The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) has published its Monitoring Report 2025, documenting the state of press freedom across Europe based on verified cases recorded in the Mapping Media Freedom database.
Between January and December 2025, the MFRR recorded 1,481 press freedom violations affecting 2,377 media-related persons or entities in 36 countries, including all 27 EU Member States and nine candidate countries. The data shows that verbal attacks, harassment, and smear campaigns remained the most common forms of violation, while digital threats and pressure from public officials continued to grow.
Alongside a statistical overview, the report examines three key themes shaping the media freedom landscape: the impunity of crimes against journalists, the spread of foreign agent laws and narratives, and the ongoing use of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs). It also provides in-depth country analyses of selected EU Member States and candidate countries facing particular challenges.
The report was compiled by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), and the International Press Institute (IPI) as part of the MFRR project, co-financed by the European Commission.
