Poland: New president urged to commit to press freedom reforms - Article

Following the victory of Karol Nawrocki in Poland’s presidential election on 1 June, the undersigned media freedom organisations today call on the president elect to commit to building a cross-party consensus required to bolster press freedom and strengthen Polish democracy

Hungary: Foreign funding bill poses most serious threat to independent media in years - Article

OBCT joins MFRR partners in urging the EU to take action against Hungary’s proposed foreign funding bill, which poses a serious threat to freedom of expression and media freedom

Croatia: MFRR Media Freedom Mission to Visit Zagreb - Article

Between 19 and 21 May, Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partner organisations will conduct a press freedom mission to Zagreb, Croatia.

Open Letter: Surveillance warrants targeting journalists are dangerous for democracy - Article

OBCT, alongside free expression organizations, Romanian journalists and media outlets, condemns the surveillance of journalists by Romanian prosecutors as a violation of press freedom 

Originally published in Romanian and English by ActiveWatch and the Center for independent Journalism

SafeJournalists Network and Media Freedom Rapid Response: TikTok ban in Albania threatens freedom of expression ahead of general elections - Article

SafeJournalists Network (SJN), the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners, and civil society organizations express serious concern regarding the Albanian Council of Ministers' decision to suspend nationwide access to the TikTok platform for 12 months

Fact-Checking in Albania: Confronting Disinformation and Intimidation - Article

The disconnect between the younger generation and traditional media, the struggles to hold public institutions accountable, and the urgent need for a syndicate to protect journalists’ rights. These are just some of the challenges that the media sector has to face in Albania. An interview

By Luisa Chiodi and Sukanya Sengupta 

Originally published by OBCT. Also available in ITA

Addressing Key Challenges to Media Freedom in Albania and Serbia - Article

To contribute to the European Commission’s Rule of Law monitoring, OBCT, in partnership with SCiDEV and IJAS, produced two Shadow Reports outlining the challenges and gaps in media freedom in Albania and Serbia. The main findings were presented during a webinar

By Serena Epis, Sukanya Sengupta

Originally published by OBCT. Also available in ITA

Country Report: Albania - Article

The media sector in Albania is rather unstable. While certain areas have seen progress, the state of media freedom and protection for journalists remains precarious and needs stronger safeguards

By Sukanya Sengupta 

Cyprus pauses fake news law to consult media stakeholders - Article

Cyprus media landscape analysis highlights concerns over law to tackle fake news and offensive content

Italy: Salvini’s video reignites debate over RAI independence - Article

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) backs concerns expressed over the editorial independence of Italian public broadcaster RAI. The MFRR further insists that the appointment process of the new leadership must guarantee RAI’s political independence and enforce the highest standards of journalism.