SafeJournalists and MFRR: Smear campaigns against independent media and civil society organizations must stop - Article

SafeJournalists Network and organizations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) strongly condemn the attacks on the Council of Media Ethics of Albania (KSHM) and the think tank - Center Science and Innovation for Development (SCiDEV) that has issued a shadow report on media freedom in Albania, as well as on researcher Blerjana Bino

2024 rule of law report: media freedom organizations urge the EU to enforce stronger safeguards - Article

The Media Freedom Rapid Response welcomes the publication of the 2024 Rule of Law. Despite progress in some areas, the report shows that press freedom remains under threat in Europe. We urge Member States and the European Union to intensify their efforts to uphold media freedom, and reinforce their roles in safeguarding this pillar of democracy

2024 Rule of Law Report - Country Chapter North Macedonia - Reports

Despite constitutional guarantees, North Macedonian journalists face many challenges regarding freedom of expression and media censorship. Troubling precedents, such as defamation cases, are a serious hurdle to media freedom in the country. Journalism remains an unappealing career option for many due to insufficient and non-transparent state funding

From Silence to Strength: A Regional Response to SLAPPs in the Western Balkans - Reports

The newly released Balkan Civil Society Development Network Report examines the SLAPP phenomenon across the Western Balkans

Media Capture in the Western Balkans: From captured states to captured media - Reports

The policy brief produced by Southeast European Leadership for Development and Integrity (SELDI)  provides an analytical insight into the mechanisms behind media capture in the Western Balkans countries, as a phenomenon that negatively affects the media landscape in those countries through impairment of media freedom and pluralism. With the region being on track for EU accession, media capture presents a paramount problem that the brief addresses

North Macedonia, media and public funds - Article

In view of the upcoming political and presidential elections, the Macedonian government has reintroduced forms of public funding for the media. However, the country's media organisations argue that the move may aggravate the influence of political interests on news outlets

By Aleksandar Samardjiev 

Originally published by OBCT, also available in ITA

Serbia: MFRR and SafeJournalists call on state institutions to address threats to journalists - Article

OBCT joins MFRR and SafeJournalists Network's partners in expressing concern about the rising threats targeting Serbian presenter Nenad Kulacin and in urging authorities to persecute the perpetrators

North Macedonia: International press freedom mission finds fragile progress in need of further support - Article

This week OBCT joined MFRR partners in a fact-finding mission to North Macedonia organised by the Association of Journalists of Macedonia. While the coalition recognises an improvement in media workers' working conditions, it also warns that the landscape of journalism in the country remains fragile

Slavko Ćuruvija: Cycle of impunity for killing of journalists in Serbia must be broken - Article

Partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and the SafeJournalists Network (SJN) renew their call for justice for the assassination of Serbian journalist Slavko Ćuruvija to finally be secured and the cycle of impunity for the killings of journalists in Serbia to be broken

Mapping Media Freedom Monitoring Report 2022 - Reports

The 2021 Monitoring Report offers an overview of media freedom violations in the EU and candidate countries from January to December 2022. It addresses in particular four major developments: the war in Ukraine; the abuse of legal actions to silence legitimate public journalism; the rise in online attacks and environmental reporting.