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

Poland: Recommendations for democratic reform for press freedom and public media - Article

OBCT joins MFRR partners in renewing their recommendations to the new Polish government to improve the media freedom situation in the country in line with democratic values and the rule of law  

Media pluralism in a legal limbo in Serbia - Article

The allocation of national broadcasting frequencies in Serbia highlights the lack of transparency and pluralism in the sector. Frequencies are only awarded to government-friendly media. Concerns have been expressed by both the European Commission and the European Parliament

By Massimo Moratti

Originally published by OBCT, also available in ITA

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: Media freedom groups urge MPs to pass media act amendment - Article

The passing of this reform package is needed to help protect independence of public broadcasters from future attacks. Czech translation is available below

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

Media capture: Toolkit for 21st century autocrats - Article

©Text Vector/Shutterstock

The 8th of a series of thematic itineraries to explore the Resource Centre on Media Freedom through a curated aggregation of contents. 

Reuters Institute Digital News Report 2018 - Reports

This study explores the ways news is being consumed in a range of countries. This year's report focuses on the issues of trust and misinformation, media literacy, new online business models, the impact of changing Facebook algorithms and the rise of new platforms and messaging apps

News Media in Western Europe: Populist Views Divide Public Opinion - Reports

A team at the Pew Research Center conducted a public opinion survey in eight countries of Western Europe about trust in news media in relation to how people place themselves on a left/right and on a populist/non-populist axis. Attention was also given to how people use social media as a source for news

Perfect Storm: The multiple challenges facing public service news and why tackling them is vital for democracy - Reports

The European Broadcasting Union (EBU)’s new study addresses those changing demands, much of which were researched during a rapid tour of small group of European broadcasters in the spring 2017.