Covid-19 intensifies challenges for freelance journalists in Italy

Part of IPI’s series, Europe media freedom in the shadow of Covid, Gabriele Cruciata analyses how the pandemic has created a perfect storm for struggling independent reporters in Italy

IPI correspondent Gabriele Cruciata explores and analyses the seen and unseen impact of COVID-19 on an already struggling industry and what it means for the long term health of Italy’s media environment

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ECPMF urges action upon publication of the first EU…

ECPMF urges action upon publication of the first EU Annual Rule of Law Report

The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response, welcomes the publication of the first EU Annual Rule of Law Report, and we appreciate that a number of the concerns we raised in the preparatory phase have been taken into account.

In April 2020, together with other civil society organisations, the ECPMF and several other MFRR partners provided recommendations for safeguarding media freedom and pluralism through the European Rule of Law Mechanism, including specific recommendations for the Annual Rule of Law Report. Among other things, we underlined the importance of the Report covering the wide range of challenges faced by journalists and the media sector. This includes assessments of transparency of ownership and government interference; whether the environment is conducive to an independent and pluralistic media landscape, online and offline; and, the framework for the protection of journalists and media workers.

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ECPMF condemns insults against Nello Scavo outside the courthouse

Harassment of journalists needs to stop especially when they are in court following being threatened online

ECPMF condemns the insults faced by Italian journalist Nello Scavo as he left the court in Valletta. Scavo was testifying in the criminal case against Neville Gafà, who had threatened him online. Upon leaving the hearing, Scavo and Maltese blogger Manuel Delia were insulted with vulgar epithets shouted in Italian by a crowd of people who had amassed in apparent support of Gafà.

Photo: Alessandra Dee Crespo for Repubblika

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Slovenian investigative news outlet Necenzurirano hit with 39 SLAPP…

Slovenian investigative news outlet Necenzurirano hit with 39 SLAPP lawsuits

MFRR partners and leading press freedom organisations condemning brazen defamation cases against Slovenian media outlet

MFRR partners and 11 press freedom organisations express our grave concern over the barrage of vexatious defamation lawsuits targeting journalists working for the investigative news website Necenzurirano in Slovenia over the last two months.

Since August journalists Primož Cirman, Vesna Vukovic and Tomaž Modic have each had 13 different criminal lawsuits lodged against them by Rok Snežić, a tax expert and unofficial financial advisor to Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Janša, bringing the total so far to 39.

The lawsuits target the journalists’ joint reporting over the last three years on Snežić’s business dealings and alleged involvement in an illegal loan to Janša’s ruling SDS party. The reporting was published in siol.net and then necenzurirano.si, the portal the three journalists founded in January 2020.

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Police violence and press restrictions raise further red flags…

Police violence and press restrictions raise further red flags in Bulgaria

MFRR partners send a letter to the Bulgarian Prime Minister, Interior Minister and the Speaker of the National Assembly following a number of alarming developments facing journalists and media workers in the country.

The letter, sent to the Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Interior Minister Hristo Terziyski and the Speaker of the National Assembly Tsveta Karayancheva, condemned recent police violence and intimidation towards journalists and media workers reporting on recent anti-government protests.

It also raised concerns over the recent police questioning of a journalist and the recent implementation of a restrictive new system for press access inside the new Bulgarian Parliament building, calling for action to be taken to investigate allegations and increase transparency.

UPDATE. On 28 September, Associate Professor Dr Diana Kovatcheva, the Ombudsman of the Republic of Bulgaria responded to the MFRR, confirming that she has submitted a recommendation to the Speaker of the National Assembly to provide a guarantee that journalists have complete access to the Parliament. As well as this, she has called on the Minister of Interior to carry out a “thorough, impartial and effective investigation into the allegations of police violence”. Read the response below.

