Updates on some of the biggest developments and threats to media freedom and pluralism across European Union Member States throughout 2023 were submitted to the EU Commission’s annual Rule of Law Report by partner organisations of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR).
Robert Fico and his Smer party have returned to power in Slovakia. The politician who was forced to resign as prime minister after the murder of journalist Ján Kuciak in 2018 is back at the head of a new governing coalition creating deep unease among Slovakia’s journalists about the future for media freedoms and public service journalism.
Today the MFRR publish the latest edition of the consortium’s monitoring report, compiling and analysing all media freedom violations recorded on Mapping Media Freedom between January and June 2023 in all EU Member States and candidate countries.
After the book by former journalists Bisignani and Madron, which talks about 400 politicians and journalists controlled by the services, the alarm came from former MP Marco Cappato, who fears being under surveillance. The government denies, but the debate is about the law that regulates preventive wiretapping rather than the specific case.
On 17 October 2023, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) will host a high-level conference in Rome, Italy and online to explore the intersection between media and rule of law across Europe from different thematic angles, geographic and/or professional backgrounds.
On October 16, 2023, the first public event of CASE Italia dedicated to countering SLAPPs will take place in Rome. Speakers include journalists, activists, experts in the field, and representatives of a range of organisations advocating for freedom of expression.
Investigative journalists, in addition to the risks of the trade, often incur libel lawsuits, SLAPPs, etc. Especially if, like Sara Manisera, they deal with sensitive issues such as organised crime.
Medyada çalışmanın zorlukları, mülteci statüsünün kırılganlığı: Türkiye’nin kendisi için çalışmasını istediği bir gazetecinin hikayesi.
Day 2 of the Summit will shine a spotlight on the rule of law and SLAPPs as experts discuss initiatives to counter abusive litigation, impunity for crimes against journalists, and disinformation laws.
