Bulgaria Minister urged to drop defamation lawsuit - Article

Media Freedom organizations call on Bulgarian Interior Minister Kalin Stoyanov to withdraw charges against two investigative journalists of the Bureau for Investigative Reporting and Data (BIRD)

Petition against attacks on Domani newspaper, and for media freedom in Italy - Article

Over 70 international organisations and media, including the Media Freedom Rapid Response, signed a petition in support of three journalists from the daily newspaper Domani who risk up to nine years in prison. While the European Media Freedom Act promises to strengthen the protection of journalistic sources, in Italy investigative journalism risks being turned into a crime

Georgia: MFRR partners strongly condemn new attempts to introduce a law on “Transparency of Foreign Influence” - Article

The move comes one year after mass protests forced the government to withdraw a similar initiative

Report on media freedom in Romania ahead of Super Election Year - Mission Report on Media Capture, Legal Obstacles and Journalists’ Safety - Reports

Following the online fact finding mission to Romania coordinated by OBCT and IPI, the report explores the challenges faced by Romanian media professionals at a time of political change

Media in Albania, under the blows of power - Article

The recent angry attack by the Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama against a journalist has brought the constant pressure and intimidation that the power in Albania exerts on the media and media professionals back under the spotlight

By  Erion Gjatolli

Originally published by OBCT, also available in ITA

North Macedonia, media and public funds - Article

In view of the upcoming political and presidential elections, the Macedonian government has reintroduced forms of public funding for the media. However, the country's media organisations argue that the move may aggravate the influence of political interests on news outlets

By Aleksandar Samardjiev 

Originally published by OBCT, also available in ITA

Georgia: MFRR partners denounce smear campaign against journalist by speaker of the Parliament - Article

The partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today express concern at the discrediting of a prominent Georgian journalist by Shalva Papuashvili, Speaker of the Georgian Parliament. The comments come amid a broader wave of smear campaigns against independent media in Georgia by Papuashvili and others

Safeguarding women journalists in the digital age - Article

On International Women’s Day, MFRR coalition partners publish a critical examination of attacks against women journalists in the European Union and candidate countries

Press Freedom in Europe: Time to Turn the Tide - Reports

On Tuesday 5 March 2024, the Platform to Promote the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists launched its annual report "Press Freedom in Europe: Time to Turn the Tide", written by the Platform’s coalition of fifteen press freedom NGOs and journalists associations. It takes stock of key areas of law, policy and practices affecting media freedom and safety of journalists in Europe and identifies actions required to improve effective protection of journalists.

International Media Freedom and Human Rights Organisations Demand Release of Journalist Dicle Müftüoğlu in Upcoming Trial - Article

On the day of a new hearing of journalist Dicle Müftüoğlu, MFRR partners and international media and human rights organisations call for immediate attention to her case and her unjust detention which starkly violates international legal standards and media freedom