Italy: MFRR flags ongoing media freedom erosion

Media freedom in Italy has continued its overall downward trajectory in the past two years, amidst the car bomb attack on one of the country’s most famous journalists, new spyware attacks on reporters, politicisation of the public broadcaster, legal harassment of journalists by governing politicians, and continued concerns over media pluralism, partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) said today.

11.03.2026

Italiano

The findings of the MFRR consortium, shared at a press conference in Rome following a follow-up advocacy mission on 9-10 March, conclude that since our organisations’ previous visit to Italy in 2024 the climate for press freedom and independent journalism has faced serious pressures under the coalition government of Prime Minister Georgia Meloni.

MFRR organisations stress that key reforms such as the transposition of the EU Anti-SLAPP Directive lack ambition, are limited to a minimal transposition of the Directive, and appear unlikely to be implemented by the May 2026 deadline. Italy also appears to be in active violation of the new European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) regarding the political control over Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI).

Although Italy continues to have strong constitutional protections for the freedom of the press, several negative developments in the last year – combined with the lack of implementation of key reforms – have contributed to a further weakening of the landscape for press and media freedom.

RAI and EMFA

Since the EMFA came into full effect in August 2025, the continued government influence over the management, politicised appointments, and the subsequent axing of shows and exodus of journalists from RAI, has been in our view a clear violation Article 5 of EMFA, which obliges Member States to guarantee the independence of public broadcasters.

While RAI has long faced politicisation under successive administrations, MFRR partners stress that the scale and intensity of the current government’s overhaul stands out in modern Italian history. This overt effort to shift the editorial line at RAI has utilised the same tactics on show in the EU’s worst media freedom offenders. This political influence over RAI is permitted due to flaws in the legislation, which cements the control of the governing majority over the Board of Directors and other key positions.

Coupled with this undue political influence, in the past year RAI has also faced additional budget cuts, undermining the need for stable and sustainable funding outlined under Article 5 of EMFA. Meanwhile, the paralysis of the parliamentary oversight committee of RAI, and its ongoing inability to oversee the public broadcaster’s compliance with independence and pluralism, is weakening democratic scrutiny of the broadcaster and causing additional institutional instability.

A bill currently being debated in parliament which would reform the governance system of RAI to remove board appointments by the executive branch and instead switch to a simple parliamentary majority, effectively the governing coalition, is likely to entrench political influence over the RAI board. If passed in its current form, MFRR partners do not believe the bill would align Italy’s public broadcasting system with Article 5 of EMFA.

Spyware

In 2025, Italy was the only country in the EU to experience new cases of spyware surveillance of journalists, according to MFRR monitoring, making it a European flashpoint for the abuse of spyware-for-hire technology against the press. So far, no accountability has been secured for these illegal violations of journalistic privacy and source protection. During a meeting with representatives of the Ministry of Justice, no clarity was provided on the ongoing judicial investigations into the known spyware attacks on at least three Italian journalists.

Our organisations welcome the recent breakthrough in the prosecutorial investigation which has confirmed that the Graphite spyware sold by Israeli firm Paragon Solutions was illegally used to hack into the mobile device of Fanpage.it director Francesco Cancellato. Traces of the Graphite surveillance tool, known to be used by the intelligence services AISI and AISE, were confirmed on the devices of Cancellato and two activists, with meaningful correspondence of the date and time of the deployment of the intrusive software. The prosecutors stress that questions remain over who is behind this illegal surveillance of the journalist, and that the investigation continues. Two other cases of spyware attacks on Italian journalists in 2025, Ciro Pellegrino and Roberto D’Agostino, remain unresolved.

These worrying cases are a reminder of the urgency of the application of the provisions contained in the Article 4 of the European Media Freedom Act, and the necessary harmonisation of the Italian legal framework to the highest standards in terms of protection of journalistic confidentiality and transparency on access of personal data.

SLAPPs

In the legal sphere, Italy also remained the country in Europe with the highest number of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) in 2025, according to the CASE Coalition, which multiple MFRR organisations are part of. Combined with ongoing existence of criminal defamation laws that rank among the strictest in Europe, and a phenomenon in which SLAPPs are too often initiated by high ranking public officials, MFRR partners conclude that journalists in Italy face acute legal risks compared to colleagues in other EU countries.

A parliamentary bill has set the framework regarding the transposition of the EU anti-SLAPP Directive. However, the delegation understands that the government will only address cross-border SLAPPs, rather than also domestic SLAPPs, as outlined in the April 2024 Council of Europe Recommendation on countering SLAPPs.

The likelihood of the EU’s anti-SLAPP transposition being completed by the deadline in May 2026 appears increasingly remote, leaving journalists exposed to legal threats. Full decriminalisation of defamation in Italy, combined with comprehensive reform of the civil code, including strong anti-SLAPP provisions for both domestic and cross border SLAPPs, remains the only acceptable outcome.

Pluralism and safety

During the mission, MFRR partners also discussed the approved sale of the media assets of GEDI. The deal, which will reportedly see La Stampa sold to Gruppo SAE and La Repubblica sold to Greek-owned Antenna, has raised alarm from its staff over potential job losses and potential threats to its editorial independence. To address these concerns, MFRR calls on the Italian media regulator, AGCOM, to request a media merger assessment from the new EMFA-created European Board of Media Services, which should take up the case and assess it through the lens of media pluralism and editorial independence. Given the importance of La Repubblica and La Stampa in the Italian media ecosystem, MFRR partners believe AGCOM has a responsibility to request European scrutiny and ensure the deal will not negatively impact the news outlet’s editorial freedoms.

Regarding the safety of journalists, the near-miss car bomb attack on Report presenter Sigfrido Ranucci in October 2025 was a shocking attack on the journalistic profession in Italy which, if successful, would have been the most high-profile killing of a journalist in Europe in decades. The attack serves as a chilling reminder of the threats faced by journalists conducting investigative journalism in Italy. So far, no perpetrators have been identified or prosecuted and impunity for this case continues.

Overall, despite almost two years of political pressures on RAI, the Italian government has yet to face any serious pushback from the European Union over what MFRR partners consider a clear violation of the EMFA. While the EU Commission has signaled some concern over media freedom and specifically RAI in the annual Rule of Law Report, there has been no meaningful scrutiny or major EU pushback.

Mission partners thank all stakeholders that met the delegation in Rome and remain open to further exchanges with national stakeholders, particularly from the governing parties, on media freedom in Italy. A full report of the findings of the mission will be published in the coming weeks.

The mission to Italy was led by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and was joined by partners of the MFRR consortium: European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), the International Press Institute (IPI), and Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT).

This mission 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 and Candidate Countries.

Italia: MFRR segnala la continua erosione della libertà di stampa

La libertà di stampa in Italia continua la sua traiettoria discendente degli ultimi due anni, fra l’attentato con autobomba ad uno dei giornalisti più famosi del paese, i nuovi attacchi spyware ai giornalisti, la politicizzazione dell’emittente pubblica, le molestie legali ai giornalisti da parte dei politici al governo e le continue preoccupazioni sul pluralismo dei media, hanno affermato le organizzazioni partner del Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) (MFRR).

I risultati, condivisi in una conferenza stampa a Roma a seguito di una missione di advocacy di follow-up del 9-10 marzo, mostrano che dalla precedente visita in Italia del 2024, il clima per la libertà di stampa e il giornalismo indipendente ha subito gravi pressioni sotto il governo di coalizione del primo ministro Giorgia Meloni.

MFRR sottolinea che riforme chiave come il recepimento della Direttiva UE Anti-SLAPP mancano di ambizione, si limitano ad un recepimento minimo della Direttiva e difficilmente verranno attuate entro la scadenza di maggio 2026. L’Italia sembra inoltre violare attivamente il nuovo European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) per quanto riguarda il controllo politico sulla Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI).

