As press freedom deteriorates, Media Freedom partners hold advocacy…

As press freedom deteriorates, Media Freedom partners hold advocacy mission to Slovakia

Mission to support independent media and urge authorities to respect freedom of expression and media freedom

On November 25–26, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners will conduct a solidarity and fact-finding mission to Slovakia to assess the state of press freedom in the country amid a scaling back of democratic freedoms.

The mission will be led by the International Press Institute (IPI) and joined by ARTICLE 19 Europe, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and the European Center for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF).

As the environment for freedom of expression, media pluralism and independent journalism becomes increasingly hostile, the delegation will meet with leading media organizations, press freedom advocates, and political leaders to discuss the key challenges to freedom of expression in the country and explore potential solutions.

The mission will focus on key topics such as media capture, the dissolution of public broadcaster (RTVS), smear campaigns targeting journalists, impunity for crimes against them, and the steps needed to align Slovak legislation with international and European standards.

As the protection of freedom of expression deteriorates to a critical point, the mission will show solidarity with independent media and urge the authorities in Slovakia to refrain from verbal and legal attacks on the press. Additionally, we remind the Government of its obligation under international law to create an enabling environment where journalists can work freely and without fear of retaliation.

Key areas of concern

The MFRR partners have consistently expressed deep concern regarding the deterioration of media freedom in Slovakia. The critical challenges include:

Attacks on the independence of public service media: In July 2024 the relatively independent public broadcaster, RTVS, was dissolved to be replaced by the new institution, STVR. This included new rules which enabled the government to replace the leadership with their own appointees facilitating the politicization of the STVR.

Media capture: The MFRR research shows that Slovakia’s media market is heavily influenced by government and vested interests. There’s clear evidence of an imbalance in the allocation of state advertising funds to media outlets due to a lack of regulation. Additionally, the media landscape remains highly concentrated, with the oligarchic group Penta controlling a significant share of the market. The Slovak government has also pressured private media, including the leading commercial broadcaster, TV Markíza.

Legislation and legal measures restricting media freedom and freedom of expression: Since September 2023, the Slovak government has introduced several draft bills that restrict media freedom. These included a draft bill labelling civil society organizations which receive over €5,000 annually in foreign funding as ‘foreign-supported’; the amendment of the media law changing a “right to a correction” and the amendment to the Access to Information Law, allowing officials to charge for “extensive” information requests.

Prime Minister Robert Fico also recently filed a SLAPP case against Peter Bárdy, editor-in-chief of Aktuality.sk, and Ringier Slovak Media, the publisher of the book Fico – Obsessed with Power, for using Fico’s photo on the cover.

Safety concerns and impunity for crimes against journalists: The lack of justice for the 2018 assassination of Ján Kuciak and his fiancée, Martina Kušnírová, has intensified concerns over the safety of journalists in Slovakia. Until this day, full justice has not yet been served for either the assassination of Kuciak and Kušnírová or for other crimes against journalists such as their massive surveillance by “Kočner’s squad”, a network of individuals paid to supply information to the businessman.

Verbal attacks and smear campaigns against journalists: Journalists in Slovakia continue to face both physical and online attacks. These have rapidly intensified since Prime Minister Fico’s re-election in September 2023. The survey, conducted by the Investigative Centre of Ján Kuciak (ICJK) within the project Safe.Journalism.sk in 2023, showed Slovak journalists are most frequently targeted with online and verbal attacks.

In the first six months of 2024, MFRR documented a total of 28 press freedom violations targeting 43 media-related persons or entities. Government and public officials were the most common (67.9%) source of violations documented, of which most were related to verbal attacks like discrediting, intimidation, and harassment.

Engagement and advocacy

The MFRR delegation will hold a press conference on November 26, 2024, at 2:30 PM in Bratislava, to present its initial observations and recommendations. An additional press release will be produced shortly after, to further detail the mission’s preliminary findings. Following the mission, the coalition will also disseminate the report based on the mission findings and recommendations.

