Media Archives
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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 …
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The Brief – Looking out of the window
Est. 7minThis weekend saw a new episode in the battle of digital narratives in Israel and Palestine — the uncanny horrors of which were haunting, even by recent standards.
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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.
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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.
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New EU media law: Ownership transparency provision needs broader scope
Est. 6minThis 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.
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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.
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‘Media pluralism test’ in European Media Freedom Act must achieve what it is set out to do
Est. 5minThe 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 …
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Journalist killings in Malta, Greece, Slovakia, Netherlands remain unsolved – report
Est. 5minFull justice has been achieved in fewer than 5% of murders of journalists since 1992, with four unsolved cases in the EU, the media freedom association the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) found in its 2023 Global Impunity Index.
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Moldova blocks access to Russia’s main news agencies
Est. 2minMoldova blocked access to the websites of major Russian news media including the Interfax and TASS news agencies on Monday (30 October), accusing them of taking part in an information war against the country.
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RSF initial report: Reuters journalist was killed in Lebanon in ‘targeted’ strike
Est. 3minReuters visuals journalist Issam Abdallah was killed on 13 October in southern Lebanon by a "targeted" strike from the direction of the Israeli border, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said on Sunday (29 October), based on preliminary findings of its investigation.
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MEP: Some member states holding up SLAPP law over legal sovereignty fears
Est. 8minA 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.
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Reporters Without Borders see ‘opportunity’ in new Bulgarian government
Est. 4minRepresentatives of the media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) met with Bulgarian Prime Minister Nikolay Denkov on Thursday (26 October) to take advantage of what they see as a window of opportunity to promote press freedom in the country.
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Pressure builds on Serbia over controversial new media laws
Est. 5minCivil 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.
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First compromises and tension points emerge in EU’s media law negotiations
Est. 6minFollowing the first negotiating session on the European Media Freedom Act, the Spanish presidency of the EU Council of Ministers on Wednesday (25 October) briefed national delegations about the first compromise reached and where tension with the European Parliament is expected.
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Migrant shipwreck reporting wins EU journalism prize
Est. 2minGreek, German and British media reporting on a migrant shipwreck thought to have killed hundreds in the Mediterranean has won an EU award named for a murdered Maltese journalist, officials said.
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Breton’s megaphone enforcement is no way to tackle disinformation
Est. 5minEU Commissioner Thierry Breton is taking an aggressive public approach to social media platforms’ failure to tackle disinformation about the Israel-Hamas conflict. Breton’s approach may help boost his public profile – but it risks undermining more useful steps in the fight against disinformation, writes Zach Meyers.
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Anti-mafia author Saviano fined for calling Italy PM a ‘bastard’
Est. 2minItalian anti-mafia author and human rights campaigner Roberto Saviano was on Thursday (12 October) convicted of libel and handed a symbolic fine for calling Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni a "bastard" over her hardline views on immigration.
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Unanswered questions over social media actions in Slovakia loom over upcoming elections
Est. 5minIn the aftermath of the Slovak elections, questions are emerging about the transparency and effectiveness of social media platforms’ efforts to safeguard election integrity and their preparedness to deal with hate speech, writes Barbora Bukovská. Barbora Bukovská is Senior Director for …
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EU media law enters home stretch but spyware, disinformation concerns persist
Est. 5minThe 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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Musk guts X’s election integrity teams ahead of major votes
Est. 2minX-owner Elon Musk said that he had gutted the platform's team dedicated to preserving election integrity as key votes in many countries are approaching.
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Serbian paper threatened over Kosovo clashes coverage
Est. 2minA 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.
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Oversight level for online media freedom set to divide EU parliamentarians
Est. 5minFor 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?
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‘Easy access to illegal content’ likely to be curbed in France
Est. 5minFrance wants to make it harder to access and punish illegal behaviour online, according to a text on securing and regulating the digital environment that lawmakers agreed in committee.
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Media experts explore defunding disinformation in the Balkans
Est. 5minMedia spreading pro-Russian disinformation in the Balkans often use advertising bought by reputable Western companies to reinforce their credibility, media experts concluded at a panel held in the European Parliament on Tuesday (19 September).