ECPMF

What is karakutu? In this episode of the MFRR interview series, we speak with @correctiv_org ’s Viera Zuborova about karakutu - a blockchain-based digital archive preserving independent journalism from Turkey against censorship, deletion, and political pressure. The platform stores entire publishing histories of articles, including edits, removals, redirects, and instances of self-censorship, making threatened reporting permanently accessible. 🔗 Find out more via the link in bio.

Why ‘condemning’ autocratic regimes is not enough for journalists’ protection. What role can the European Union play in responding to Serbia’s deepening media freedom crisis - a crisis increasingly marked by intimidation, violence, and impunity against journalists? Božidar Milovac, investigative reporter at @krik.rs argues that condemnation alone is not enough. “The current response has not been very effective,” he says, describing Serbia’s leadership as “an autocratic regime” that “doesn’t respect and doesn’t value journalists as a necessity.” The discussion, moderated by Roberta Taveri @article19org explored the escalating pressures facing independent journalism in Serbia - and the responsibility of the EU to move beyond statements and towards meaningful action.

We are urging the European Union and the international community not to lose sight of Georgia’s rapidly escalating media freedom crisis. Since the contested 2024 elections, independent journalists and media have faced arbitrary fines, frozen bank accounts, repressive laws, physical attacks, death threats, imprisonment and ongoing impunity. ECPMF and MFRR partners call for urgent, coordinated action to support independent media, secure justice for attacks against journalists, push for the release of Mzia Amaglobeli, and impose targeted sanctions on those responsible for the crackdown on Georgia’s free press.

“All international and national organisations which do the monitoring of the attacks and threats against journalists, all of them confirm in their databases that the number of cases is three times more for previous year than it was in the previous year”. To mark #WorldPressFreedomDay 2026, the Media Freedom Rapid Response hosted a webinar bringing together leading voices from Serbia’s media landscape: Tamara Filipović @nuns_1994 nuns_1994, @bozamilovac Milovac @krik.rs and Stefan Goranović. The discussion, moderated by Roberta Taveri @article19org explored the escalating pressures facing independent journalism in Serbia, and the responsibility of the EU to respond.

How objective can you stay when reporting from a war zone? We asked this and many more questions at our recent panel at the International Journalism Festival in Perugia, organised in association with @LvivMediaForum . With: Mariya Frey (Member of the Managing Board, @Suspilne.media Ukraine), Yelyzaveta Kovtun (CEO, @Frontliner ), Ola Myrovych (CEO, @LvivMediaForum ), Olha Syrotiuk (Programme Coordinator, @ecpmf ) What's your take?

EN Six years. 6,092 violations. 10,200+ journalists and media entities affected. To mark World Press Freedom Day, we’re publishing an analysis of six years of monitoring data from Mapping Media Freedom - Europe’s largest public database of press freedom violations, covering 27 EU Member States and 9 candidate countries. The data reveals the scale and shape of the threats facing journalism across Europe: physical attacks, death threats, legal pressure, digital repression, and a growing share of violations carried out by political actors. Swipe through for the key findings. Full database via the link in our bio. DE Sechs Jahre. 6.092 Verletzungen. Über 10.200 betroffene Journalist:innen und Medienakteure. Zum Weltpressefreiheitstag veröffentlichen wir eine Analyse von sechs Jahren Monitoring-Daten aus Mapping Media Freedom - Europas größter öffentlicher Datenbank zu Pressefreiheitsverletzungen, mit Daten aus 27 EU-Mitgliedsstaaten und 9 Kandidatenländern. Die Daten zeigen Ausmaß und Muster der Bedrohungen, denen Journalismus in Europa ausgesetzt ist: physische Angriffe, Morddrohungen, rechtlicher Druck, digitale Repression und ein wachsender Anteil von Verstößen durch politische Akteure. Alle Details findest du über den Link in unserer Bio.🔗 #WPFD

„Putting a writer on trial means threatening all the others.“ On 16 April 2026, the Criminal Court of Rome acquitted journalist and author @robertosaviano_official of criminal defamation, rejecting all charges and damages claims brought by Minister Matteo Salvini. Salvini had sued Saviano over social media posts criticising his anti-migrant policies. The lawsuit was filed on official Ministry of the Interior letterhead - a textbook example of a SLAPP: a legal tool used by those in power to silence critical voices. This ruling is a landmark for press freedom in Italy. Nonetheless there is an urgent need for the Italian Parliament to fully decriminalise defamation and align national legislation with international freedom of expression standards, including by transposing the EU Anti-SLAPP Directive before its deadline next month.

