Advocacy

With the growing number of attacks against journalists and media freedom violations observed in Europe, as well as globally, and new emerging challenges, it is imperative to keep press and media freedom high on the political agenda.

Advocacy is crucial to raise awareness and provide direct responses to media freedom threats and alerts, building upon monitoring results and analyses. It can take the form of direct advocacy, advocacy missions on the ground and awareness-raising campaigns, whereby all activities mutually enrich each other.

Advocacy actions, statements and open letters

 

Depending on the specific threat or media freedom violation, ECPMF responds with tailored joint statements, open letters or direct diplomacy. The aim is to target national authorities and political stakeholders across the EU and CC and raise public pressure on the states to protect media freedom.

Advocacy mission results

 

When media freedom violations occur, or long-lasting problematic processes persist, or in those situations where a close co-operation between local and international players is key to any solution, advocacy missions represent an important intervention on the ground.

In the course of such missions, representatives of the consortium spend a few days in a country with the dual goal of fact-finding and advocacy. In conversation with local players, problems are framed, solutions identified, and joint strategies developed. At the same time, the presence of an international delegation in the country gives visibility to the problem and allows for dialogue with representatives of state institutions whose responsibilities are relevant to the problem. Advocacy and fast-reaction missions are joint efforts of the freedom of expression community.

Statement

Hungary: International coalition to hold fact-finding mission amid media reforms

Press freedom groups to visit Budapest six months into new Tisza government: From November 4 to 6, 2026, a coalition of international media freedom and journalist organisations will travel to Hungary to learn about the ongoing media reform under the Tisza government and provide expert recommendations for rebuilding press freedom after years of backsliding.

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Statement

Serbia, Europe is watching: media freedom is a cornerstone of democratic elections.

The undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) and Safe Journalists Network (SJN) ahead of the parliamentary elections on 25 October are alarmed by the spiral of violence against journalists and by the overall situation surrounding media freedom.

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Statement

ECPMF condemns violent attacks against journalists in Albania

ECPMF is alarmed by the attacks against journalists during the recent protests in Albania and condemns all acts of violence and obstruction targeting media professionals.

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Statement

Being a queer journalist in Russia: “We keep going despite everything”

Russian journalist Vadim Vaganov speaks to ECPMF about LGBTQ+ persecution, censorship, press freedom and life in exile.

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Statement

Malta: Press freedom groups lament another year passing without full justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia murder

On the ninth anniversary of the murder of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, the undersigned international media freedom and journalist groups today lament that full justice for the car bomb assassination remains painfully elusive.

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Statement

Turkey: Trustee appointment at Halk TV must be reversed

The ECPMF and 12 press freedom, freedom of expression, and human rights organisations call on the Turkish authorities to immediately end the takeover of Halk TV’s management and restore the broadcaster’s editorial independence. A criminal investigation into the channel’s owner cannot justify seizing control of a newsroom and silencing its coverage.

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