Media
WikiLeaks’ Julian Assange to be freed after pleading guilty to US espionage charge
Est. 5minWikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is due to plead guilty on Wednesday (26 June) to violating US espionage law, in a deal that will end his imprisonment in Britain and allow him to return home to Australia, ending a 14-year legal odyssey.
Slovak parliament approves government’s contested public broadcaster revamp
Est. 3minSlovakia's parliament approved the government's planned revamp and leadership change at public broadcaster RTVS on Thursday (20 June), overruling concerns the changes will bring the broadcaster under political control and harm media freedom.
Global audiences suspicious of AI-powered newsrooms, report finds
Est. 4minGlobal concerns about the use of AI in news production and misinformation are growing, a report published by the Reuters Institute for the Study of Journalism found, posing fresh challenges to newsrooms already struggling to engage audiences.
European media under attack from politicians, Reporters Without Borders sounds the alarm
Est. 4minPoliticians are the main threat for media freedom in Europe with a third of member states being labelled as ‘problematic’ and even the ‘good’ and ‘satisfactory’ countries, seeing their scores drop, according to Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index 2024, published on Friday (3 May).
Burkina Faso suspends foreign news media over massacre reports
Est. 4minBurkina 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).
Netanyahu pushes to shut Israeli office of Qatar’s Al Jazeera TV
Est. 4minPrime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged on Monday (1 April) to shutter the local office of Qatari satellite television network Al Jazeera while the war in Gaza continues.
Sustainable democracies need a sustainable media sector, says Jourová
Est. 6minOur democracies need a sustainable media sector, Věra Jourová, European Commission Vice-President for Values and Transparency, told participants of the recent Stars4Media conference in Brussels.
France fines Google for failing to pay media companies
Est. 3minFrench regulators said Wednesday (20 March) they were fining Google €250 million for breaching commitments on paying media companies for reproducing their content online and for using their material for its AI chatbot without telling them.
EU Parliament passes European Media Freedom Act, concerns over spyware remain
Est. 4minThe European Parliament has voted overwhelmingly in favour of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), a landmark legislation to protect journalists and media freedom, though concerns remain over the use of spyware to monitor media.
Azerbaijani police raid offices of independent TV station
Est. 2minAzerbaijani 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.
Council of Europe report: European Commission must step up action to preserve media freedom, protect journalists
Est. 6minThe Council of Europe's press freedom report, released on Tuesday (5 March), underscores the absence of international spyware regulation, disputes over the draft law on online child sexual abuse material, and more.
Italian parliamentarians commit to defunding disinformation
Est. 5minProminent Italian parliamentarians committed on Thursday (29 February) to “strengthening the immunity system” of their society by making sure that global brands stop advertising with media outlets that spread disinformation
Anti-SLAPP law gets final seal of approval from EU Parliament
Est. 3minThe European Parliament approved with an overwhelming majority a law protecting journalists and human rights advocates from abusive legal proceedings designed to stifle freedom of speech, marking the end of a six-year push to get the law across the line.
Serbia court acquits ex-spies jailed for killing journalist
Est. 3minA Serbian appeals court acquitted four former intelligence officers jailed for the brutal 1999 murder of journalist Slavko Curuvija, a fierce critic of late strongman Slobodan Milosevic.
Davos: Tech leaders ponder solution to election tampering online
Est. 5minTo maintain online integrity in an election-heavy year around the world, tech leaders gathered in Davos debated on Tuesday evening (16 January) the recent rise of AI and its implications for misleading campaigns and deceptive content in the run-up to polls.
Pro-Russian disinformation in Bulgaria achieves its goals, experts say
Est. 6minEuractiv Bulgaria interviewed Ralitsa Kovacheva (Factcheck.bg), Marina Tsekova (Bulgarian national radio) and Rosen Bosev (AFP factcheck), who stressed that disinformation in the country is so widespread that it easily influences national politics.
Polish media dispute deepens with dual appointments of TV boss
Est. 2minA 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.
EU institutions agree new rules for media sector
Est. 5minThe 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.
Number of journalists killed in 2023 is lowest in 20 years
Est. 3minThe number of journalists killed worldwide in connection with their work fell to its lowest level in 20 years this year, a decrease largely attributed to progress in journalists' security.
MEPs exclude audiovisual sector in geo-blocking regulation reassessment
Est. 4minThe European Parliament adopted the reassessment of the implementation of the 2018 geo-blocking regulation in the digital single market on Wednesday (13 December), but the audiovisual sector was excluded with a last-minute amendment.
EU’s media law faces crunch time on protection of journalists, board independence
Est. 5minEU 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 …
Balkan study finds global brands spend billions advertising on misinformation sites
Est. 5minA major advertiser in Bulgaria announced that it will stop “cooperation” with a news website singled out as “problematic”, ahead of the publication of a report according to which global brands are sending $2.6 billion to misinformation websites each year.
EU institutions strike deal on Anti-SLAPP Directive
Est. 6minEU co-legislators agreed on the directive to address the growing number of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) and protect defendants from unfounded, abusive litigation on matters of public interest.
Spanish presidency prepares to close most of EU media law in next negotiation round
Est. 5minThe Spanish presidency has requested a revised mandate on the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA) ahead of the next interinstitutional negotiating session when most of the upcoming media legislation is expected to be closed.