Hungary's public broadcaster -- long accused of being a mouthpiece for Prime Minister Viktor Orbán's nationalist Fidesz party -- on Thursday (30 May) hosted its first election debate in nearly 20 years.
The EU likes to think of itself as the birthplace and guardian of the free media. But at least once a year, it has a chance to look the truth in the face - and it's not pretty.
On World Press Freedom Day, Swedish Radio’s Director General and Vice President of the EBU, Cilla Benkö, notes the dire state of media freedom in Europe. She calls for the safety of journalists and respect for independent, trustworthy reporting. She warns that threats to media freedom go hand in hand with threats to democracy.
Burkina Faso has suspended a swathe of international news organisations in recent days for airing accusations of an army massacre of civilians, a move sparking concern on Monday (29 April).
Italy celebrates its liberation from Fascism on Thursday (25 April), an anniversary overshadowed by a censorship row at the public broadcaster centred on Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's far-right roots.
Azerbaijani police on Wednesday (6 March) raided the offices of a TV station, the interior ministry said, in the latest sign of a crackdown on independent media.
A dispute in Poland over control of public media deepened this week, as a body dominated by the former nationalist government designated a new television boss despite the current administration having appointed somebody else to the role.
Serbians will cast their votes on Sunday (17 December) in a snap election seen as an effort by President Aleksandar Vucic and his populist Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) to secure another four-year term, after two mass shootings earlier this year rattled their popularity.
The main EU institutions found a political agreement on Friday (15 December) on the European Media Freedom Act, a new law meant to promote freedom and diversity in the media sector, though the deal comes with some controversial caveats.
EU co-legislators will discuss the thorny issue of protecting journalistic sources at the next negotiation round on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), but MEPs are considering postponing the agreement while several EU countries push for more independence of the …
This week's trilogue negotiations on the European Media Freedom Act will include the key issue of media ownership transparency. The outcome will have tremendous consequences for the future of media freedom in the EU, write Eva Simon and Jascha Galaski.
The inclusion of a ‘media pluralism test’ is a very welcome innovation in the proposal for a European Media Freedom Act, but to succeed, some changes at the Board level are needed, write Karim Ibourki and Mark Dempsey. Karim Ibourki is …
A bid to create EU-wide legislation to protect journalists and whistleblowers from Strategic Ligitation Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) is faltering due to a few certain member states not wanting to concede control over their judicial systems, MEP David Casa told Euractiv.
Civil society groups, political opposition and independent media organisations in Serbia are sounding the alarm over proposed changes to media laws that will increase the state’s already strong grip on access to news and information, writes Antoinette Nikolova.
As the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party is facing its tightest election race since 2015, with a risk of losing, a delegation from the Council of Europe voiced concerns about the fairness of the Polish electoral process.
The European Parliament adopted its position on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) on Tuesday (3 October), though advocacy groups have renewed criticisms of certain provisions they say are falling short in protection against spyware and disinformation.
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A Serbian daily newspaper and its editor received death threats on Thursday (28 September) after the country's president denounced their coverage of the recent clashes in Kosovo.
For the first time, EU institutions are debating a binding legislation on media freedom online. One question is fueling intense debates: What level of oversight should be applied to online media within democracies?
Some 161 abusive lawsuits were filed in European countries in 2022, the highest number mapped in a single year according to a report published on Wednesday (23 August) by the Coalition Against SLAPPs in Europe (CASE).
The idea that digital platforms can only moderate illegal content under national law is a grave mistake and a gift to those running disinformation campaigns, writes Clara Jiménez Cruz. Clara Jiménez Cruz is the chair of the European Fact-Checking Standards …
As the Media Freedom Act moves on in the European Parliament, the real elephant in the room has become a provision introduced in the EU Council's version that would allow authorities to spy on journalists for national security reasons.
The European Parliament’s draft report for the proposed EU directive to protect journalists from abusive litigation was adopted by the legal affairs committee on Tuesday (27 June), a move advocacy groups have described as relieving.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi denied that discrimination against minorities existed under his government during a press conference with US President Joe Biden on Thursday (22 June), despite rights groups and State Department reports of abuses.