Sebbene l’Italia continui a godere di solide tutele costituzionali per la libertà di stampa, diversi sviluppi negativi nell’ultimo anno, uniti alla mancata attuazione di riforme chiave, hanno contribuito ad un ulteriore indebolimento del panorama della libertà di stampa e dei media.

RAI e EMFA

Dall’entrata in vigore dell’EMFA nell’agosto 2025, la continua influenza del governo sulla dirigenza, le nomine politicizzate e la successiva soppressione di programmi e l’esodo di giornalisti dalla RAI hanno rappresentato, a nostro avviso, una chiara violazione dell’articolo 5 dell’EMFA, che obbliga gli Stati membri a garantire l’indipendenza delle emittenti pubbliche.

Se la RAI subisce da tempo la politicizzazione attuata dai governi di turno, i partner di MFRR sottolineano che la portata e l’intensità della riforma dell’attuale governo sono di particolare rilievo nella storia italiana moderna. Questo palese tentativo di modificare la linea editoriale della RAI ha utilizzato le stesse tattiche utilizzate nei paesi più in violazione della libertà di stampa nell’UE. Questa influenza politica sulla RAI è resa possibile da carenze legislative che consolidano il controllo della maggioranza di governo sul Consiglio di Amministrazione e su altre posizioni chiave.

A questa indebita influenza politica si sono aggiunti, nell’ultimo anno, ulteriori tagli al bilancio della RAI, che compromettono la necessità di finanziamenti stabili e sostenibili, come previsto dall’articolo 5 dell’EMFA. Nel frattempo, la paralisi della commissione parlamentare di controllo della RAI e la sua continua incapacità di vigilare sul rispetto dell’indipendenza e del pluralismo da parte dell’emittente pubblica stanno indebolendo il controllo democratico dell’emittente, causando ulteriore instabilità istituzionale.

Un disegno di legge attualmente in discussione in Parlamento, che riformerebbe il sistema di governance della RAI per eliminare le nomine del consiglio di amministrazione da parte dell’esecutivo e passare invece ad una semplice maggioranza parlamentare, di fatto la coalizione di governo, rischia di consolidare l’influenza politica sul consiglio di amministrazione della RAI. Secondo MFRR il disegno di legge, se approvato nella sua forma attuale, non allineerebbe il sistema radiotelevisivo pubblico italiano all’articolo 5 dell’EMFA.

Spyware

Nel 2025, l’Italia è stato l’unico paese dell’UE a registrare nuovi casi di sorveglianza tramite spyware ai danni dei giornalisti, secondo il monitoraggio MFRR, diventando un focolaio europeo per l’abuso di tecnologie spyware a pagamento contro la stampa. Finora, non è stata accertata alcuna responsabilità per queste violazioni illegali della privacy giornalistica e della protezione delle fonti. Durante un incontro con i rappresentanti del ministero della Giustizia, non è stata fatta chiarezza sulle indagini giudiziarie in corso sui noti attacchi spyware ad almeno tre giornalisti italiani.

Le nostre organizzazioni accolgono con favore la recente svolta nell’indagine della procura che ha confermato che lo spyware Graphite, venduto dall’azienda israeliana Paragon Solutions, è stato utilizzato illegalmente per hackerare il dispositivo mobile del direttore di Fanpage.it Francesco Cancellato. Tracce del software di sorveglianza Graphite, noto per essere utilizzato dai servizi segreti AISI e AISE, sono state confermate sui dispositivi di Cancellato e di due attivisti, con una corrispondenza significativa di data e ora di installazione del software spia. I procuratori sottolineano che restano dubbi su chi sia dietro questa sorveglianza illegale del giornalista e che le indagini proseguono. Altri due casi di attacchi spyware ai danni di giornalisti italiani nel 2025, Ciro Pellegrino e Roberto D’Agostino, rimangono irrisolti.

Questi casi preoccupanti ci ricordano l’urgenza di applicare le disposizioni contenute nell’articolo 4 dell’European Media Freedom Act e la necessaria armonizzazione del quadro giuridico italiano ai più elevati standard in termini di tutela del segreto giornalistico e trasparenza sull’accesso ai dati personali.

SLAPP

In ambito legale, l’Italia rimane anche il Paese europeo con il più alto numero di cause legali strategiche contro la partecipazione pubblica (SLAPP) nel 2025, secondo la Coalizione CASE, di cui fanno parte diverse organizzazioni MFRR. Considerando anche l’esistenza di leggi penali sulla diffamazione tra le più severe in Europa e il fenomeno per cui le SLAPP sono troppo spesso avviate da alti funzionari pubblici, i partner MFRR concludono che i giornalisti in Italia corrono gravi rischi legali rispetto ai colleghi di altri Paesi dell’UE.

Un disegno di legge parlamentare ha definito il quadro normativo per il recepimento della Direttiva UE anti-SLAPP. Tuttavia, la delegazione è consapevole che il governo affronterà solo le SLAPP transfrontaliere, anziché anche quelle nazionali, come delineato nella Raccomandazione del Consiglio d’Europa dell’aprile 2024 sulla lotta alle SLAPP.

La probabilità che il recepimento della direttiva anti-SLAPP da parte dell’UE venga completato entro la scadenza di maggio 2026 appare sempre più remota, esponendo i giornalisti a minacce legali. La completa depenalizzazione della diffamazione in Italia, unita ad una riforma completa del codice civile, che includa severe disposizioni anti-SLAPP per le SLAPP sia nazionali che transfrontaliere, rimane l’unica soluzione accettabile.

Pluralismo e sicurezza

Durante la missione, i partner MFRR hanno anche discusso della vendita approvata delle attività mediatiche di GEDI. L’accordo, che secondo quanto riferito vedrà La Stampa venduta al Gruppo SAE e La Repubblica venduta alla società greca Antenna, ha suscitato l’allarme del personale per la potenziale perdita di posti di lavoro e le potenziali minacce alla sua indipendenza editoriale. Per affrontare queste preoccupazioni, MFRR chiede all’autorità di regolamentazione dei media italiana, AGCOM, di richiedere una valutazione della fusione mediatica al nuovo Consiglio europeo dei servizi media creato dall’EMFA, che dovrebbe occuparsi del caso e valutarlo attraverso la lente del pluralismo dei media e dell’indipendenza editoriale. Data l’importanza di La Repubblica e La Stampa nell’ecosistema mediatico italiano, MFRR ritiene che AGCOM abbia la responsabilità di richiedere un controllo europeo e garantire che l’accordo non abbia un impatto negativo sulla libertà editoriale dell’agenzia di stampa.

Per quanto riguarda la sicurezza dei giornalisti, l’attentato con autobomba contro il presentatore di Report, Sigfrido Ranucci di ottobre 2025 è stato un attacco sconvolgente alla professione giornalistica in Italia che, se avesse avuto successo, sarebbe stato il più eclatante omicidio di un giornalista in Europa degli ultimi decenni. L’attacco è un agghiacciante promemoria delle minacce che i giornalisti investigativi in Italia devono affrontare. Finora, nessun autore è stato identificato o perseguito e questo caso rimane impunito.

Nel complesso, nonostante quasi due anni di pressioni politiche sulla RAI, il governo italiano non ha ancora dovuto affrontare alcuna seria reazione da parte dell’Unione Europea su quella che i partner del MFRR considerano una chiara violazione dell’EMFA. Se la Commissione Europea ha espresso una certa preoccupazione per la libertà dei media e in particolare per la RAI nella Relazione annuale sullo Stato di diritto, non vi è stata alcuna analisi o reazione significativa da parte dell’UE.

