Serbia: Total impunity entrenched 27 years after killing of editor Slavko Ćuruvija - Article

Twenty-seven years after the assassination of Serbian newspaper publisher and editor Slavko Ćuruvija in Belgrade, the undersigned media freedom organisations mark the upcoming anniversary of the killing by lamenting the complete impunity for those responsible for one of the most serious attacks on journalism in the country’s history.

Serbian authorities must stop the spiral of violence against journalists - Article

Media freedom in Serbia remains trapped in a downward spiral amidst record levels of physical violence against journalists, death threats and online smear campaigns, alarming levels of impunity, and tight political control over the media landscape, a coalition of media freedom organisations concluded.

Hungary: Espionage charges against Szabolcs Panyi mark a dangerous step toward Orbán’s authoritarian rule - Article

OBCT joins MFRR partners in standing in solidarity with Hungarian journalist Szabolcs Panyi, who faces espionage charges in response to his investigations regarding Russian interference in Orban's election campaign

Amendments to Albania’s Criminal Code must be strengthened to ensure full decriminalisation of defamation - Article

The undersigned organisations of the SafeJournalists Network, partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) today stress that recent amendments to Albania’s Criminal Code, though positive, must be strengthened to ensure decriminalisation of defamation

Ukraine: Peace plan must ensure accountability for crimes against journalists - Article

As negotiations continue over a peace plan to end the Russian war on Ukraine, Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and partner organisations strongly oppose any proposals on granting amnesty for potential war crimes committed in the course of Russia’s full-scale invasion, especially for those against journalists.

Ukraine: Peace plan must ensure accountability for crimes against journalists - Article

As negotiations continue over a peace plan to end the Russian war on Ukraine, Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and partner organisations strongly oppose any proposals on granting amnesty for potential war crimes committed in the course of Russia’s full-scale invasion, especially for those against journalists

Instagram hacked for the Macedonian media outlet Sloboden Pechat - Article

The attack, which has been ongoing for more than a week, is extremely sophisticated, multi-layered, and continues to evolve. The aim, as Sloboden Pechat told Meta.mk, is to make the outlet less visible, with the attackers causing a so-called shadow ban. According to cybersecurity experts, there is no real protection against such attacks

By Antonija Janevska 

Women journalists in Montenegro, dealing with endless criminal proceedings - Article

Twenty-three-year-old Ivana Vlaović has been working as a journalist for four years, Olivera Lakić for nearly three decades. The two women have never worked together, and they probably have not even met during their field reports. What they have in common, however, is the time they spent in the courtrooms of the Podgorica High Court

By Danijela Lasica 

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

Report: Fragile media freedom progress in Bulgaria at risk of backsliding without urgent reform - Article

The partner organisations of the Council of Europe's Safety of Journalists Platform and the Media Freedom Rapid Response have released the media freedom report on Bulgaria following a three-day fact-finding mission that took place from 24 to 26 September