The invisible hand of media censorship in the Balkans - Reports

The Balkans face media challenges like political interference, opaque ownership, and disinformation. Weak enforcement of the European Media Freedom Act highlights the need for stronger reforms and support for independent journalism

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

Serbian judge’s lawsuits set to chill press freedom - Article

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) expresses grave concern regarding the legal threats facing the Serbian investigative news organization KRIK and its journalists. These abusive legal actions include demands for imprisonment and bans from journalism. We stand with the journalists on trial, and urge Serbia to implement anti-SLAPP safeguards to protect independent media

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

MFRR Monitoring Report: January - June 2024 - Article

In the first six months of 2024, the Media Freedom Rapid Response recorded 756 media freedom alerts across Europe 

Mapping Media Freedom Monitoring Report: January - June 2024 - Reports

The report analyzes and compares the nature and type of media freedom-related incidents witnessed in the EU member states and candidate countries in the first half of 2024  

International organisations call on the EU to act against Israel’s killings of Palestinian journalists - Article

OBCT joins 59 other organizations in condemning Israeli authorities’ killings of Palestinian journalists, and calling for the suspension of EU-Israel Association Agreement and further EU targeted sanctions

The problem is not in breaking law, but in failing to enforce it - Article

Regulatory authority for electronic media’s (REM) dependence on the government, the problem of non-transparency of media ownership, as well as impunity for attacks on journalists are the main problems on the media scene in Serbia, according to the report "Rule of Law and Media Freedom in Serbia – Shadow Report for 2024", jointly prepared by the Independent Journalists ‘ Association of Serbia (IJAS) and the Italian think tank OBC Transeuropa 

Originally published by IJAS . Also available in Serbo-Croatian  

Rule of Law and Media Freedom in Serbia: a Shadow Report - Reports

The shadow report complements the European Commission's rule of law report in Serbia, pointing out key developments and challenges to media freedom in the country

2024 EC Rule of Law Report: EU Accession Countries and Member States on Equal Footing, Civic Space Threats Overlooked - Reports

The report provides an analysis of the European Commission’s Rule of Law Report on Accession countries prepared by the association Balkan Civil Society Development Network