Formiche: All the risks of Misinformation. From AI to Impacts on Elections
Democracies must build an increasingly stronger immune system to resist forces that attack democratic values, including by using the weapon of disinformation. This is the theme at the center of the conference Definancing disinformation, promoted by the Italian Atlantic Committee and the Balkan free media initiative
Euractiv: Italian Parliamentarians Commit to Defunding Disinformation
Prominent 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.
The announcements were made during a conference on “Defunding Disinformation” organised in the Italian Chamber of Deputies by the Balkan Free Media Initiative (BFMI), a group of media experts concerned about the decline of media freedom in Southeastern Europe.
European Western Balkans: Discussion: Money From the West Flowing to Pro-Russian Oriented Media in Serbia and the Region
Serbia, Bulgaria, and other countries in the region have media that openly favor in Russian side in its aggression against Ukraine and deliberately release disinformation on this conflict, while at the same time, they get funding from the West for their operations, it was said during the discussion organized in Brussels on Tuesday, organized by Balkan Free Media Initiative (BFMI).
Handelsblatt: Serbia Wants to Enter the EU - But Many Serbs Feel Connected to Russia
The largest country in the Western Balkans wants to enter the EU. But it is not only Russia's influence in Belgrade that is strong. Insights into a muscle game of the superpowers.
Politico: Brussels Playbook
The Balkan Free Media Initiative, Independent Journalists Association of Serbia and International Press Institute are calling on European institutions to make it clear that Serbia risks losing its pre-accession funding if the media situation in the country continues to worsen.
Euractiv: Give Teeth to the European Media Freedom Act!
Seen from Berlin, the European Media Freedom Act currently under negotiation does not need to give the European Commission any authority on media regulation, but countries in Eastern Europe and EU hopefuls in the Balkans want legislation with teeth, writes Antoinette Nikolova.
Financial Times: Western Neglect and Homegrown Troubles Afflict the Balkans
Russian disinformation is widespread in Serbia, writes Antoinette Nikolova, director of the Balkan Free Media Initiative, for euractiv.com
Euractiv: To Stop War Breaking Out in Kosovo, Media Freedom in Serbia Must be Addressed
An explosion of Russian disinformation threatened a breakout of conflict in Kosovo, highlighting the urgent need to address the declining information environment in the region, writes Antoinette Nikolova.
The Times: The Trophy Cabinet of Czech Sphinx Daniel Kretinsky: From gas pipes and newspapers to West Ham
His growing media influence in eastern Europe is concerning groups such as the Balkan Free Media Initiative, whose advisory board includes the former BBC journalist John Sweeney. It has expressed concern about his interference in editorial policy at sites such as Info.cz. Kretinsky denies these claims, and says he is a ‘passionate advocate of the freedom of the press’.
Raskrikavanje: BFMI is Concerned About the Editorial Independence of Euronews in Serbia and Bulgaria
At the beginning of June, the Balkan Free Media Initiative (BFMI) sent open letters to the minority owners of Euronews, as well as to the European Commission, in which they expressed concern about the launch of two new channels of this brand - Euronews Serbia and Euronews Bulgaria.