For further information about the press conference, contact Teona Sekhniashvili at tsekhniashvili@ipi.media or Ronja Koskinen at rkoskinen@ipi.media.

V dôsledku zhoršujúcej sa slobody tlače organizujú partneri pre slobodu médií advokačnú misiu na Slovensko

Misia má za cieľ podporiť nezávislé médiá a naliehať na štátne orgány, aby rešpektovali slobodu prejavu a slobodu médií

V dňoch 25.-26.novembra 2024 partneri projektu ‘Media Freedom Rapid Response’ (MFRR) uskutočnia solidárnu a zisťovaciu misiu na Slovensko s cieľom posúdiť stav slobody tlače a ďalších obmedzovaní slobody prejavu.

Misiu povedie Medzinárodný tlačový inštitút (IPI) a pridajú sa k nej organizácie ARTICLE 19 Europe, Európska federácia novinárov (EFJ) a Európske centrum pre slobodu tlače a médií (ECPMF).

Keďže prostredie pre slobodu prejavu, pluralitu médií a nezávislú žurnalistiku na Slovensku je čoraz nepriateľskejšie, delegácia sa stretne s poprednými mediálnymi organizáciami, obhajcami slobody tlače a politickými predstaviteľmi, aby prediskutovala kľúčové výzvy pre slobodu prejavu a preskúmala možné riešenia.

Misia sa zameria na témy, ako je napríklad ovládanie médií, zrušenie RTVS, štvavé kampane namierené proti novinárom, beztrestnosť za trestných činov proti novinárom a kroky potrebné na zosúladenie slovenskej legislatívy s medzinárodnými a európskymi normami.

Keďže ochrana slobody prejavu sa zhoršuje na kritickú úroveň, misia prejaví solidaritu s nezávislými médiami a vyzve orgány na Slovensku, aby sa zdržali verbálnych a právnych útokov na ne. Okrem toho pripomenie vláde jej povinnosť vyplývajúcu z medzinárodného práva vytvoriť priaznivé prostredie, v ktorom môžu novinári pracovať slobodne a bez obáv z odvety.

Hlavné problémy v oblasti slobody médií

Partneri MFRR už opakovanie vyjadrili hlboké znepokojenie nad zhoršovaním slobody médií na Slovensku. Za hlavné problémy považujeme:

Útoky na nezávislosť verejnoprávnych médií: V júli 2024 bola relatívne nezávislá RTVS zrušená a nahradená novou inštitúciou, STVR. Nový zákon umožnil vláde nahradiť vedenie novej inštitúcia vlastnými nominantmi, čo uľahčilo politizáciu STVR.

Ďalšie pokusy o kontrolu médií: Z výskumu MFRR vyplýva, že slovenský mediálny trh je pod silným vplyvom vlády a partikulárnych (komerčných) záujmov. Existujú jasné dôkazy o nerovnováhe v prideľovaní štátnych prostriedkov na reklamu médiám v dôsledku nedostatočnej regulácie v tejto oblasti. Okrem toho mediálne prostredie zostáva vysoko koncentrované, pričom oligarchická skupina Penta kontroluje významný podiel trhu. Slovenská vláda vyvíja tlak aj na súkromné médiá vrátane TV Markíza.

Legislatívne a právne opatrenia obmedzujúce slobodu médií a slobodu prejavu: Od septembra 2023 slovenská vláda predložila niekoľko návrhov zákonov, ktoré obmedzujú slobodu médií. Patril medzi ne návrh zákona, ktorý označuje organizácie občianskej spoločnosti, ktoré dostávajú viac ako 5 000 EUR ročne zo zahraničia, ako „podporované zo zahraničia“; novela mediálneho zákona, ktorou sa mení „právo na opravu“ a novela zákona o prístupe k informáciám, ktorá umožňuje štátnym orgánom vyberať poplatky za určité žiadosti o informácie.

