Czech Republic: MFRR concerned over sidelining of critical media outlets during government press conferences - Article

MFRR partners sent a letter to the government of the Czech Republic expressing our disappointment over the lack of communication with the media and the repeated denial of access for certain outlets to COVID-19 press conferences

EU must act on Hungary media market distortion - Article

A coalition of 16 press freedom, freedom of expression and journalists‘ organisations have urged EU Competition Commissioner Margarethe Vestager to act on complaints that the Hungarian government has violated EU state aid rules to undermine media pluralism

Greece: a call for transparency and objectivity - Article

Several critical media outlets have been excluded from the governmental financial support provided through a €20 million public health advertising campaign during the COVID-19 crisis. The Media Freedom Rapid Response calls for transparency and objectivity in the distribution of public advertisement funds to media

The key pillars to fight disinformation. A speech by Vera Jourová - Article

On July 7 the Vice-President of the European Commission held a speech at the European Media Conference "Diversity and Responsibility: Media in a Digital Society" organized by the German Federal Government to encourage debate on the issue of safeguarding media pluralism in Europe

Malta: Renewed call for justice 1,000 days after the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia - Article

Together with other media freedom and human rights organisations, OBCT again demands justice for all those involved in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was also a victim of several SLAPPs. Here the text of the call

Bulgaria: the end of a legal harassment - Article

On 28 June the independent publisher and businessman Ivo Prokopiev was finally acquitted, thus confirming that the charges against him can be considered retaliatory and intended to stifle investigative reporting. The Media Freedom Rapid Response partners are relieved but ask to stop all further legal harassment against him and Economedia. Here the statement that was issued before the trial

Montenegro: retrial of investigative journalist Jovo Martinović - Article

The MFRR partners call on Montenegro authorities to acquit the investigative journalist and drop all charges against Martinović, a specialist in covering organised crime for leading international media, who was convicted to an 18-month prison sentence by the High Court of Montenegro, on 15 January 2019 despite overwhelming evidence that his only links with organised crime were those of a reporter. After the Appeal Court overturned the verdict, on Monday 6th July the retrial continues

Turkey must end the harassment of journalist Can Dündar and lift the block of his online radio - Article

We join PEN International and other 37 civil society organisations in deploring the decision to block Özgürüz, the online radio station headed by Can Dündar, a Turkish journalist living in exile in Germany, whom OBCT interviewed during a festival in Italy. Here the text of the call

Turkey: the Public Advertising Agency and bans implemented on newspapers - Article

20 international and local press freedom organisations and signatories are writing to the Public Advertising Agency (BIK) in Turkey in order to repeat the concerns about BIK’s criteria regarding the distribution of public advertisement and bans implemented on newspapers

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