I partner della missione ringraziano tutti gli stakeholder che hanno incontrato la delegazione a Roma e rimangono aperti a ulteriori scambi con gli stakeholder nazionali, in particolare con i partiti di governo, sulla libertà di stampa in Italia. Un rapporto completo sui risultati della missione sarà pubblicato nelle prossime settimane.

La missione in Italia è stata guidata dalla Federazione Europea dei Giornalisti (EFJ) e vi hanno partecipato i partner del consorzio MFRR: Centro Europeo per la Libertà di Stampa e dei Media (ECPMF), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), International Press Institute (IPI) e Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT).

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Systemic Siege of Independent Journalism in Türkiye: Media Freedom…

Systemic Siege of Independent Journalism in Türkiye: Media Freedom Mission Report 2025

A coalition of eight international press freedom organisations, including ECPMF and OBCT as part of MFRR, conducted the seventh joint mission to Türkiye from 24-26 November 2025 in Ankara. The delegation met with stakeholders such as the Constitutional Court, RTÜK representatives, EU delegation, opposition MPs, and journalists’ associations, but government requests went unanswered.

10.03.2026

Türkçe açıklama aşağıdadır

Following the mission a report was published with contributions of the participating organisations, namely International Press Institute (IPI), Amnesty International, ARTICLE 19 Europe, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) as part of MFRR, Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT) as part of MFRR, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO). The report highlighted the developments that marked 2025, and was summarised as “systemic siege on independent journalism”. Intensified judicial harassment with 100 lawfare cases affecting 248 journalists; heightened violence and impunity during protests following Ekrem İmamoğlu’s arrest in March 2025; digital restrictions via blocks, fines (92 million Turkish Lira fine on Halk TV and Tele1), and algorithmic demotion closing outlets like Gazete Duvar; economic precarity from funding cuts and state seizures of private media outlets; barriers for foreign journalists via visas and accreditation were only some of the outstanding developments in this period.

The mission delegation made a series of recommendations following the visits of the coalition, and highlighted them in the report: reform regulatory and administrative institutions that influence the media, prioritise financial sustainability of media as a core pillar of media freedom, strengthen tech and AI governance to support access to independent news and information and media freedom, ensure media reforms are conducted in full consultation with a wide range of stakeholders that include media practitioners and civil society. The mission delegation also reiterates its call to the international and diplomatic communities to prioritise their support for these reforms in Türkiye.

Download the Report

This mission was held with participation of ECPMF and OBCT 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.

Türkiye’de Bağımsız Gazeteciliğin Sistematik Kuşatması: Medya Özgürlüğü Misyonu Raporu 2025

MFRR’nin bir parçası olan ECPMF ve OBCT dahil olmak üzere sekiz uluslararası medya özgürlüğü örgütünün oluşturduğu heyet, 24-26 Kasım 2025 tarihleri arasında Ankara’da, Türkiye’ye yönelik yedinci ortak heyet ziyaretini gerçekleştirdi. Heyet, Anayasa Mahkemesi, RTÜK temsilcileri, AB Delegasyonu, muhalefet milletvekilleri ve gazetecilik dernekleri gibi paydaşlarla bir araya geldi, ancak iktidar temsilcileriyle görüşmek üzere dile getirilen talepler yanıtsız kaldı.

Misyonun ardından, katılımcı kuruluşların katkılarıyla bir rapor yayınlandı. Bu kuruluşlar şunlardı: Uluslararası Basın Enstitüsü (IPI), Uluslararası Af Örgütü, ARTICLE 19 Europe, Gazetecileri Koruma Komitesi (CPJ), Avrupa Basın ve Medya Özgürlüğü Merkezi (ECPMF) MFRR’nin bir parçası olarak, Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT) MFRR’nin bir parçası olarak, Sınır Tanımayan Gazeteciler (RSF), Güneydoğu Avrupa Medya Örgütü (SEEMO).

Rapor, 2025 yılında medya alanında iz bırakan gelişmeleri vurguladı ve bu gelişmeler “bağımsız gazeteciliğe yönelik sistematik kuşatma” olarak özetlendi. 248 gazeteciyi etkileyen 100 hukuk davası ile yargı tacizinin yoğunlaşması; Mart 2025’te Ekrem İmamoğlu’nun tutuklanmasının ardından gerçekleşen eylemler sırasında şiddetin ve cezasızlığın artması; erişim engelleri, para cezaları (Halk TV ve Tele1’e 92 milyon Türk Lirası para cezası) ve algoritmik kısıtlamalar yoluyla dijital müdahaleler sonucu Gazete Duvar gibi yayın organlarının kapatılması; fon kesintileri ve devletin TMSF aracılığıyla özel medya kuruluşlarına el koyması nedeniyle ekonomik istikrarsızlık; vize ve akreditasyon yoluyla yabancı gazetecilere getirilen engeller bu dönemde öne çıkan gelişmelerden sadece birkaçıydı.

Heyet, ziyaretler sonrası rapor kapsamında bir dizi öneriyi de dile getirdi: medyayı etkileyen düzenleyici ve idari kurumları reform etmek, medya özgürlüğünün temel direği olarak medyanın finansal sürdürülebilirliğine öncelik vermek, bağımsız haber ve bilgiye erişimi ve medya özgürlüğünü desteklemek için teknoloji ve yapay zeka yönetişimini güçlendirmek, medya reformlarının medya çalışanları ve sivil toplum da dahil olmak üzere çok çeşitli paydaşlarla tam istişare içinde yürütülmesini sağlamak. Misyon heyeti ayrıca, uluslararası ve diplomatik topluluklara Türkiye’deki bu reformlara destek vermeyi öncelikli hale getirmeleri çağrısını yineliyor.

Raporu İndirin

Bu heyet ziyareti, AB üye ülkeleri ve aday ülkelerde basın ve medya özgürlüğünün ihlallerini takip eden, izleyen ve bunlara müdahale eden Avrupa çapında bir mekanizma olan Medya Özgürlüğü Acil Müdahale (MFRR) kapsamında ECPMF ve OBCT’nin katılımıyla gerçekleştirildi.

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Italy: MFRR to conduct follow-up media freedom mission to…

Italy: MFRR to conduct follow-up media freedom mission to Rome

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners will conduct an advocacy mission to Rome, Italy, on 9–10 March 2026 to assess key developments affecting press and media freedom in the country and push for implementation of crucial reforms.

18.02.2026

Italiano

The mission will focus on four main themes: the reform of the public broadcaster RAI and its compliance with the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA); the transposition of the EU Anti-SLAPP Directive and broader defamation reform; digital threats and the use of surveillance against journalists; and media market concentration and its compatibility with the EMFA.

The decision to return to Italy two years after the MFRR’s urgent mission to Rome in May 2024 reflects great concerns with the implementation of EMFA and findings from the MFRR’s latest monitoring report, which documented 118 press freedom violations in Italy in 2025. These cases included physical attacks, legal harassment, major spyware cases, and an attempted assassination of prominent journalist Sigfrido Ranucci. These developments point to ongoing structural threats to journalists’ safety, editorial independence, and media pluralism in Italy.

The delegation will engage with institutional and political actors, as well as with representatives of the leadership of RAI, media experts, journalists’ organisations, and media professionals. As in all MFRR country missions, the consortium has requested meetings with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure a balanced and comprehensive assessment of the situation on the ground.

The 2024 mission report, Silencing the Fourth Estate: Italy’s democratic drift, outlined a series of recommendations to address concerns regarding political interference in RAI, legal harassment of journalists and other threats to media pluralism. The March 2026 mission will assess developments since then and continue dialogue with national stakeholders.

The mission led by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and will be carried out with partners of the MFRR consortium: ARTICLE 19 Europe, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), the International Press Institute (IPI), and Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT).

The delegation will work in coordination with local partners Amnesty International Italia, the Federazione Nazionale Stampa Italiana (FNSI), and the Unione Sindacale Giornalisti Rai (Usigrai).

