Albania: Constitutional Court ruling on TikTok ban reinforces freedom of expression protections - Article

The SafeJournalists Network (SJN), the undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcome the ruling by the Constitutional Court of Albania, which found that the Council of Ministers decision suspending nationwide access to the social media platform TikTok for one year constituted a violation of freedom of expression and freedom of the press

Women’s Day: Gender-based violence, a growing weapon against women journalists - Article

To mark International Women’s Day on 8 March, partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) publish alarming data highlighting how women journalists across Europe continue to face enhanced risk through systematic gender-based violence in the past year

Albania: Democratic reform of public broadcaster RTSH remains only viable option - Article

The undersigned Albanian and international media freedom and journalist organisations jointly call on the Albanian government to support the reform of the public service broadcaster Radio Televizioni Shqiptar (RTSH) through lawful, democratic and institutional means, in line with democratic norms and EU standards

SLAPP in Montenegro: between hesitant courts and missed reforms - Article

Strategic lawsuits against public participation remain an under-recognized practice in the country. The ongoing proceedings before the Podgorica court, initiated by Andrej Vučić, brother of Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić, against the daily newspaper Vijesti, could set an important precedent for establishing judicial practices in handling SLAPPs

By Olivera Nikolic and Massimo Moratty 

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 

Media freedom under electoral siege: money, law, and silence between the lines - Article

When it comes to Macedonian media, Brussels notes “limited progress,” the OSCE warns of unequal access to the media space, and the civil sector speaks of a system of soft censorship and quiet dependence on state funding

By Metamorphosis Foundation

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 

EU Enlargement Package: Assessments must now translate into meaningful media freedom action - Article

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today welcomes the publication of the 2025 EU Enlargement Package  and highlights key media freedom developments and concerns that should shape negotiations with candidate countries moving forward

Media freedom, a prerequisite for EU enlargement - Article

To advance in their European integration path, Western Balkan candidate countries must ensure media freedom and pluralism. For Montenegro and North Macedonia, this means moving beyond formal commitments and demonstrating through concrete actions that democratic reforms are more than words on paper

Montenegro: public service hostage to cronyism - Article

Following the recent conviction for abuse of office of the President and three members of the Radio and Television of Montenegro (RTCG) Council, controversy continues over the appointment of Boris Raonić as director of the Montenegrin public broadcaster