Monitoring Report January-June 2025 - Reports

This Monitoring Report takes stock of the press freedom situation in 36 EU Member States and candidate countries during the first six months of 2025. Between January and June, the Mapping Media Freedom database documented 709 press freedom violations, affecting 1249 media workers or entities

Georgia: Media Freedom groups condemn latest attacks on journalists by ruling party activists and police - Article

The undersigned media freedom, journalists’, and freedom of expression organizations strongly condemn the recent physical and verbal attacks on independent media by activists of the Georgian Dream ruling party and a police officer

Ten demands for maintaining media freedom in Czechia - Article

Media freedom is the cornerstone of every democratic society. Independent journalism, together with media literacy and free access to information, is the best prevention against disinformation. In the run-up to the Czech parliamentary elections on 3 and 4 October 2025, the undersigned organisations therefore propose to political parties specific steps to protect these values

Moldovan women journalists challenging Russian disinformation - Article

Last fall, Moldovan investigative journalists Natalia Zaharescu and Măriuța Nistor infiltrated the network of pro-Russian oligarch Ilan Șor for three months. They documented the illegal techniques used to mobilize people and the risks faced by journalists working in this context

By Gian Marco Moisé

Originally published by OBCT. Also available in ITA

Albania: Media freedom groups write to authorities over Focus Media Group obstruction - Article

OBCT joined MFRR partners and other media freedom and journalist organisations in signing an open letter to the Albanian authorities, expressing growing concern over the ongoing obstruction of journalistic work following the recent police blockade of the Focus Media Group building in Tirana and the failure to comply with a recent court ruling

Albania: Urgent answers needed on Focus Media Group blockade and journalists’ right to work - Article

We join the SafeJournalists Network, partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and Albanian media freedom organisations in expressing concern over the police blockade and subsequent events affecting Focus Media Group, News24, BalkanWeb, Panorama, Gazeta Shqiptare, and other affiliated outlets

EU: After entry into force, political will now crucial for European Media Freedom Act success - Article

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners today welcome the historic entry into force of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) , which represents a landmark achievement in ongoing efforts to safeguard media pluralism and independence across the European Union. Today, 8 August 2025, marks a new era for media freedom in the EU and comes at a crucial time for the defence of democratic values within the bloc

MFRR Summit - Safeguarding journalism, defending democracy - Reports

This year’s MFRR Summit feeds into EU Democracy Shield policy discussions and highlights journalism as vital democratic infrastructure. Drawing on MFRR’s monitoring, missions, and policy work, the event will explore five key pillars of media resilience: economic viability, safety, legal protection, AI governance, and implementation of safeguards

Joint Statement on the Draft Penal Code and Its Implications for Media Freedom and Freedom of Expression in Albania - Article

OBCT joins the SafeJournalists Network, partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), and civil society organizations in Albania in expressing concern regarding the proposed amendments to the Penal Code which risk posing direct threats to media freedom, the safety of journalists, and the fundamental right to freedom of expression

Safeguarding Media Independence in Italy: RAI, and the EMFA - HTML5 video

In this episode of the MFRR interview series, Sielke Kelner (OBCT) speaks with Renate Schroeder, Director of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and Daniele Macheda, Secretary-General of USIGRai, the RAI journalists’ union, to explore growing concerns about the independence and integrity of Italy’s public service broadcaster, RAI.