A press conference will be held on Tuesday 10 March, from 11:45 to 13:00 CET at the premises of the Consiglio Nazionale Ordine dei Giornalisti, Via Sommacampagna 19, Rome, to present the preliminary findings of the mission.

The MFRR is a consortium of organisations committed to protecting media freedom across Europe. Through monitoring, support, advocacy, and country missions, the MFRR works to ensure a safer and more independent environment for journalists and media professionals. Further information about the mission and its outcomes will be published in the coming weeks.

Italia: il consorzio MFRR condurrà una missione dedicata alla libertà dei media a Roma

I partner del Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) organizzeranno una missione di advocacy a Roma, in Italia, il 9-10 marzo 2026 per valutare i principali sviluppi che influenzano la libertà di stampa e dei media nel paese e sollecitare l’attuazione di riforme cruciali.

La missione si concentrerà su quattro temi principali: la riforma dell’emittente pubblica Rai e la sua conformità alla legge europea sulla libertà dei media (EMFA); il recepimento della direttiva UE Anti-SLAPP e la riforma in materia di diffamazione; le minacce digitali e l’uso della sorveglianza contro i giornalisti; la concentrazione del mercato dei media e la sua compatibilità con l’EMFA.

La decisione di tornare in Italia due anni dopo la missione del consorzio MFRR a Roma nel maggio 2024 riflette le grandi preoccupazioni relative all’attuazione dell’EMFA e alle conclusioni dell’ultimo rapporto di monitoraggio MFRR, che ha documentato 118 violazioni della libertà di stampa in Italia nel 2025. I casi registrati dal report MFRR includono aggressioni fisiche, molestie legali, gravi casi di spionaggio informatico e l’attentato al giornalista Rai Sigfrido Ranucci. Questa tendenza segnala l’esistenza di minacce strutturali alla sicurezza dei giornalisti, all’indipendenza editoriale e al pluralismo dei media in Italia.

La delegazione si confronterà con attori istituzionali e politici, nonché con rappresentanti della dirigenza Rai, esperti dei media, organizzazioni di giornaliste e giornalisti. Come in tutte le missioni MFRR di advocacy, il consorzio ha richiesto incontri con un’ampia gamma di parti interessate per garantire una valutazione equilibrata e completa della situazione sul campo.

Nel rapporto della missione del 2024, intitolato Silenziare il Quarto Potere: La deriva democratica dell’Italia, il consorzio aveva delineato una serie di raccomandazioni per affrontare le preoccupazioni relative alle interferenze politiche nella Rai, alle azioni vessatorie nei confronti dei giornalisti e ad altre minacce al pluralismo dei media. La missione del marzo 2026 valuterà gli sviluppi intervenuti da allora e proseguirà il dialogo con le parti interessate a livello nazionale.

La missione è guidata dalla Federazione europea dei giornalisti (EFJ), e prenderanno parte alla missione gli altri partner del consorzio MFRR: ARTICLE 19 Europe, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), the International Press Institute (IPI), e Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT).

La delegazione sarà affiancata dai partner locali: Amnesty International Italia, la Federazione Nazionale Stampa Italiana (FNSI), e l’Unione Sindacale Giornalisti Rai (Usigrai).

La mattina del 10 marzo si terrà una conferenza stampa presso la sede del Consiglio Nazionale Ordine dei Giornalisti, in Via Sommacampagna 19, Roma, per presentare i risultati preliminari della missione.

Il consorzio MFRR riunisce organizzazioni impegnate nella tutela della libertà dei media in tutta Europa. Attraverso attività di monitoraggio, sostegno, advocacy e missioni nei vari paesi, MFRR lavora per garantire un ambiente più sicuro e indipendente ai giornalisti e ai professionisti dei media. Ulteriori informazioni sulla missione e sui suoi risultati saranno pubblicate nelle prossime settimane.

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Turkey: 7th International press freedom mission concludes

Ankara, November 26, 2025 – A mission delegation composed of eight international press freedom, free expression and human rights organisations has concluded a joint press freedom mission to Türkiye. The delegation met with journalists, civil society, political party representatives, MPs, the judicial branch, regulatory bodies, and foreign diplomatic missions to discuss Türkiye’s rapidly deteriorating media freedom environment.

26.11.2025

Türkçe açıklama aşağıdadır…

This seventh international press freedom mission to Türkiye, held in Ankara from 24 to 26 November 2025, was led by the International Press Institute (IPI) and included Amnesty International, ARTICLE 19 Europe, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) and Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT) as part of Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO).

During the visit, the delegation held meetings with the Turkish Constitutional Court, the Radio and Television Supreme Council (RTÜK), the Delegation of the European Union to Türkiye, several foreign diplomatic missions, and representatives of Türkiye’s political landscape, including MPs from the Republican People’s Party (CHP) and the Peoples’ Equality and Democracy Party (DEM). The mission also met with the Association of Journalists in Ankara as well as members of the broader journalism community.

Despite multiple requests, government institutions, including the Directorate of Communications, the Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Interior, and several other ministries, as well as representatives of the AKP and MHP, declined to meet with the delegation or did not respond.

The mission delegation raised for consideration a wide variety of issues that have led to a further decline in press freedom in Türkiye, since our last mission in November 2024. The situation this year has been marked by a sharp escalation in political pressure, judicial harassment and censorship targeting the press.

Since 19 March 2025, high-profile detentions, including the imprisonment of opposition mayors and municipal officials that were largely viewed as politically motivated, were accompanied by large-scale protests that authorities met with mass detentions and restrictions on coverage. Journalists documenting the events faced early-morning police raids, physical assaults, and attempts from authorities to silence them, such as the warning from the former RTÜK chair that failure to “remain free from political bias” while covering protests would result in maximum penalties, including the revocation of licenses.

The mission delegation also highlighted a troubling pattern of punitive actions against critical outlets and journalists. Journalists across the country continue to face assault, threats, and intimidation, while criminal investigations and prosecutions against them remain commonplace. Prolonged arbitrary pre-trial detention and politically motivated investigations and prosecutions, such as those against journalists Furkan Karabay and Fatih Altaylı, reinforce the climate of fear and self-censorship.

Regulatory bodies continue to leverage their authority to silence dissent. As an institution with eroded independence that urgently needs reforms to restore its autonomy, RTÜK imposed heavy fines and broadcast bans targeting critical television outlets, a practice that deprives the public of critical voices. The Press Advertising Agency’s restrictive and one-sided criteria for distributing public advertising further strained the survival of local independent media. Although the Constitutional Court annulled parts of the agency’s mandate, economic pressure continues to serve as a tool of control. We also note with alarm the bandwidth throttling of social media platforms and messaging services during events of significant public interest, and the resurgence of “foreign influence” narratives used to justify interference in independent journalism.

The delegation urges Turkish authorities to end the judicial harassment of journalists, fully implement the decisions of the Constitutional Court on freedom of expression at all levels, and guarantee due process and fair trial rights. We call on regulators to cease arbitrary sanctions and repeat that they must operate independently and transparently. Türkiye must safeguard open debate, restore unrestricted digital access, and stop vilifying civil society or the press through vague accusations under its overly broad and vague criminal provisions including those in its anti-terrorism law, in violation of the country’s constitutional and international human rights obligations to protect the rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly. Türkiye should also respect international standards and practices in issuing press cards as a free decision of journalist associations and media.

Ensuring a safe, free and pluralistic media environment is essential to democracy, the rule of law, and the meaningful protection of human rights. The steps taken in 2025 have moved Türkiye further away from these standards. At the same time, the mission delegation underscores that ongoing peace negotiations could serve as a crucial opportunity to advance comprehensive reforms that strengthen journalists’ rights, safeguard pluralism and help rebuild respect for fundamental freedoms. We call on the authorities to reverse the current trajectory and to engage meaningfully with domestic and international stakeholders to uphold press freedom and freedom of expression.