Wo ereignen sich physische Angriffe auf Journalist:innen in Deutschland und von wem gehen sie aus? Die Antwort variiert je nach Region. In ostdeutschen Bundesländern ist der Anteil rechter Gewalt besonders hoch. In anderen Regionen treten häufiger ideologisch heterogene Protestkontexte auf. Alle Daten in der 10. Ausgabe von Feindbild Journalist:in 👉 Link in Bio. EN Where do physical attacks on journalists occur in Germany, and who is responsible for them? The answer varies by region. In the eastern German states, the proportion of right-wing violence is particularly high. In other regions, protests involving a mix of ideologies are more common. All data can be found in the 10th edition of Feindbild Journalist:in 👉 Link in bio.

We’ve wrapped up our joint panel with the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) at #ijf2026, and it was a truly memorable experience. Three experts from Ukraine shared practical cases with a theater full of colleagues from around the world. If you couldn’t make it, you can swipe through the slides to see a few key insights or watch the full discussion on the International Journalism Festival’s YouTube channel. We are grateful for the incredible turnout and look forward to seeing everyone again in Perugia next year.

Zehn Jahre. 522 Fälle. Seit 2015 dokumentiert das ECPMF physische Angriffe auf Journalist:innen in Deutschland. Was zeichnet sich ab nach 10 Jahren und 522 dokumentierten Fällen? Gewalt gegen Journalist:innen ist kein Randphänomen. Sie ist strukturell, politisch verankert und bundesweit verbreitet: Demonstrationen als zentraler Gewaltkontext. Eine anhaltende Kontinuität rechter Gewalt. Und seit 2020 neue Akteure und Proteststrukturen, die Journalist:innen zunehmend als Feindbild adressieren. Gleichzeitig zeigt die 10. Ausgabe: Die Bedrohung beschränkt sich längst nicht mehr auf physische Angriffe. Digitale Angriffe auf Redaktionen nehmen zu. Strukturelle Arbeitsbedingungen verschlechtern sich. In den letzten Wochen habt ihr schon Einblicke in den Teil „Strapazierter Journalismus" bekommen – eine Umfrage unter 383 Journalist:innen in Deutschland, durchgeführt gemeinsam mit dem Institut für interdisziplinäre Konflikt- und Gewaltforschung der Universität Bielefeld. Das und noch mehr lest ihr in der 10. Ausgabe von Feindbild Journalist:in 🔗 Link in Bio.

We’re on our way home from Perugia, reflecting on an important conversation we hosted at the @journalismfest . Our #IJF26 panel on Ukrainian journalism brought together @mariya.frey_ , @yelyzaveta.kovtun , and Ola Myrovych, moderated by our @go.lka — a panel of incredible women leaders in Ukrainian media who shared a clear, grounded view of how journalism continues under extremely challenging conditions. The scale of the difficulties of war reporting is immense, which is why it is essential to keep focus on solutions: how to keep reporting going, how to adapt to funding gaps, and how to strengthen long-term resilience across the media sector. There was a shared understanding that meaningful, sustained support makes a real difference. We’re grateful to our speakers for bringing their perspectives so openly, and to all our partners who contribute to this work. These conversations, and the partnerships behind them, are what help keep independent journalism moving forward. Especially during a war. 🇺🇦 Photos by @andrea_di_valvasone

DE Das politische Klima in Deutschland verändert sich, und Journalist:innen spüren es direkt in ihrer Arbeit. 77,7 % der Befragten in unserer Studie stimmen eher oder voll und ganz zu, dass die Anforderungen an journalistische Arbeit durch das veränderte politische Klima und öffentliche Debatten gestiegen sind. Was das im Alltag bedeutet, zeigt dieses Zitat aus unserer Studie. Den ganzen Bericht findest du über den Link in unserer Bio! EN The political climate in Germany is shifting, and journalists are feeling it directly in their work. 77.7% of respondents in our study agree or strongly agree that the demands of journalistic work have increased as a result of the changing political climate and public debate. What that looks like in practice is captured in this quote from our study. Full report via the link in our bio.