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

Italy: Landmark ruling in press freedom case

Roberto Saviano acquitted in a landmark ruling against Matteo Salvini, highlighting SLAPP risks and press freedom protections in Italy.

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Statement

Hungary: Media freedom reform must be priority for incoming Tisza government

Media reform in Hungary must be a priority issue for the new Tisza government as it seeks to rebuild the country’s severely eroded checks and balances and rejoin the European Union’s democratic community, the undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) said today following the election result.

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Statement

Serbia: Total impunity entrenched 27 years after killing of editor Slavko Ćuruvija

Twenty-seven years after the assassination of Serbian newspaper publisher and editor Slavko Ćuruvija in Belgrade, the undersigned media freedom organisations mark the upcoming anniversary of the killing by lamenting the complete impunity for those responsible for one of the most serious attacks on journalism in the country’s history.

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Statement

Georgia: Afgan Sadygov’s deportation represents a stark example of transnational repression, demands urgent international response

The undersigned MFRR partners, and other media freedom, journalist and freedom of expression organisations today condemn the arrest and deportation of Afgan Sadygov, founder of Azerbaijani news outlet and youtube channel Azel.tv from Georgia to Azerbaijan. Sadygov’s deportation constitutes a blatant violation of Georgia’s commitments under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and demands strong international condemnation.

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Statement

Slovakia: Bill on media regulatory restructuring and public media layoffs a crucial test for EMFA

The undersigned partners of the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today express alarm regarding a legislative proposal by the Slovak government currently being reviewed by the parliament that aims to significantly restructure Slovakia’s media regulatory body. If this proposal is adopted, it would concentrate broad powers in the hands of a single chairperson, which could weaken the body’s independence and violate the new European Media Freedom Act (EMFA). The developments come amidst the dismissal of the former chair of the regulator.

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Statement

Serbian authorities must stop the spiral of violence against journalists

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) mission in Serbia reports alarming levels of violence, online attacks, and impunity against journalists, urging authorities to protect press freedom.

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