Premiér Robert Fico tiež nedávno podal žalobu, tzv. ‘SLAPP’ (strategický súdny spor proti účasti na veciach verejných), proti Petrovi Bárdymu, šéfredaktorovi Aktuality.sk, a vydavateľstvu Ringier Slovak Media, ktoré vydalo knihu Fico – posadnutý mocou, za použitie Ficovej fotografie na obálke.

Obavy o bezpečnosť novinárov a beztrestnosť za trestné činy proti nim: Obavy o bezpečnosť novinárov sú zosilnené v dôsledku absencie spravodlivosti v prípade vraždy Jána Kuciaka a jeho snúbenice Martiny Kušnírovej v roku 2018. Do dnešného dňa nebola vyvodená úplná spravodlivosť ani za tieto vraždy, ani za iné trestné činy proti novinárom, ako napríklad ich masívne sledovanie „Kočnerovým komandom“ – sieťou osôb platených za dodávanie informácií podnikateľovi.

Slovné útoky a očierňovacie kampane proti novinárom: Novinári na Slovensku naďalej čelia fyzickým aj online útokom. Tie sa rapídne zintenzívnili od znovuzvolenia premiéra Fica v septembri 2023. Prieskum, ktorý v roku 2023 uskutočnilo Investigatívne centrum Jána Kuciaka (ICJK) v rámci projektu Bezpečná žurnalistika.sk, ukázal, že slovenskí novinári sú najčastejším terčom online a verbálnych útokov.

V prvom polroku 2024 MFRR zdokumentovalo celkovo 28 prípadov porušenia slobody tlače, ktorých terčom bolo 43 osôb alebo subjektov súvisiacich s médiami na Slovensku. Najčastejšie – v 67,9 % zdokumentovaných prípadoch – vyšli porušenia zo strany štátnych a verejných činiteľov, pričom vo väčšine išlo o slovné útoky, ako je diskreditácia, zastrašovanie a obťažovanie.

Ako možno kontaktovať delegáciu

Delegácia MFRR usporiada 26. novembra 2024 o 14:30 hod. v Bratislave tlačovú konferenciu, na ktorej predstaví svoje prvé zistenia a odporúčania.

This statement was coordinated by the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States, Candidate Countries and Ukraine.

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Press freedom in peril ahead of elections in Georgia:…

Press freedom in peril ahead of elections in Georgia: MFRR report on safety of journalists

A new report by MFRR and partners highlights rising threats to press freedom and journalist safety amid increasing polarisation and fear before the 2024 election.

On 1-2 October the Partner Organisations of the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Safety of Partner organisations of the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Safety of Journalists and of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), including ARTICLE 19 Europe, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Index on Censorship, the International Press Institute (IPI), the Justice for Journalists Foundation, and Reporters Without Borders (RSF), conducted a fact-finding mission to Georgia. The aim of the mission was to gather information on Georgia’s implementation of its freedom of expression and media freedom commitments, including in relation to the ongoing election campaign.

This report presents the findings of the mission.

Download the report

During the mission, we have witnessed the deterioration of press freedom amid rising authoritarianism. It has been made clear to us that a wide range of tools and mechanisms are used to discredit and curtail dissenting voices, including those of independent journalists.

We want to declare our full support and solidarity with the journalists, press freedom and civil society organisations. We came with concerns about media freedom, but we were appalled by what we heard.

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Mettere a tacere il quarto potere: la deriva democratica…

Report di missione: Mettere a tacere il quarto potere: la deriva democratica dell’Italia

La libertà dei media in Italia è sotto attacco, una deriva caratterizzata da una crescente interferenza politica e molestie legali nei confronti dei giornalisti. In vista delle elezioni europee del 2024, il Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) ha condotto una missione di carattere urgente a Roma per approfondire queste problematiche. Lo scorso luglio, in occasione del lancio del report in inglese, abbiamo presentato le conclusioni nel corso di un webinar dedicato, avanzando una serie di proposte per rafforzare la tutela della libertà dei media in Italia.

