Welcome to the ECPMF Update

The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) provides you with information on press and media freedom issues from all over Europe. In our news updates, you will receive interesting interviews with media actors, news on threats to media and journalists and a choice of recent articles on European media law.

Resist 'dark forces of racism' in reporting refugees

A call has gone out from the ECPMF’s first conference, appealing to journalists and media workers to take care when reporting the refugee crisis. It also informed the 2015 Media Policy Forum which sends proposals to EU policy makers and Europe’s politicians. They should take care of themselves and each other, since journalists and photographers are being threatened. And they should take care not to let the „dark forces“ of racism manipulate the news. The ECPMF appeal also informed the 2015 Media Policy Forum in Bucharest, Romania which sends proposals to EU policy makers and Europe’s politicians. Read more

We’ve got our own Wikipedian in Residence!

ECPMF and the Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso (OBC) have created a new post of Wikipedian-in-Residence, to build up the online encyclopedia’s stock of information about media freedom issues. Davide Denti works at Rovereto in northern Italy, where OBC is based. The job was created as part of our partnership, backed by the EU Commission.“I personally contribute to Wikipedia because I think it does have an impact on the way people get informed”, he says. In an interview he explains how NGOs, cultural institutions and press freedom campaigns can use Wikipedia.
Read the full interview here

Refuge in Leipzig for reporters under threat

Journalists who are struggling against threats and censorship in countries where press freedom is restricted are invited to apply for the ECPMF Journalist-in-Residence programme. A safe place to live and work for up to one year is on offer: journalists can live in an apartment next to ECPMF HQ in Leipzig, Germany, and use their time to write and publish freely. Please share this news to all your networks. The J-i-R programme has been developed with the German Foreign Ministry and the International Cities of Refuge Network. More details

Romanian protestors don’t trust media and rely on Facebook

Demonstrators against political corruption in Romania blame the mainstream media for failing to expose the corruption that led to many deaths in the Bucharest nightclub fire. The death toll is still rising. It’s alleged that corrupt officials allowed the club to operate without adequate safety standards.
Read more

Turks re-elect Erdogan after media crackdown

The Turkish general election has resulted in victory for President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. Violent scenes at an opposition TV channel in the days before the election resulted in sackings and a change in editorial policy enforced by court-appointed trustees. Award-winning Turkish journalist Nedim Sener gives insights into the Turkish media in an interview...

Italian journalist criticised over Capital Mafia trial

Award-winning reporter Lirio Abbate faced sarcastic criticism ahead of a big Mafia trial that results from his investigative reporting. The Capital Mafia case alleges for the first time that organised crime –widespread elsewhere in Italy – also affects Roman law and politics. Abbate is one of more than 30 Italian journalists who live under police protection because of death threats from the Mafia. The full story comes from our partner in Rome, Ossigeno per l’informazione.

Legal eagles: Interesting cases of European media law

Northern Ireland: Publishing of murder suspect's full name is legal (more)
Germany : Police is permitted to exclude reporters from protests (more)

More legal news can be found here .

Upcoming events

16.11.2015 | Mainzer Medien Disput | Berlin, Germany |
War reporters, crisis journalism and Germany’s view of the world - who is following whose agenda?

17.11.2015 | Otto Brenner Preis | Berlin, Germany
for critical journalism

18.11.2015 | Rory Peck Awards | London, UK
for camera women and men – London, UK

20.-21.11.2015 | Annual conference of VVOJ | The Hague, Netherland
Dutch-Flemish Association of Investigative Journalists – The Hague, Netherlands

21.11.2015 | Transeurope conference | Rovereto, Italy
and anniversary of Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso (OBC) – Rovereto, Italy

Find our full calendar here.
To send us media events we should know about, please contact info@ecpmf.eu

Subscribe to our Newsletter

The European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) unites journalists associations, publishing houses, academic institutions, trade unions and media rights experts to achieve the application of the European Charter on Freedom of the Press throughout Europe. Founded in 2015, it is registered as European Cooperative Society and headquartered in Leipzig with members/partners/supporters in 16 countries. The ECPMF provides news, analyses and tools on media freedom issues, coordinates its member organisations' activities and helps individual journalists under threat, for example through a residence programme and petitions.

The ECPMF is supported by: European Commission, Media foundation of Sparkasse Leipzig, Free State of Saxony, City of Leipzig, Foreign Office Germany

Imprint

Media Foundation of Sparkasse Leipzig

Office of the Foundations of Sparkasse Leipzig
Menckestraße 27 . D-04155 Leipzig, Germany

Phone: +49 341 – 5629 661
Fax: +49 341 – 5629 663
E-Mail: info(at)leipziger-medienstiftung.de

Board
Dr. Harald Langenfeld (Chairman)
Stefan Raue (Vice Chairman)
Stephan Seeger (Managing Director)