Signed by:

International Press Institute (IPI)
Amnesty International
ARTICLE 19 Europe
Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)
European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) as part of MFRR
Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT) as part of MFRR
Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO)

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 and Candidate Countries.

Türkiye: Uluslararası basın özgürlüğü misyonu ziyaretleri tamamlandı

Basın özgürlüğü, ifade özgürlüğü ve insan hakları odaklı çalışmalar yürüten sekiz uluslararası kuruluştan oluşan heyetimiz Türkiye’deki basın özgürlüğü misyonunu tamamladı. Heyet, Türkiye’nin giderek kötüleşen medya özgürlüğü koşullarına ilişkin endişelerini gazetecilere, sivil toplum temsilcilerine, siyasi parti yetkililerine, milletvekillerine, yargı organlarına, düzenleyici kuruluşlara ve diplomatik temsilciliklere iletti.

Uluslararası Basın Enstitüsü (IPI) öncülüğünde 24-26 Kasım 2025’te Ankara’da düzenlenen yedinci uluslararası basın özgürlüğü misyonuna Uluslararası Af Örgütü, ARTICLE 19, Gazetecileri Koruma Komitesi (CPJ), Avrupa Basın ve Medya Özgürlüğü Merkezi (ECPMF), Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT), Sınır Tanımayan Gazeteciler (RSF) ve Güney Doğu Avrupa Medya Örgütü (SEEMO) katıldı.

Heyetin ziyaret ettiği kurumlar arasında Anayasa Mahkemesi, Radyo ve Televizyon Üst Kurulu (RTÜK), Cumhuriyet Halk Partisi (CHP), Halkların Eşitlik ve Demokrasi Partisi (DEM) ve bağımsız milletvekilleriyle Avrupa Birliği Türkiye Delegasyonu ve yabancı diplomatik temsilcilikler yer aldı. Ayrıca, Ankara Gazeteciler Cemiyeti ev sahipliğinde yapılan görüşmelerdeyse Türkiye’den basın özgürlüğü kuruluşlarıyla gazeteciler yer aldı.

İletişim Başkanlığı, Adalet Bakanlığı, İçişleri Bakanlığı ve diğer bakanlıklar da dahil çeşitli devlet kurumlarının yanı sıra Adalet ve Kalkınma Partisi (AKP) ve Milliyetçi Hareket Partisi (MHP) temsilcilerine gönderilen resmi görüşme taleplerine ya yanıt alınamadı ya da görüşme talepleri reddedildi.

Yapılan görüşmelerde, Kasım 2024’teki son misyondan bu yana Türkiye’de basın özgürlüğünü daha da zayıflatan çeşitli meseleler gündeme alındı. Heyet, 2025’te basına yönelik siyasi baskıların, yargı eliyle uygulanan yıldırma politikalarının ve sansürün artışına dikkat çekti.

19 Mart 2025’ten bu yana yaşanan gelişmelerde, muhalefet belediye başkanlarının ve yetkililerinin tutuklandığı, siyasi saikli olmakla eleştirilen sansasyonel davalar geniş çaplı protestolara yol açtı. Yetkililer, bu protestolara kitlesel gözaltılar ve haber kısıtlamalarıyla karşılık verdi. Toplumsal olayları belgeleyen gazeteciler sabah saatlerinde yapılan ev baskınlarıyla gözaltına alındı, fiziksel saldırıya uğradı. Eski RTÜK Başkanı’nın, protestoları haberleştirirken siyasi tarafsızlıktan sapmaları halinde en ağır yaptırımların, hatta lisans iptallerinin uygulanacağı yönündeki uyarısı da dikkati çekiciydi.

Heyet, eleştirel medya kuruluşlarına ve gazetecilere yönelik kaygı verici cezaları da gündeme getirdi. Gazeteciler gözdağı, tehdit ve fiziksel saldırılara maruz kalmaya devam ederken açılan davalar da yaygınlığını koruyor. Gazeteci Furkan Karabay ve Fatih Altaylı örneklerindeki gibi, uzun süren tutuklu yargılama ve siyasi saikle ilerleyen cezai süreçler korku ve otosansür ortamını pekiştiriyor.

Düzenleyici kurumlar da yetkilerini kötüye kullanarak muhalif sesleri susturmaya devam ediyor. Bağımsızlığı ciddi ölçüde aşınmış, özerkliğini yeniden tesis etmek için kapsamlı reformlara ihtiyaç duyan RTÜK’ün, eleştirel televizyon kanallarına uyguladığı ağır para cezaları, yayın yasakları ve ekran karartmaları kamuoyunu bağımsız seslere erişmekten mahrum bırakıyor. Basın İlan Kurumu’nun (BİK) kamu ilanlarının dağıtımındaki kısıtlayıcı kriterleri, yerel ve bağımsız medya kuruluşlarının ayakta kalma mücadelesini zorlaştırıyor. Anayasa Mahkemesi, BİK’in bazı yetkilerini iptal etmiş olsa da ekonomik baskı bir kontrol aracı olarak varlığını sürdürüyor.

Heyet ayrıca toplumsal öneme sahip olaylar esnasında sosyal medya platformları ve mesajlaşma uygulamalarına erişimin kısıtlanmasının ve bağımsız gazeteciliğe yönelik müdahaleleri meşrulaştırmak için yeniden dolaşıma sokulan “etki ajanlığı” söylemlerinin endişe verici biçimde arttığını vurguladı.

Yetkililer, yargı eliyle gazetecileri yıldırma politikalarının önüne geçip, Anayasa Mahkemesi’nin ifade özgürlüğüne ilişkin olumlu kararlarını uygulamalı ve adil yargılanma hakkını güvence altına almalı. Düzenleyici kuruluşları keyfi yaptırımları sonlandırmaya ve basın denetim organlarının bağımsız ve şeffaf bir şekilde faaliyet göstermesini sağlamaya davet ediyoruz. Türkiye özgür tartışma ortamını korumalı, dijital erişim sınırlamalarına son vermeli ve hem sivil toplumu hem de basını terörle mücadele de dahil muğlak ceza hükümleriyle hedef almaktan vazgeçmeli. Ayrıca uluslararası standartlara uyarak basın kartlarının gazeteci dernekleri ve medya kuruluşlarının özgür kararıyla verilmesinin önünü açılmalı.

Özgür, çoğulcu ve güvenli bir medya ortamı demokrasi, hukukun üstünlüğü ve insan hakları için hayati öneme sahip. 2025’teki gelişmeler Türkiye’yi bu standartlardan daha da uzaklaştırdı. Fakat halihazırda devam eden barış müzakereleri, gazetecilerin haklarını güçlendirmenin, çoğulculuğu güvence altına almanın ve temel özgürlüklere riayeti yeniden tesis etmenin önünü açacak kapsamlı reformlar konusunda yol almak için fırsatlar sunuyor. Misyon heyeti olarak yetkilileri, Türkiye’nin mevcut gidişatını tersine çevirerek basın ve ifade özgürlüğünü korumak için ulusal ve uluslararası taraflarla işbirliği yapmaya çağırıyoruz.

İmzalayanlar:

Uluslararası Basın Enstitüsü (IPI)
ARTICLE 19 Europe
Avrupa Basın ve Medya Özgürlüğü Merkezi (ECPMF) — Medya Özgürlüğü Acil Müdahale (MFRR) partneri
Gazetecileri Koruma Komitesi (CPJ)
Güney Doğu Avrupa Medya Örgütü (SEEMO)
Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT) — Medya Özgürlüğü Acil Müdahale (MFRR) partneri
Sınır Tanımayan Gazeteciler (RSF)
Uluslararası Af Örgütü

Bu açıklama, Medya Özgürlüğü Acil Müdahale (MFRR) tarafından koordine edilmiştir. MFRR, AB üye ülkeleri ve aday ülkelerde basın ve medya özgürlüğünün ihlallerini takip eden, izleyen ve bunlara müdahale eden Avrupa çapında bir mekanizmadır.