La libertà dei media in Italia ha subito un deterioramento continuo negli ultimi anni, sottoposta ad attacchi e violazioni senza precedenti della libertà di stampa e dei media, violazioni spesso avviate da funzionari pubblici nel tentativo di emarginare e mettere a tacere le voci critiche. L’interferenza politica nei media pubblici e l’uso sistematico di intimidazioni legali contro i giornalisti, da parte degli attori politici, hanno tradizionalmente caratterizzato la relazione tra media e politica in Italia. Tuttavia, negli ultimi due anni queste dinamiche hanno raggiunto livelli allarmanti.

In vista delle elezioni europee del 2024, in un contesto in rapido deterioramento, le organizzazioni partner del Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) hanno condotto una missione urgente a Roma, il 16-17 maggio 2024. La missione di advocacy aveva l’obiettivo di avviare un confronto con i rappresentanti istituzionali e politici su tre questioni: l’interferenza politica nel servizio pubblico, le intimidazioni legali di cui sono bersaglio i giornalisti e la potenziale acquisizione dell’AGI, una delle principali agenzie di stampa del Paese.

Questo rapporto riflette i risultati degli incontri tenutisi durante la missione e del continuo monitoraggio del consorzio, offrendo un’analisi esaustiva delle tre criticità identificate dalla delegazione. Valuta l’impatto di diverse misure e proposte di legge introdotte dai decisori italiani, alla luce delle più recenti disposizioni dell’UE volte a garantire l’indipendenza dei media pubblici, a contrastare la concentrazione del mercato, ad affrontare i conflitti di interesse e dotare la magistratura degli strumenti per contrastare le azioni vessatorie. Il rapporto include inoltre raccomandazioni dettagliate per gli attori istituzionali e governativi italiani, delineando i passi necessari per contrastare il declino della libertà dei media e attuare le riforme necessarie.

Il report è disponibile in inglese e italiano.

Scarica il rapporto qui

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Croatia: Major challenges ahead to improve media freedom

The international media freedom mission to Croatia has highlighted several significant concerns regarding media law reform, transparency of state advertising, and the safety of journalists including SLAPPs. While some promising initiatives have been noted, the path is still long ahead for Croatia to ensure a free and independent media landscape.

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium concluded an online fact-finding mission to Croatia. Between 9 and 20 September 2024, the delegation met with the Ministry of Culture and Media, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of the Interior, an MP from the political party We Can!, the Agency for Electronic Media, the European Union Representation in Croatia, several associations of publishers, the Croatia Journalists’ Association (HND), the Croatian Journalists Union (TUCJ), editors-in-chief, and journalists from major media outlets as well as academics, lawyers, and civil society actors. Regrettably, the Supreme Court did not reply to our invitation while the judicial academy declined it.

Media Law reform: Concerns over process

The current reform of the Media Law has been highly criticised by civil society and public watchdogs, particularly regarding the lack of a consultative process. The previous draft of the law included contested provisions, such as allowing publishers undue influence over editorial lines and politicising the appointment process of members of the Agency for Electronic Media. A new draft is expected in autumn; however this has not yet been communicated to the HND and TUCJ. Regardless, our consortium, together with civil society organisations, HND and TUCJ stands ready to closely monitor the process to ensure its transparency and inclusivity.

SLAPPs: Ongoing concerns despite government initiatives

SLAPP cases remain a serious threat to media freedom in Croatia, with high numbers reported despite government promises to address the issue. The Ministry of Culture and Media has established a working group to tackle SLAPPs, but its effectiveness is yet to be determined. A lack of a unified methodology for registering SLAPP cases across government bodies and civil society remains a challenge. A new working group will be formed in October to draft a roadmap for the transposition of the European Anti-SLAPP instruments, and the Ministry of Justice is currently analysing the EU directive on SLAPPs to understand how the transposition may take place in the current legislative framework. However, no clear plans have been outlined for its transposition into national law or any effective measures to address domestic cases. Civil society and watchdogs continue to emphasise the need for greater judicial education on SLAPPs. Numerous cases of SLAPPS have come from the judiciary itself to silence critical reporting. Defamation remains a criminal offence in Croatia, with no plans announced for its decriminalisation despite repeated calls from local stakeholders and international free speech and press freedom organisations.

