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

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

Albanian media law: a letter of concern - Article

The MFRR partners and SEEMO are alarmed by reports that the Parliament will approve the media law package without respecting international standards. Here the letter sent to Albanian authorities:

Slovenia: serious concerns over proposed changes to public service media - Article

A letter to the Prime Minister, to the Minister of Culture, to the President of the Republic and to the Speaker of the National Assembly urges Slovenian authorities to ensure that all voices and viewpoints are carefully considered during the consultation process of the proposed changes to the funding of public service media, a package of amendments to three media laws that has the potential to weaken the public broadcaster

Albania, the controversial media law - Legal Resources

Concerns persist over the approval of the new package of amendments aimed at modifying two important laws on the Albanian media, the so-called "anti-defamation package"

Protecting the right to freedom of expression under the European Convention on Human Rights - Manuals

A handbook to assist judges, prosecutors, lawyers and human rights’ defenders in ensuring that all cases involving freedom of expression (FoE) are handled in conformity with states’ obligations under Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), as developed by the Strasbourg Court

Protection of business secrets does not rule out the right of the press to be informed by government - Legal Resources

On 25 March 2015 the Federal Administrative Court of Germany in Leipzig ruled that representatives of the press can demand information about facts that protect business secrets from government agencies, if their right to be informed outweighs the interest of business secret protection.

Media Freedom in the Czech Republic - Academic Sources

During the nineties, the privatisation process of the Czech media had a significant impact on the country's political structure and culture. However, despite the relative success of the democratisation of the Czech Republic, there is little empirical evidence to support the claim that the media industry will follow suit

Association of Journalists of Macedonia - Stakeholders

The Association of Journalists of Macedonia (AJM) is an independent, non-governmental and non- political party organization whose purpose is to be the protector and promoter of professional standards and freedom of expression.

It also offers practical support.

Specific objectives of the AJM include:
-Defend freedom of press, radio, television and other media;
-Fights against their abuse, the creation of monopolies and any form of censorship that affects the determination of truth, complete, unbiased, updated public information;
-Protects and promotes the freedom of rights and responsibilities of journalists, based on the Constitution and laws of the Republic of Macedonia, Statute and Acts of AJM, and international documents concerning the freedom of the media, and the exercise of expression and information as basic Human Rights.
-Protect the reputation and dignity of the journalists and the journalistic profession and protects and promotes freedom of critical and creative work.
-Represent its members in front of the community and actively participates in the preparation of legislation and inter-national conventions of interest to the profession and defend the journalistic interest in regards of the Code of Ethics.

The Association was founded in 1946 and is a member of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). AJM publishes in Macedonian, Albanian and English.

Criminal Defamation Laws in Europe - Reports

Germany revealed as leading user of criminal defamation laws among 18 countries surveyed by the International Press Institute