The first half of 2026 saw a wide variety of attacks on journalists, media outlets and associated individuals across Europe. These included verbal attacks as well as physical assaults, deliberate obstruction of journalistic work, and legal actions all of which challenged or restricted independent reporting.

Between January and June 2026, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) documented a total of 736 attacks on 1,174 journalists and other media professionals. By covering all EU member states as well as candidate countries, the briefing offers one of the most comprehensive overviews of media freedom conditions in Europe.

Of particular concern were legislative initiatives in several European countries threatening to further restrict press freedom. Journalistic data, including information on anonymous sources, is also increasingly at risk, especially online.

The briefing was produced by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and the International Press Institute (IPI).