Transparency in state advertising and public broadcaster independence

Transparency in state advertising allocation to media outlets is a major concern, particularly at the local level. Many institutions fail to disclose this information, raising concerns about their influence on editorial independence. Recent calls by the far-right Homeland Movement to end funding for Novosti, the newspaper serving Croatia’s national minorities, have heightened concerns about political pressure and government rollbacks on media freedom. Additionally, the lack of independence of the public broadcaster HRT was a recurring issue raised by multiple stakeholders. These concerns are directly tied to the implementation of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). However, state institutions have not shared any concrete plan for its transposition with the delegation.

Agency for Electronic Media: Risks of politicisation

The current process for appointing members of the Agency for Electronic Media risks politicisation, as candidates are selected by the government and approved by parliament with a simple majority. Stakeholders have suggested that appointments should require a two-thirds majority to ensure greater independence and reduce political interference.

Safety of Journalists: Positive steps but more ambition needed

We commend the recent agreement between the Ministry of the Interior, the Croatian Journalists’ Association (HND), and the Croatian Journalists’ Trade Union, which resulted in two protocols aimed at improving the safety of journalists during public demonstrations and investigating attacks against journalists. However, further rigorous steps are necessary for the protocols to be well implemented at the local level. The protection of the private data of journalists in court cases related to attacks remains another concern.

Additionally, our discussions with stakeholders revealed that politicians, particularly when addressing corruption-related inquiries, often engage in smear campaigns against journalists, especially women. Such rhetoric undermines the role of a free press and discourages critical reporting.

Access to Information: Persistent challenges

Journalists continue to face obstacles in accessing information from the Access to Information (ATI) Commissioner, with delays and refusals being common. This hinders their ability to provide timely and accurate reporting on public interest issues.

The mission to Croatia has made clear that while some positive measures have been announced to address media freedom concerns, significant challenges remain. Civil society, journalists’ associations, and international watchdogs will continue to monitor these issues closely and urge the Croatian government to prioritise media freedom as a cornerstone of democracy.

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) will publish a comprehensive report on its findings in the coming months. We extend our sincere thanks to all the interlocutors who took the time to meet with us and share their insights. The mission was led by ARTICLE 19 Europe, co-led by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and joined by partners from the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the International Press Institute (IPI), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), and Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT).

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More ambitious reform needed to secure media freedom in…

More ambitious reform needed to secure media freedom in Poland

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium completed a two-day mission to Poland, 16-17 September, where it held meetings with the Minister of Justice, Adam Bodnar, the Ministry of Culture as well as journalists, publishers, regulators, media law experts.

The mission focused on measures to reform public service media, to protect journalists from Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) and proposals to reform the media landscape in line with the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).

The meetings discussed the changes within the public service media since the Civic Coalition led government of Donald Tusk used contested legal mechanisms to remove senior figures at the public broadcaster, Telewizja Polska S.A. (TVP), and end the control exercised over it by the former government of the Law and Justice party, PiS.

The mission welcomed assurances from the Minister of Justice that the government would decriminalize defamation and ensure that the reforms to address SLAPPs will go beyond the minimum scope set by the EU Directive and apply to domestic SLAPP cases as well as cross-border ones. This is particularly significant as nearly all of the SLAPP cases in Poland recorded by the CASE Coalition involve domestic actors only. The Ministry also says it has moved swiftly to withdraw the 37 SLAPP cases that had been launched by the previous cabinet.

The Ministry of Culture has set out a timetable to bring Polish legislation in line with the EMFA. Public consultation on the media law reforms closes on 23 September and the ministry plans to issue a draft law before the end of the year before becoming law by the summer of 2025.The ministry proposes to reform the governance and operations of the national broadcast regulator KRRiT that oversees all broadcast media, and to provide direct state funding based on 0.09% of the annual GDP.

