European Democracy Shield: Bolstering independent media at the core of democratic resilience - Article

In the face of rising digital manipulation, shrinking civic space and collapsing media business models, the European Democracy Shield offers an important opportunity to ensure safety of journalists and media viability, among other things, but only if turned into concrete action. This is what MFRR aims to follow

EU Enlargement Package: Assessments must now translate into meaningful media freedom action - Article

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today welcomes the publication of the 2025 EU Enlargement Package  and highlights key media freedom developments and concerns that should shape negotiations with candidate countries moving forward

Hungary: Foreign funding bill poses most serious threat to independent media in years - Article

OBCT joins MFRR partners in urging the EU to take action against Hungary’s proposed foreign funding bill, which poses a serious threat to freedom of expression and media freedom

Country Report: Albania - Article

The media sector in Albania is rather unstable. While certain areas have seen progress, the state of media freedom and protection for journalists remains precarious and needs stronger safeguards

By Sukanya Sengupta 

Islands of integrity: the struggle of independent media in Albania - Article

Lufti Dervishi, a founding member of the Albanian Center for Quality Journalism, emphasises the challenges that Albanian journalism faces today. The media are entangled in corruption, self-censorship, and state-sponsored disinformation. However, not everything is negative, and there is still reason for hope

By Luisa Chiodi, Sukanya Sengupta

Originally published by OBCT. Also available in ITA

Albania: freedom of the press crushed by the weight of politics - Article

Almost non-existent professional ethics, capture of the media by politics and financial unsustainability are just some of the main issues that make the Albanian media landscape particularly alarming. An interview

By Luisa Chiodi

Originally published on OBCT , also available in ITA

Media Freedom Mission to Romania questions fairness of electoral coverage - Article

Urgent reform of political funding for ‘press and propaganda’ needed to end media dependency on political parties

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.

Voices Awards for Journalism: Call for entries - Article

A journalistic contest within the brand new festival on journalism and media literacy in Europe