Report on media freedom in Romania ahead of Super Election Year - Article

Mission report highlights political influence, vexatious lawsuits and online harassment in Romania

Türkiye: Big tech should protect free speech and resist state censorship - Article

Ahead of Türkiye’s municipal elections on 31 March 2024, 22 rights groups and journalists’ organisations jointly call on social media platforms to uphold the free expression rights of their users and resist state censorship. They should also fully disclose all government requests to restrict accounts or content, and be transparent about informal government pressure to restrict content on their platforms.

Two years on, Ukrainian journalists still pay a heavy price for the war - Article

February 24 marks two years since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Today, the organizations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) reaffirm our solidarity with Ukrainian journalists and call for guarantees of their safety and full freedom to report, as well as a renewed effort to provide the necessary financial and technical support for them to continue their work.

Romania: MFRR to conduct media freedom mission ahead of super electoral year - Article

On 22-25 January, OBCT and IPI - as part of MFRR - will conduct an on-line fact-finding mission to assess the current state of media freedom in the country 

Hungary: Draft Sovereignty Protection Act poses fresh threat to independent media - Article

OBCT joins MFRR partners in drawing the attention of the European Union about the chilling impact of the new Hungarian bill on independent media

Turkey: Repeal the "disinformation offence" and overreaching legal amendments - Article

Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partner organisations and Article 19 Europe reiterate their call for the annulment of Article 217/A of the Turkish Penal Code and related legal amendments passed in October 2022 that undermine international standards on the right to freedom of expression and of the press.

Poland’s unfair election reinforces demands for Europe-wide Media Freedom Act - Article

Following recent elections in Poland, which highlight the need for stronger media freedom and independence norms, OBCT joins media freedom and human rights groups in calling for the adoption of the Parliament's version of the proposed European Media Freedom Act

Trudeau against Facebook: social media, copyright, and information - Article

In protest against the new Canadian law that requires social media to pay news organisations every time a user shares a link, Facebook has blocked access to news portals, earning the condemnation of Prime Minister Trudeau. In Europe, meanwhile, new regulations are on their way on the removal of content, advertising, and disinformation

By Paola Rosà

Originally published by OBCT in ENG and ITA

European Media Freedom Act: the end of source confidentiality? - Article

The new European regulation aims to protect the secrecy of journalistic sources, the key concept at the heart of journalism, but actually risks legitimising its systematic violation

By Dimitri Bettoni

Originally published by OBCT. Also available in ITA

Media freedom groups call on the EU to prioritise media freedom reforms and human rights in relations with Turkey - Article

OBCT joins media freedom and journalists groups in calling on the incoming Spanish Presidency of the Council of the European Union to place media freedom and fundamental rights at the heart of future relations with Turkey