The government has been criticized in several quarters for appearing to drag its feet in enacting reforms and providing legal and financial certainty to the public broadcaster which has been operating in a state of ‘liquidation’ since the beginning of the year. The delay may, in part, be explained by the need to wait for the presidential elections due in 2025, before which any new reform would likely be vetoed by the current President, Andrzej Duda.

Other proposals include, improving media ownership transparency, introducing a mechanism for assessing and safe-guarding media pluralism, and ending the abuse of state advertising to reward government allies in the media. There is also a discussion around ending the direct funding and ownership of media by local governments and to instead establish a public fund to support independent regional media.

Many commentators called for more ambitious reforms of public media to ensure it is fit for the digital age and can provide impactful public service journalism for all communities and demographics across the country.

The state of TVP meanwhile is mixed. While it is no longer the propaganda tool of one political party and is providing a much more balanced brand of political coverage, the main news channel, TVP INFO, has lost over 70% of its audience, mostly to the TV Republika that is supportive of the Law and Justice party. TVP still has much work to do to rebuild its audience and credibility.

While enormous challenges remain, the overall outlook for Polish media is incomparably better than it was one year ago when MFRR issued its pre-election report, Media Freedom at a Crossroads.

The Media Freedom Rapid Response will publish a full report on its findings in October. In the meantime we wish to thank all of the interlocutors who took the time to meet with us. The mission partners included the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the International Press Institute (IPI), ARTICLE 19 Europe, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and Free Press Unlimited (FPU).

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Croatia: International mission to assess media freedom challenges

On 9 September, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) will begin a press freedom mission to Croatia. The delegation will meet online with government representatives, journalists and journalistic associations, civil society, and renowned media experts to discuss the most pressing challenges to media freedom and pluralism in the country.

Between 9 and 20 September 2024, the MFRR partners will conduct an online fact-finding mission to Croatia with a special focus on the safety of journalists, the long-overdue and much-needed media law reforms, transparency in media ownership and state advertising, the use of SLAPPs and other legal threats (including criminal defamation provisions) against journalists, as well as the implementation of the European Media Freedom Act and anti-SLAPP safeguards.

The list of key stakeholders includes the Ministry of Culture and Media, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of the Interior, the Agency for Electronic Media, the EU Representation in Croatia, several associations of publishers, journalistic associations and trade unions, editors-in-chief and journalists from major media outlets including Faktograf, N1, Novosti, and Telegram, as well as academics, lawyers, and civil society actors.

The MFRR mission will be led by ARTICLE 19 Europe and co-led by the European Federation of Journalists, in partnership with the Croatian Association of Journalists (HND). The mission will also see the participation of MFRR representatives: the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, the International Press Institute, Free Press Unlimited and Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa.

For inquiries, please contact Roberta Taveri, Senior Programme Officer for Media Freedom and Europe at ARTICLE 19 Europe: roberta.taveri@article19.org

This mission is part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism, which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and candidate countries. The project is co-funded by the European Commission.

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Poland: International advocacy mission to assess media freedom reforms

On 16 and 17 September, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners will conduct an international mission to assess the on-going reforms in the media and press freedom in Poland.

The current mission builds on the 2023 mission by the MFRR ahead of the parliamentary elections, which produced a sobering report highlighting the media’s economic struggle amid a polarised media landscape, loss of editorial independence by public service media, and frequent use of vexatious lawsuits by the public figures against critical journalists.

The 2024 mission will be led by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom and co-led by the International Press Institute. The mission will also see the participation of other MFRR representatives: the European Federation of Journalists, Free Press Unlimited, and ARTICLE 19 Europe.

The 2024 mission will focus on reforms of the public service broadcasters, draft media legislation, editorial independence, economic sustainability, and media pluralism . It will also examine the government’s preparations to implement the EU’s European Media Freedom Act and Anti-SLAPP Directive.

The MFRR’s interlocutors will include a broad group of media experts and journalists, relevant authorities, and legislators.

