CPJ calls on EU’s von der Leyen to make press freedom a reality
The Committee to Protect Journalists and 25 partners on Friday wrote to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen calling on her to make press freedom and journalist safety a priority during her second term and offering recommendations for “durable and long-lasting solutions.” “It is crunch-time for the European Commission to deliver on media freedom…
Russia to block leading foreign media outlets in retaliation against EU
Berlin, June 26, 2024 – The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) strongly condemns the Russian foreign ministry’s Tuesday decision to block access to 81 European media outlets in Russia in response to the EU’s recent ban on four pro-Kremlin media outlets. “Russian authorities’ blocking of 81 European media outlets betrays their deep-seated fear of truthful…
Georgian parliament overrides presidential veto, adopts Russian-style ‘foreign agents’ law
Stockholm, May 28, 2024 — The Committee to Protect Journalists strongly decries the Georgian parliament’s Tuesday decision to overturn a veto by the country’s president and adopt a Russian-style “foreign agents” law that would target media outlets and press freedom groups. “The ruling Georgian Dream party’s decision to push through Kremlin-inspired ‘foreign agents’ legislation despite…
Tunisian police arrest 5 journalists, interrupt France 24’s broadcast amid crackdown
New York, May 15, 2024 — Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalists Sonia Dahmani, Borhen Bssais, and Mourad Zghidi, drop all charges against them, and stop preventing reporters from doing their jobs, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Wednesday. Between May 11 and 13, Tunisian police arrested and released two additional journalists amid…
CPJ welcomes call by EU’s Borrell on protecting journalists in Israel-Gaza war; urges further action by EU states
Brussels, April 23, 2024— The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Tuesday’s remarks by the European Union’s Josep Borrell about the need to protect journalists in the Israel-Gaza war and calls on all EU member states also to make or renew calls that both sides should respect international law during the conflict, take all measures to…
CPJ joins call for EU to prioritize rule of law
CPJ joined 38 other civil society organizations on Wednesday in calling on the European Commission to strengthen its fifth annual rule of law report, which assesses media freedom in European Union member states. With Europe due to vote from June 6 to 9, the 39 groups also called on the new European Commission to prioritize…
CPJ, others call on Slovakia to withdraw repressive media bill
The Committee to Protect Journalists and seven other international press freedom organizations have called on Slovakian authorities to immediately withdraw a draft law which would effectively end the public broadcaster’s independence. The Slovak Television and Radio bill would dissolve the state-owned Radio and Television of Slovakia (RTVS) and replace it with a new, politically controlled…
New EU media law must bolster press freedom, CPJ and partners say
Brussels, March 13, 2024— As the European Parliament on Wednesday voted in favor of the European Media Freedom Act, CPJ and 20 other groups representing journalists, as well as press freedom and civil society organizations, called for effective implementation of the new law to ensure greater media independence and pluralism within the European Union (EU)….
CPJ to EU: The time to act on spyware is now
The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the European Union to include effective legal safeguards in its planned legislation to rein in the abusive use of spyware against journalists. Negotiations on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), a draft EU law seeking to strengthen media freedom and pluralism in EU member states, are likely to…
EU under pressure to defend journalists against abusive lawsuits
Brussels, October 11, 2023—As the European Union negotiates a landmark law to prevent the powerful and wealthy using malicious litigation to silence the media, the Committee to Protect Journalists on Wednesday called on the bloc to ensure that proposed legislation is robust and ambitious enough to protect the press. On Monday, the European Parliament and…