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Report: Fragile media freedom progress in Bulgaria at risk…

Report: Fragile media freedom progress in Bulgaria at risk of backsliding without urgent reform

While Bulgaria has experienced modest progress on media freedom in the last four years, the situation remains undermined by persistent structural, legal and political challenges, with urgent action needed by government and public authorities to push forward both domestic and EU-mandated reforms.

29.10.2025

These are the key findings of a media freedom report published today following a three-day joint fact-finding mission to the country between 24-26 September by the partner organisations of the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform and the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR).

The full report – Bulgaria: Fragile media freedom progress in Bulgaria at risk of backsliding without urgent reform – is available to download.

It provides an executive summary of the key challenges facing media freedom and pluralism in Bulgaria in 2025. Thematic sections explore the safety of journalists, the Council for Electronic Media and the public broadcaster Bulgarian National Television. Additional sections address legal threats, SLAPPs and defamation, media pluralism and independent journalism, and access to information, public trust in media and disinformation.

The report also provides detailed recommendations to national authorities and government on measures that can be taken to improve the climate for media freedom in Bulgaria, as well as general recommendation to the journalistic profession within the country.

The report was produced following the mission, which was joined by ARTICLE 19 Europe; Association of European Journalists (AEJ); European Broadcasting Union (EBU); European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF); European Federation of Journalists (EFJ); International Press Institute (IPI); Reporters Without Borders (RSF); Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT) and Index on Censorship. The local partner was the Association of European Journalists Bulgaria.

During the visit to Sofia, the delegation met with a range of professional media stakeholders, including leading journalists and editors from print, online, broadcast and investigative media, as well as media associations and unions, media experts and civil society. Separate meetings were held with the Bulgarian National Radio and the Bulgarian National Television.

Meetings were also held with the President; Ministry of Justice; Ministry of Interior; Council of Electronic Media (CEM); Office of General Prosecutor; Commission for Personal Data Protection; Central Election Commission and representatives of embassies.

Download the Mission Report

Click here for more information about the Council of Europe’s Safety of Journalists Platform.

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Reforms without Protection: The Shrinking Space for Journalism in…

Reforms without Protection: The Shrinking Space for Journalism in Croatia

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium today publishes an updated report on the state of media freedom in Croatia following an advocacy mission to Zagreb between 19 to 21 May 2025.

11 June 2025

The purpose of the mission was to assess the government’s progress in implementing recommendations made following the MFRR online fact-finding mission in September 2024, and to identify new and emerging threats to media freedom and independent journalism.

During the three-day visit, the delegation engaged with a diverse range of stakeholders, including journalists, publishers, media leaders, representatives from journalist associations and unions, and key institutional actors such as the Ministry of Culture and Media, the Ministries of Justice and Internal Affairs, and the Agency for Electronic Media, among others.

As outlined in the mission press conference in Zagreb, the advocacy mission to Croatia revealed a gap in perceptions between government representatives and journalists on the ground. The mission observed that progress has been made in transposing the Anti-SLAPP directive and establishing a database for the transparency of media ownership, alongside the implementation of government safety protocols for journalists and training within newsrooms, as emphasised by the government.

Journalists reported ongoing threats, a lack of adequate protection, poor working conditions, and significant political and economic pressures, including media capture, editorial interference, smear campaigns and financial instability. Strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs), anti-media rhetoric, and delays in implementing the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) continue to undermine press freedom.

The political landscape, characterised by efforts to defund critical media such as Novosti and the weakening of independent outlets like N1, has exacerbated concerns. The government’s use of state advertising to reward favourable coverage and its control over the public broadcaster were identified as key tools of media manipulation.

The mission concludes that while the government has made some progress, the measures to protect media freedom are insufficient and at times inconsistent. Unless comprehensive reforms are promptly enacted, including proper implementation of EU legislation, stronger legal protections, actions ensuring the continued existence of public interest journalism, and consistent enforcement of journalist safety protocols, the space for free and independent journalism in Croatia will continue to deteriorate.

The Media Freedom Rapid Response stands ready to participate in any public consultations or initiatives aimed at reinforcing media freedom in Croatia.

The mission was led by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and joined by representatives from ARTICLE 19 Europe, Free Press Unlimited (FPU), the International Press Institute (IPI), and OBC Transeuropa (OBCT).

Download the report

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Croatia: MFRR Media Freedom Mission to Visit Zagreb to…

Croatia: MFRR Media Freedom Mission to Visit Zagreb to Highlight the Importance of EU legislation and Protection of Journalists

Between 19 and 21 May, Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partner organisations will conduct a press freedom mission to Zagreb, Croatia. The mission aims to engage with public authorities and media representatives on key recommendations from the MFRR monitoring mission report and stress the urgent need for Croatia to fully implement the EU Anti-SLAPP Directive and ensure the effective application of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA).

16 May 2025

The report “Precarity and political pressures: addressing challenges undermining media freedom in Croatia,” published in February 2025, underscores the critical importance of addressing legal threats to journalists in Croatia – including criminal defamation, restrictions on judicial transparency, weak labour protections, and the proper and timely application of the EMFA.

Since January 2024 to May 16, 2025 Mapping Media Freedom (MapMF) has recorded 31 alerts involving 39 journalists and media workers in Croatia. Approximately 67% incidents involved verbal attacks, including around 41% cases of intimidation. Three incidents were linked to election coverage, and five to environmental reporting, with the latest example from May 10, 2025 when a Nova TV reporter and crew member were attacked while covering the environmental degradation along the Una River.

The delegation will assess press freedom in Croatia, review progress on recommendations, evaluate state responses to media violations, and verify reported delays in implementing EMFA. The MFRR will meet with government officials, judicial representatives, the Ombudsperson’s office, local publishers, and journalists. The mission will conclude with a meeting with the EU representation in Zagreb.

The mission will be led by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and joined by representatives from ARTICLE 19 Europe, Free Press Unlimited (FPU), the International Press Institute (IPI), and OBC Transeuropa (OBCT).

A mission report detailing updates of previous findings and recommendations will be published following the visit. The report will then be shared with EU institutions and relevant international bodies. The mission aims to foster accountability, improve protection mechanisms for journalists, and support Croatia’s alignment with European media freedom standards.

A press conference will be held in Zagreb, Wednesday, May 21 at 13:30h in the premises of the Croatian Journalists’ Association. For more information, or to schedule interviews with mission participants, please contact mfrr@ecpmf.eu.

Hrvatska: MFRR misija za slobodu medija posjetit će Zagreb kako bi istaknula važnost EU zakonodavstva i zaštite novinara

Od 19. do 21. svibnja, partnerske organizacije inicijative Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) provest će misiju za slobodu medija u Zagrebu, Hrvatska. Cilj misije je razgovarati s javnim vlastima i predstavnicima medija o ključnim preporukama iz izvješća promatračke misije MFRR-a te naglasiti hitnu potrebu da Hrvatska u potpunosti provede EU Direktivu protiv SLAPP tužbi i osigura učinkovitu primjenu Europskog zakona o slobodi medija (EMFA).

Izvješće pod nazivom „Prekarnost i politički pritisci: suočavanje s izazovima koji narušavaju slobodu medija u Hrvatskoj”, objavljeno u veljači 2025., ističe koliko je ključno rješavati pravne prijetnje novinarima u Hrvatskoj – uključujući kazneno djelo klevete, ograničenja u transparentnosti pravosuđa, slabu radnu zaštitu te pravilnu i pravovremenu primjenu EMFA-e.