The findings and conclusions will be spelt out in a report, assessing the pace of media reform in Poland and implementation of the EMFA, as well as measures countering SLAPPs. It will include a set of recommendations for decision-makers on upholding media freedom in line with European and international freedom of expression standards. The MFRR team will meet the media to discuss the findings on 17 September at 12 pm at the Pracownia Duży Pokój, 4/6 Warecka Street, 00-040 Warsaw.

For inquiries, please contact Olena Cherniavska, Advocacy Officer/ECPMF: at olena.cherniavska@ecpmf.eu or +4915164840621 & Katia Mierzejewska, Comms and Media Officer/ARTICLE 19 Europe, at Katia.Mierzejewska@article19.org or on +31620466634

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Croatia: International fact-finding mission to assess status of press…

Croatia: International fact-finding mission to assess status of press freedom

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners will conduct an international mission to assess the current state of press freedom and safety of journalists in Croatia. The mission will take place online between 9 and 20 September 2024.

The mission follows the assessment of the persistence of attacks against journalists and fact-checkers in Croatia, as well as the growing challenges related to transparency of media ownership and legal threats against journalists.

Since January this year, the MFRR recorded 11 alerts involving 2 journalists and nine entities related to the media. The majority of attacks are verbal abuse, with half instigated by high officials, and online threats, including smears and legal incidents. Recently, the MFRR reported an unprecedented physical attack, which is uncommon in Croatia. Further, according to a recent survey conducted by the Croatian Journalists’ Association (Hrvatsko novinarsko društvo – HND) with 21 media outlets in Croatia, at least 752 lawsuits against the media and journalists are currently active, some of which may be categorised as SLAPPs.

The MFRR mission will be led by ARTICLE 19 Europe and co-led by the European Federation of Journalists, in partnership with HND. The mission will also see the participation of MFRR representatives: the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, the International Press Institute, Free Press Unlimited and Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa.

The mission will focus on assessing attacks and legal threats against journalists, new media law plans, the implementation of the EMFA and Anti-SLAPP instruments, and media ownership transparency. It will also address recent Criminal Code amendments that risk undermining journalists’ ability to report on public interest issues, and the need to fully decriminalise defamation to comply with international freedom of expression standards.

These topics will be discussed with a wide group of interlocutors in Croatia, ranging from journalists, media houses, civil society organisations, lawyers and media experts, government officials and regional bodies.

The findings and conclusions will be used to develop a report outlining the current state of press freedom in Croatia, as well as the status of existing initiatives aimed at improving journalists’ safety. It will include a set of recommendations for decision-makers on upholding media freedom in line with European and international freedom of expression standards.

For inquiries, please contact Roberta Taveri, Senior Programme Officer for Media Freedom and Europe at ARTICLE 19 Europe: roberta.taveri@article19.org

Signed by:

ARTICLE 19 Europe
The European Federation of Journalists (EFJ)
International Press Institute (IPI)
OBC Transeuropa (OBCT)
The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)

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Mission Report – Silencing the Fourth Estate: Italy’s Democratic…

Mission Report: Silencing the Fourth Estate: Italy’s democratic drift

Media freedom in Italy is under threat, with rising political interference and legal harassment of journalists. Ahead of the 2024 EU elections, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) conducted an urgent mission to Rome to dive deeper into these issues. Join us on July 29, 2024, for a webinar where we will share our findings and discuss solutions to safeguard Italy’s media freedom.

Available in Italian here.

Media freedom in Italy has been steadily declining in recent years, marked by unprecedented attacks and violations often initiated by public officials in the attempt to silence critical voices. Political interference in public media and the systematic use of legal intimidation against journalists by political actors have long defined the media-politics relationship in Italy. However, these dynamics have reached alarming levels over the past two years.

In the lead-up to the 2024 EU elections, amidst a rapidly deteriorating context, the partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) conducted an urgent mission to Rome, Italy, on May 16-17, 2024. The mission aimed to engage with state representatives, institutions, and political parties on three critical issues: political interference in public media, legal harassment of dissenting journalists, and the potential acquisition of AGI, one of the country’s main news agencies.

