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

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.

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

The State of State Media 2022 - A global analysis of the editorial independence of state media based on the state media matrix (2022 edition) - Reports

“The State of State Media” is published by the Media and Journalism Research Center. The study analyses the level of independence of public media outlets in all continents

A letter to the incoming Czech Presidency on the European Media Freedom Act - Article

Ahead of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union, we signed a letter to the Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala regarding the forthcoming European Media Freedom Act

Bulgaria: the media, law, and freedom of information - Legal Resources

Interview with Nelly Ognyanova, a leading Bulgarian expert on media law, by Francesco Martino, OBCT

Media Capture in Bulgaria: Hidden Alliances and Vested Interests - Reports

Third report as part of IPI’s campaign on media capture: a new report on media freedom and independence in Bulgaria. The report explores the capture of media by vested business and political interests and the corrupting relationship between media owners and politicians as they compete for power and profit

Media Capture in the Czech Republic: lessons learnt from the Babiš era and how to rebuild defences against Media Capture - Reports

This IPI report examines growing pressure on the public-service broadcaster Czech Television (CT) under the Babiš government. In this light, the report looks at key reform proposals to strengthen Czech public media’s defenses against future attempts to compromise its independence, and it also details how government advertising funds were directed to benefit Mafra media owned by Babiš and recommends policy reform to end the abuse of government funds to reward positive media coverage

Albania: MFRR urges government to scrap new Media and Information Agency - Article

MFRR partners express concern over a new Media and Information Agency that would centralise control over the government's public relations within a single entity. Until greater safeguards can be established to ensure the agency operates in a fair and transparent manner, we urge the government to cancel its establishment

Albania: concern after government ally elected to head the Audiovisual Media Authority - Article

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) expresses deep concern about the future impartiality and independence of Albania’s Audiovisual Media Authority (AMA) following the election of a close associate of the ruling Socialist Party to head the media regulator