Od siječnja 2024. do 16. svibnja 2025., Mapping Media Freedom (MapMF) zabilježio je 31 upozorenje koje uključuje 39 novinara i medijskih djelatnika u Hrvatskoj. Oko 67 posto incidenata uključivalo je verbalne napade, a približno 41 posto odnosilo se na zastrašivanje. Tri incidenta bila su povezana s izvještavanjem o izborima, a pet s ekološkim temama. Posljednji slučaj zabilježen je 10. svibnja 2025., kada su novinarka i snimatelj Nove TV napadnuti dok su izvještavali o uzurpaciji i ekocidu državnog zemljišta uz rijeku Unu.

Delegacija će procijeniti stanje slobode medija u Hrvatskoj, razmotriti napredak u provedbi preporuka, evaluirati reakcije države na kršenja medijskih prava te provjeriti prijavljena kašnjenja u provedbi EMFA-e. MFRR će se sastati s predstavnicima vlasti, pravosuđa, Ureda pučke pravobraniteljice, lokalnih izdavača i novinara. Misija će završiti sastankom s predstavništvom EU-a u Zagrebu.

Misiju će predvoditi Europski centar za slobodu tiska i medija (ECPMF) i Europska federacija novinara (EFJ), a pridružit će im se predstavnici organizacija ARTICLE 19 Europe, Free Press Unlimited (FPU), Međunarodnog instituta za medije (IPI) i OBC Transeuropa (OBCT).

Izvješće o misiji s ažuriranim nalazima i preporukama bit će objavljeno nakon posjeta, a zatim će se podijeliti s institucijama EU-a i relevantnim međunarodnim tijelima. Cilj misije je potaknuti odgovornost, unaprijediti mehanizme zaštite novinara i podržati usklađivanje Hrvatske s europskim standardima slobode medija.

Konferencija za medije održat će se u Zagrebu, u srijedu 21. svibnja u 13:30 sati u prostorijama Hrvatskog novinarskog društva.
Za više informacija ili dogovor o intervjuima s članovima misije, kontaktirajte: mfrr@ecpmf.eu.

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Serbia: Media freedom in a state of emergency –…

Serbia: Media freedom in a state of emergency – New report

On the eve of World Press Freedom Day, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today shares alarming findings about the deteriorating state of press and media freedom in Serbia. The MFRR solidarity mission to Belgrade and Novi Sad, conducted on 7-9 April, alongside ongoing monitoring, revealed a state of emergency – one that demands urgent attention and action from national authorities and the EU.

2 May 2025

Although the media freedom crisis has persisted for years, the reporting of the deadly collapse of the Novi Sad canopy railway has led to ever-increasing pressure on journalists across Serbia, including young media professionals and journalism students.

From censorship, political pressure, increasing media capture, relentless smear campaigns, and abusive lawsuits and daily threats to their lives, media workers face a hostile environment where perpetrators – including state authorities and government officials – act with total impunity. Investigations into threats, when opened, are rarely efficient, let alone concluded, and serve more as box-ticking exercises than genuine efforts to deliver justice and protect journalists.

Prevented from carrying out its normal work, the press has been forced to focus on surviving relentless attacks, resisting discrediting efforts, and suppression, to the detriment of the citizens’ right to free and unbiased information.

During the solidarity mission, the MFRR partners focused on meeting with journalists from both private and state-owned outlets, as well as trade unions and civil society groups. The delegation also met with officials from the State Attorney’s Office and the Serbian police, as well as representatives from the European Union (EU) office in Belgrade, the Council of Europe (CoE), and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).

Amid the MFRR findings are serious omissions by the Serbian authorities regarding the protection of journalists, which are irreconcilable with the protection of freedom of expression as prescribed by the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and the benchmarks set as part of the accession negotiations concerning Chapter 23 (Judiciary and fundamental rights).

Key recommendations to Serbian authorities, including the President of Serbia, include:

Cease and condemn all public attacks on the media and journalists
Cease all illegal police actions against the media, including office raids
Cease the illegal use of spyware against journalists and civil society
Ensure law enforcement training
Ensure a thorough and swift investigation into the attacks on media and journalists, including the historic murders
Ensure the new process for appointing members of the REM Council is conducted in a fair, independent and transparent process, free from political influence.
Ensure the independence of the public broadcaster

To the European Union:

Publicly condemn all attacks on journalists and civil society actors who receive threats, physical attacks, and legal threats as a result of their work
Publicly and consistently question Serbian authorities about the status of investigations into attacks against journalists
Publicly condemn the unlawful digital surveillance and use of spyware against journalists and CSOs and raise those in high-level meetings with senior officials, including the President of Serbia
Consider suspending negotiations with Serbian authorities on Chapter 23 (Judiciary and fundamental rights) of the EU accession process until substantial and sustained reforms are made regarding media freedom, media pluralism, and the safety of journalists.

The Media Freedom Rapid Response stands ready to participate in public consultations and support efforts to strengthen media freedom in Serbia.

The mission was led by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and was joined by representatives from ARTICLE 19 Europe, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), International Press Institute (IPI), and the Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT). It was coordinated with support from the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS).

The report was produced as a joint effort by all organisations which took part in the mission.

Download the report

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Serbia: MFRR media freedom mission to visit Belgrade and…

Serbia: MFRR media freedom mission to visit Belgrade and Novi Sad

The partners organisation of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) will conduct a mission to Serbia between 7-9 April to meet with journalists, media stakeholders and law enforcement authorities amidst a rapidly worsening media freedom crisis.

28 March 2025

During the three-day visit, the delegation will travel to Belgrade and Novi Sad to meet with journalists, editors, media outlets, journalist associations and civil society groups to gather information about the serious spike in pressure on independent journalism and media freedom by state authorities and government officials.

The mission has sought meetings with officials from the State Prosecutor’s Office and the Serbian Police, as well as representatives from the European Union office in Belgrade (EU), the Council of Europe (COE), and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation (OSCE).

The visit comes as independent media and those covering ongoing nationwide anti-corruption protests face an increasingly dangerous climate of attacks, harassment, death threats, smears from leading public officials, as well as legal threats, and ongoing regulatory and financial pressure.

Since the beginning of protests in November 2024 following the Novi Sad station tragedy, Mapping Media Freedom (MMF), the largest platform in Europe for documenting attacks on journalism and media, which is run by the MFRR, has recorded 66 violations of media freedom and different attacks on journalists.

The mission will be led by the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and joined by representatives from ARTICLE 19 Europe, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), the International Press Institute (IPI) and OBC Transeuropa (OBCT). It is being coordinated with support from the Independent Journalists’ Association of Serbia (NUNS).

The partner organisations of the MFRR last jointly visited Serbia in 2023 to attend events marking the anniversary of the murder of Serbian editor Slavko Curuvija in 1999. An MFRR fact-finding mission to Serbia was also carried out in 2021.

A mission report with key findings and recommendations will be published by MFRR partners following the visit and provided to EU authorities.

The delegation will also be holding press conferences with both Belgrade and Novi Sad. For more information, or to schedule interviews, please email mfrr@ecpmf.eu

Recent MFRR advocacy on Serbia:

Serbia: One year of unpunished attacks on journalist Dinko Gruhonjić

Serbia: Urgent call stop targeting and intimidating journalists

Serbia: Urgent need for a swift and thorough investigation into invasive surveillance of journalists and sources

Serbia: Media independence is an exception rather than the rule

Serbia: Independent journalism faces its biggest crisis in years

Srbija: Misija za slobodu medija MFRR u poseti Beogradu i Novom Sadu

Partnerske organizacije platforme Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) će sprovesti misiju u Srbiji između 7. i 9. aprila tokom koje će se sastati sa novinarima, medijskim interesnim grupama i organima za sprovođenje zakona usred sve veće krize slobode medija.