This report presents the findings from the mission and MFRR’s ongoing monitoring, offering a comprehensive analysis of the three most urgent issues identified. It evaluates the impact of various measures and bills introduced by Italian decision makers, in light of the latest EU provisions aimed at ensuring the independence of public media, countering market concentration, addressing conflicts of interest, and equipping the judiciary to handle vexatious lawsuits. The report also provides detailed recommendations for Italian institutional and governmental actors, outlining necessary steps to counter the decline in media freedom and much needed reforms.

Download the full report

Silenziare il Quarto Potere: La deriva democratica dell’Italia

Negli ultimi anni, in Italia si è assistito ad un costante declino dell libertà dei media, segnato da attacchi e violazioni senza precedenti, spesso iniziati da rappresentanti pubblici nel tentativo di mettere a tacere voci critiche. L’interferenza politica nei media pubblici e l’uso sistematico di intimidazioni legali contro i giornalisti da parte degli attori politici da tempo degfinisco il rapporto tra media e politica in Italia. Tuttavia, negli ultimi due anni queste dinamiche hanno raggiunto livelli allarmanti.

In vista delle elezioni europee del 2024, in un contesto in rapido deterioramento, le organizzazioni partner del Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) hanno condotto una missione urgente a Roma, il 16-17 maggio 2024. La missione di advocacy aveva l’obiettivo di confrontarsi con rappresentanti istituzionali e politici su tre questioni critiche: l’interferenza politica nei media pubblici, le intimidazioni legali nei confronti dei giornalisti critici e la potenziale acquisizione dell’AGI, una delle principali agenzie di stampa del Paese.

Questo rapporto presenta i risultati della missione e del monitoraggio continuo del consorzip MFRR, offrendo un’analisi completa delle tre questioni più urgenti individuate. Valuta l’impatto di diverse misure e proposte di legge introdotte dai decisori italiani, alla luce delle più recenti disposizioni dell’UE volte a garantire l’indipendenza dei media pubblici, a contrastare la concentrazione del mercato, ad affrontare i conflitti di interesse e ad attrezzare la magistratura per gestire le cause vessatorie. Il rapporto fornisce inoltre raccomandazioni dettagliate per gli attori istituzionali e governativi italiani, delineando i passi necessari per contrastare il declino della libertà dei media e le riforme necessarie.

Il report è al momento disponibile in lingua inglese. La versione in italiano sarà disponibile a partire dall’inizio di settembre.

This mission report was coordinated as part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and candidate countries. The MFRR is co-funded by the European Commission.

Event

Silencing the Fourth Estate: Italy’s democratic drift

Silencing the Fourth Estate:

Italy’s Democratic Drift

29 July, 14:00 CET.

On July 29, Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) will host a webinar to mark the publication of the final report following the MFRR mission to Rome.

Amid unprecedented political interference in public media, widespread use of legal intimidation against dissenting journalists by government officials, a problematic defamation reform put forward by the ruling coalition, and the potential acquisition of AGI by one of Lega’s MPs, the MFRR organised an urgent mission to Italy on May 16 and 17, 2024.

Relying on the findings from meetings held during the mission and MFRR’s ongoing monitoring of the situation in the country, the report assesses the deterioration of media freedom in Italy. These challenges, indicative of a tense relationship between media and political actors, undermine independent and critical journalism, generating worrying implications for Italian democracy. The mission observed that the chilling effect resulting from the contraction of freedom of expression and the governments’ attempts to silence the press signal a worrying democratic decline in Italy’s media freedom landscape.

Last May’s MFRR mission to Italy was led by the Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ). The mission report was prepared by MFRR partner organisations: ARTICLE 19 Europe; European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF); European Federation of Journalists (EFJ); International Press Institute (IPI); Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT).

The report will be published in English on July 29, with a translated Italian version to follow in the first week of September.