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.

Croatia, journalists on the streets - Article

Hundreds of journalists took to the streets in Zagreb against the Plenković government's amendments to the Criminal Code, which limit the right to report. According to the Association of Croatian Journalists, the prime minister wants to silence investigations into his government's corruption

By Giovanni Vale 

Originally published by OBCT. Also available in ITA

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

Country factsheet: Hungary - Article

In 2020, a number of threats to media pluralism and transparency have continued to further marginalise and threaten media freedom across Hungary. Due to the expansion of pro-Government outlets and the weaponisation of government advertising, most Hungarian citizens receive news only from pro-government outlets. With this kind of control, there is no need to directly attack critical journalists, as they are excluded from the media market. Moreover, the coronavirus crisis had arguably the biggest effect on media freedom

2020 Rule of law report - Communication and country chapters - Reports

The 2020 Rule of Law Report presents a synthesis of both the rule of law situation in the EU and an assessment of the situation in each Member State

Safety of Journalists and the Fighting of Corruption in the EU - Reports

A study commissioned by the European Parliament’s Policy Department for Citizens’ Rights and Constitutional Affairs at the request of the LIBE Committee (Committee on Civil Liberties, Justice and Home Affairs) examines the chilling effect of crimes and threats against media workers, exploring regulatory and other measures to counter the phenomenon

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. 

Pushing on an Open Door: Foreign Authoritarian Influence in the Western Balkans - Reports

Powers such as Russia, Turkey, China, and several Persian Gulf states are exerting increasing influence in the Western Balkans, bringing significant economic and political leverage. This publication is part of a new International Forum working paper series

Bulgaria: media ownership in a “captured state” - Reports

A report on the fact-finding mission by ECPMF and OBCT on Bulgaria’s media ownership structures and their implications for media freedom

Nations in Transit 2018 – Hungary Country report - Reports

The “Nations in Transit” report on Hungary by Freedom House (2018) provides an overview of the country’s democratic institutions, including a section devoted to independent media