Tokom trodnevne posete delegacija će boraviti u Beogradu i Novom Sadu gde će se sastati sa novinarima, urednicima, medijskim kućama, novinarskim udruženjima i organizacijama civilnog društva kako bi prikupila informacije o ozbiljnom porastu pritisaka na nezavisno novinarstvo i slobodu medija od strane državnih organa i službenika.

Misija je takođe tražila sastanak sa zvaničnicima Republičkog javnog tužilaštva i policije, kao i sa predstavnicima kancelarije Evropske unije u Beogradu (EU) i Organizacije za bezbednost i saradnju (OEBS).

Poseta dolazi u trenutku kada se nezavisni mediji i oni koji izveštavaju o aktuelnim protestima protiv korupcije širom zemlje suočavaju sa sve opasnijom atmosferom napada, uznemiravanja, pretnji smrću, kleveta koje dolaze od visokih državnih funkcionera, kao i pravnih pretnji i kontinuiranih regulatornih i finansijskih pritisaka.

Od početka protesta u novembru 2024. nakon tragedije na stanici u Novom Sadu, Mapping Media Freedom (MMF), najveća platforma u Evropi za dokumentovanje napada na novinare i medije, koju vodi MFRR, zabeležila je 66 slučajeva kršenja slobode medija i raznih napada na novinare.

Misiju će predvoditi Evropska federacija novinara (EFJ), uz učešće predstavnika ARTICLE 19 Europe, Evropskog centra za slobodu štampe i medija (ECPMF), Free Press Unlimited (FPU), Međunarodnog instituta za štampu (IPI) i OBC Transeuropa (OBCT). Koordinira se uz podršku Nezavisnog udruženja novinara Srbije (NUNS).

Partnerske organizacije platforme MFRR poslednji put su zajedno posetile Srbiju 2023. godine kako bi prisustvovale događajima povodom obeležavanja godišnjice ubistva srpskog novinara Slavka Ćuruvije 1999. godine. Mreža MFRR je 2021. godine u Srbiji obavila misiju za procenu stanja slobode medija.

Nakon posete partneri MFRR-a objaviće izveštaj sa najvažnijim zaključcima i preporukama, koji će potom biti dostavljen zvaničnicima Evropske unije.

Delegacija će takođe održati konferencije za štampu u Beogradu i Novom Sadu. Za više informacija i zakazivanje intervjua pišite na e-mail adresu mfrr@ecpmf.eu

Nedavne akcije MFRR-a vezane za Srbiju:

Serbia: One year of unpunished attacks on journalist Dinko Gruhonjić

Serbia: Urgent call stop targeting and intimidating journalists

Serbia: Urgent need for a switf and thorough investigation into invasive surveillance of journalists and sources

Serbia: Media independence is an exception rather than the rule

Serbia: Independent journalism faces its biggest crisis in years

Library

Media freedom in Slovakia under threat

We, the undersigned international press freedom, freedom of expression, and journalists organizations, conducted a solidarity and fact-finding mission to Slovakia, on 25-26 November, to assess the state of press freedom in the country amid a scaling back of democratic freedoms.

The mission was 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).

Mission preliminary findings

Media freedom in Slovakia faces a growing threat, and urgent action is needed to protect it. The Slovak government – a member of the Media Freedom Coalition – has an obligation to foster a safe and enabling environment for media and journalists. Instead, the current government is chipping away at legal protections for the freedom of the media and fueling an increasingly hostile environment for journalists.

The Slovak government’s actions are not only detrimental to the media landscape but also pose a significant challenge for the European Union, particularly in light of new legislative measures such as the European Media Freedom Act. Upholding international and European standards for freedom of expression in Slovakia is essential to reversing this troubling trend. The situation in Slovakia serves as a crucial test case for the EU’s commitment to safeguarding democratic values and media independence across its member states. Immediate and decisive action is required to restore trust in democratic institutions and ensure that Slovakia can develop into a more robust supporter of media freedom in Europe.

Threats to Safety of Journalists

Government officials and politicians in Slovakia regularly insult and threaten journalists, creating a hostile environment that damages public trust in the media and places the physical safety of journalists at risk. Prime Minister Fico labelled journalists from major media outlets as “bloodthirsty bastards”, threatening them with new restrictions and suggesting that they face accountability for their reporting. Such verbal attacks have been echoed by other government officials who have accused journalists of inciting violence and contributing to societal unrest. In particular, Andrej Danko, leader of the Slovak National Party, claimed that the media had “blood on their hands” following the horrifying assassination attempt on Prime Minister Fico, insinuating that critical reporting was responsible for creating a dangerous atmosphere.

More broadly, journalists in Slovakia face severe harassment and attacks online. We note that, following the assassination attempt, the authorities promised to crack down on illegal online threats. But our mission heard that while the authorities are tackling threats to politicians, they are failing to address serious harassment of journalists.

The sense of fear in the media community is exacerbated by the ongoing impunity over the murders of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancée, Martina Kušnírová, and the government’s disbandment of the Special Prosecutor’s Office responsible for pursuing all those responsible for the crime. As a coalition, we continue to stand in solidarity with Ján and Martina’s families and underscore our commitment to fighting for justice until all those responsible for their murders are held accountable.

Media Capture

The current media landscape in Slovakia is under significant threat of media capture. Recent steps in this direction include the organization of the public broadcaster to place it under greater state control, and the use of economic pressure against independent media, including threats to weaponize state advertising.

We note with concern a government proposal to change the structure of the media regulator, the Media Services Council, from a collective body of nine board members, to a one-person statutory body, appointed by the government. This move would increase government control of the media regulator and therefore would be a move away from the principles of the European Media Freedom Act.

At the same time, Slovakia remains home to a strong independent media sector and our mission was encouraged by the resilience and solidarity within the journalistic community. However, the situation at the regional level is more worrying as dubious and misinformation sources have begun to fill the information spaces in news deserts.

Legal Threats

Various legislative proposals that could result in greater government control or pressure on media have been adopted or are currently under consideration in Slovakia.

These proposals also include planned “foreign agent” legislation. While the bill has been watered down after much criticism, it still poses a risk to media freedom.

Changes made to the Freedom of Information Law—namely, extending the deadline for responses from 8 to 12 days and introducing a possibility of fees for access to information requests—restrict the right to access information in Slovakia.

We are also concerned about new legislation that would require media – under threat of fines – to publish replies from politicians in response to journalistic content.

Prime Minister Fico’s SLAPP lawsuit against the editor of Aktuality, Peter Bardy, in which the prime minister is demanding 200,000 euros in response to his photograph being used on a book Bardy wrote about Fico, highlights the risk of the legal system being misused to intimidate government critics. It also illustrates the urgent need for the government to introduce strong anti-SLAPP laws in line with new European standards on SLAPPs.

Disinformation and attacks on information integrity

Disturbingly, the current government openly shuns independent media – refusing to grant interviews, respond to questions at press conferences or provide information – while instead engaging with and promoting, “alternative” outlets widely seen as spreading disinformation, including pro-Kremlin disinformation, and parroting rhetoric attacking independent media.

This practice damages the ability of journalists to do their work, undermines the public’s right to information and the government’s accountability for their actions. The government’s lack of transparency and dialogue is alarming. We are dismayed that in stark contrast to previous visits to the country, on this trip we were not granted meetings during the mission with any government offices or official representatives of the governing coalition.

MFRR calls on the government to immediately cease the smearing and discrediting of journalists, to guarantee the editorial independence of all media, including public service media, and to withdraw all legislative measures that limit media freedoms.