European Centre for Press and Media Freedom

The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) is a non-profit organisation that was founded in Leipzig, Germany, 2015. It operates on the basis of the European Charter on Freedom of the Press and the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union.

The vision of the Centre is a society where media freedom enables open discourse and everyone can seek, receive and impart information.

ECPMF’s mission is to promote, preserve and defend media freedom. We do this by monitoring violations, providing practical support and engaging diverse stakeholders across Europe.

Read ECPMF's strategy 2020-24

News

Belarus: Authorities designate Telegram channel NEXTA as “extremist” in further crackdown on independent media

We, the undersigned organisations, strongly condemn the ruling by a Belarusian court to include the popular Telegram channel NEXTA in the list of “extremist” materials under Article 17.11 of the [...]

ECPMF calls for the release of four journalists of pro-Kurdish news agency Mezopotamya Ajansı

Arrested for reporting torture The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR), is highly concerned by the arrest of four journalists [...]

Oil Industry whistleblower Jonathan Taylor

We welcome the decision of the Supreme Court of Croatia to revoke the decision to extradite whistleblower Jonathan Taylor to Monaco

Coordinated by The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) partners, whistleblowing, human rights and transparency organisations, and international jurists welcome the decision of the Supreme Court of Croatia to [...]

Azerbaijani investigative journalist, Khadija Ismayilova & German journalist / filmmaker Benjamin Best

Khadija Ismayilova donates prize money to fund Azeri journalists

Photo Credit: Aziz Karimov Azerbaijani investigative reporter pledges 10,000 euros to fund independent journalism for Nagorno Karabakh. Second prize winner Benjamin Best talked to ECPMF about the risks facing [...]

IJ4EU: Funding cross-border investigative journalism in Europe.

Media Freedom Rapid Response: Supporting and protecting journalists and media workers in EU Member States and Candidate Countries.

Support for journalists under threat and in exile in Germany

Latest reports on Mappingmediafreedom.org

#ReportIt: Mental Health – Protecting the wellbeing of journalists and media workers across Europe

For World Mental Health Day (10th October 2020) ECPMF Helpdesk Manager, Katrin Schatz outlines the steps needed to protect the mental health and emotional wellbeing of journalists and media workers...

#ReportIt: The ever-present threat to democracy of gender-based violence and harassment

By Roberta Knoll, European Centre for Press and Media Freedom In this piece, ‘women’ refers to all people who identify as women. “Watch when you are seen in public”. This...

#ReportIt: Not a “normal procedure” – Police violence against the press in Europe

by Martin Hoffmann, Vice Chair of the European Institute for Journalism and Communication Research (EIJC), Editor with ZDF heute journal and Researcher for ECPMF 113 journalists and media workers in...

Gazeta Wyborcza’s Piotr Stasiński: “They want to bury us under an avalanche of lawsuits”

Interview by Jane Whyatt and Lutz Kinkel The Polish government seeks to control the public discourse. Gazeta Wyborza is a flagship for independent quality journalism – and because of that...

Journalist found guilty of ’justifying terrorism’

Press freedom has been put on trial in the case of a journalist who has escaped a jail term after a massive show of solidarity from journalists and campaigners. ...

Croatia’s Environment Minister publicly discredits N1 TV journalist at press conference

28/05/2020 by Giovanni Vale in Zagreb, Croatia We were used to seeing certain scenes in authoritarian countries, where political leaders use press conferences to insinuate, intimidate, and discredit, sneering in...

Mystery of missing journalist found dead in Sweden

By Camille Petit and Jane Whyatt Mystery surrounds the disappearance and death of Sajid Hussain Baloch, whose body was recovered from the river Fyris near Uppsala in Sweden on 23...

Europe: governments go from custodians to violators of media freedom

Is there much to celebrate this 2020 World Press Freedom Day? By Faith Miyandazi/ECPMF It is the responsibility of governments to guard their citizens and ensure their rights and freedoms...

Newly launched Media Freedom Rapid Response briefs European Commission

Media freedom organisations have united under the umbrella of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and made their first contribution to the urgent debate on Corona-virus. It is urgent because...

EU must defend human rights, says MEP who faced death threats on Lesvos

By Jane Whyatt Threatened with death and detained by police when he tried to report attacks on a journalist, Erik Marquardt has felt at first hand the abuses of human...

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