Hungary: Draft Sovereignty Protection Act poses fresh threat to independent media - Article

OBCT joins MFRR partners in drawing the attention of the European Union about the chilling impact of the new Hungarian bill on independent media

Trudeau against Facebook: social media, copyright, and information - Article

In protest against the new Canadian law that requires social media to pay news organisations every time a user shares a link, Facebook has blocked access to news portals, earning the condemnation of Prime Minister Trudeau. In Europe, meanwhile, new regulations are on their way on the removal of content, advertising, and disinformation

By Paola Rosà

Originally published by OBCT in ENG and ITA

MFRR Summit 2023 | Press Freedom on the Line - Article

The MFRR Summit is back, and this year we’re holding our conference under the title of “Press Freedom on the Line” from 29 – 31 March 2023

Poland: Letter to the Ombudsman in defence of Polska Press - Article

OBCT joins a group of media freedom organisations in a letter to the Polish Ombudsman to urge him to reconsider its decision to refrain from appealing the acquisition of Polska Press by the state-controlled oil company PKN Orlen

Hungary: Media freedom groups welcome EU court referral over Klubrádió frequency - Article

Move by EU Commission is belated but important signal it will use legal toolbox to defend independent media

A letter to the incoming Czech Presidency on the European Media Freedom Act - Article

Ahead of the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union, we signed a letter to the Czech Prime Minister Petr Fiala regarding the forthcoming European Media Freedom Act

Albania: MFRR urges government to scrap new Media and Information Agency - Article

MFRR partners express concern over a new Media and Information Agency that would centralise control over the government's public relations within a single entity. Until greater safeguards can be established to ensure the agency operates in a fair and transparent manner, we urge the government to cancel its establishment

Turkey: growing digital censorship compounds press freedom crisis - Article

We joined ten other organisations in a mission to Turkey led by IPI. While the government refused the invitation for a meeting, journalists, civil society representatives, MPs and other institutions denounced an ever-worsening environment for Turkey's remaining independent press

Poland: open letter to Members of Parliament in defence of media freedom - Article

OBCT joined a coalition of press freedom and journalism organizations in urgently calling on members of the Sejm, the lower house of Poland’s legislature, to oppose a draft bill that would dramatically accelerate media capture in Poland. Here the text of the letter:

Poland: MFRR partners call for stronger EU and U.S. action over 'lex TVN' - Article

The passing of the so-called 'lex TVN' would clearly undermine the ownership structure of U.S.-owned TVN and TVN24, with implications for the government's control over the country's most influential critical broadcaster