently break the deadlock facing public broadcasters and solve the financial problems - Article

Following the temporary interruption of the TV and radio programmes of the RTV Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina on 8 May 2024, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners denounce irresponsible political management, which directly violates citizens’ right to freedom of information.

Ukraine: MFRR partners highlight ongoing press freedom issues - Article

MFRR partners today highlight ongoing press freedom concerns in Ukraine, over two years following the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion. While Ukraine was at first quick to unite in the face of armed aggression, setting aside internal conflicts and arguments, the climate of trust between officials and independent media seems to have seriously deteriorated, two years on