Kosovo: International media freedom groups demand adequate budget for public broadcaster RT - Article

The undersigned international media freedom and journalist organisations today express our serious concerns about the underfunding of Kosovo’s public broadcaster, Radio Television of Kosovo (RTK), and urgently call for legal budget requirements to be met

Albania: Democratic reform of public broadcaster RTSH remains only viable option - Article

The undersigned Albanian and international media freedom and journalist organisations jointly call on the Albanian government to support the reform of the public service broadcaster Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) through lawful, democratic and institutional means, in line with democratic norms and EU standards

Public letter: Bosnian public broadcaster BHRT requires urgent action from Office of High Representative - Article

MFRR partners express their consternation regarding the absence of political action regarding the future of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s state-level broadcaster, Radio-Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT), to the High Representative, Mr. Christian Schmidt

Urgent action is needed to address the financial deadlock facing Radio-Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina - Article

Today the partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) express concern at the critical financial situation facing Radio-Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina (BHRT)

Call for withdrawal of Slovakia’s repressive broadcast law - Article

Slovak government attempts to take over the public broadcaster

Journalists and media freedom groups call for the urgent withdrawal of a proposed legislation allowing political control over public-service media in Slovakia. The bill threatens independent information, especially before the June European Parliament elections, contradicting the recently voted EU's Media Freedom Act

Silencing Voices in Italy: The Erosion of Media Freedom - Article

Italy's media is in crisis, battling legal onslaughts and facing a surge of censorship one year after the establishment of the far-right government led by Giorgia Meloni

By Sielke Kelner

(Originally published by Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung , 16.01.2024)

Turkey: International groups condemn broadcast regulator role in punishing critical reporting ahead of elections - Article

OBCT joins press freedom and human rights organizations in condemning Turkey's broadcast regulator (RTÜK) for fining broadcasters for their critical reporting ahead of elections

Czech Republic: Independence of public broadcasters must be insulated against future attacks - Article

Recent boost in press freedom should drive legislative reform for public service media

Italy: Access to information law should not override protection of journalistic sources - Article

On 18 June 2021, the Administrative Court of Lazio (TAR Lazio) ordered the Italian Media Public Broadcaster (RAI) to release documents held by TV Program Report following an access to information request

MFRR raises concerns over increasing meddling in independence of Czech public broadcaster - Article

The partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) express their serious concern over the latest efforts by the ruling ANO party and its allies to further politicise the oversight body of the Czech public broadcaster.

We are worried that the slow-motion yet obvious efforts to stack the Council of the Czech TV (ČT Council) are ultimately aimed at the erosion of the public television’s independence and politically-motivated realignment of its news and opinion programming