OMBUDSMAN RESPONSE

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MFRR expresses concern over recent attacks on journalists and…

MFRR partners express concern over recent attacks on journalists and media workers in North Macedonia

MFRR partners send a letter to Prime Minister Zaev highlighting a number of threats to journalists and media workers that need to be addressed to ensure that media freedom is protected across the country

At the start of Zoran Zaev’s new term as Prime Minister of North Macedonia, the MFRR highlights six cases of harassment, intimidation and physical attacks aimed at journalists and media workers that require immediate and urgent attention by the state to ensure North Macedonia lives up to its commitments to press freedom.

UPDATE: On 29 September the Cabinet of the Prime Minister of the Republic of North Macedonia responded to the letter reiterating the government’s commitment to press freedom. Read the response below

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE

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In Hungary a government rattled by the pandemic finds…

In Hungary a government rattled by the pandemic finds new ways to suppress independent media

Part of IPI’s series, Europe media freedom in the shadow of Covid, authored by IPI correspondents across Europe

IPI correspondent, Marton Bede charts the enduring decline in media freedom, pluralism and independence in Hungary and what the recent blocked license renewal of Klubrádió means for independent media outlets across the country.

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Hungarian embassies instructed to inform on journalists’ EU trips

As part of the MFRR, IPI is concerned by reports of foreign monitoring of Hungarian journalists in EU countries.

The International Press Institute (IPI) expressed serious concern over reports that the Hungarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested its embassies in EU countries to monitor Hungarian journalists and media workers and deliver information to the Hungarian government.

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MFRR condemns the escalating judicial harassment of Can Dündar…

MFRR condemns the escalating judicial harassment of Can Dündar by Turkey

The MFRR condemns the decision of the Istanbul 14th Heavy Penal Court ruling that journalist Can Dündar, who lives in exile in Germany, will be considered a fugitive and have his entire property confiscated if he does not appear in Turkish court within 15 days.

We believe that the prosecutions against Can Dündar are politically-motivated and form part of a campaign of harassment. We call for all charges against him to be dropped, an immediate reversal of this recent decision and an end to the judicial harassment of Dündar for his journalistic activities.

The threat to confiscate Can Dündar’s property is especially worrying as it could affect his family members still in Turkey, a tactic potentially deployed to persuade Dündar to return to the country, even with the ongoing risk of prosecution. The sustained campaign by the Turkish authorities against Dündar for his journalistic activities is emblematic of the crackdown on critical reporting and independent press in the country, and violates the country’s international and domestic human rights obligations.

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MFRR will monitor SLAPP trials against Gazeta Wyborcza in…

ARTICLE 19 as part of the MFRR will monitor SLAPP trials against Gazeta Wyborcza

ARTICLE 19 will monitor the SLAPP action brought against Gazeta Wyborcza taking place on 18th September. Since 2015, Gazeta Wyborcza has received over 55 legal threats, including civil defamation actions and alleged infringement of personal interests by a number of actors including Jarosław Kaczyński, the head of the governing Law and Justice (PiS) party; the public television broadcaster, Telewizja Polska SA and state owned companies.

The first case which Media Freedom Rapid Response representatives will monitor is scheduled for 18 September 2020 in the Regional Court in Warsaw, 24th Civil Division (case No: XXIVC 520/17).

The case concerns an article published on wyborcza.pl website titled “Jacek Kurski cenzuruje Opole” (Jacek Kurski censors the Opole Festival) where a journalist expressed a critical opinion regarding public broadcaster director’s engagement in censoring artists at the famous music festival, Opole. The case was brought by the public broadcaster Telewizja Polska SA (TVP) “for protection of personal rights” [in Polish ”pozew o ochronę dóbr osobistych”] under Articles 23 and 24 par. 1 of the Civil Code against Agora SA, the paper’s publisher, Agnieszka Kublik, author of the article, and Dorota Goluch, editor-in-chief of wyborcza.pl. The plaintiff demands to publish an apology and a payment of PLN 20 000 [EUR 4600, US $ 5200] to a nominated charity.