Blogs
EC Rule of Law Report: EU must safeguard media freedom and pluralism in Europe
The BFMI welcomes the publication of the third annual Rule of Law Report by the European Commission, which highlights the threats to media freedom in Europe. BFMI calls on the European Commission to quickly adopt a comprehensive Media Freedom Act and oblige EU members and accession candidates alike, particularly in the Balkans, to protect media freedom and pluralism.
Albania: BFMI joins press freedom organisations in protest against Prime Minister’s decision to ban journalists from press conferences
In an open letter, the BFMI and seven other international press freedom organisations, denounced Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama’s move to unilaterally ban journalists from attending government press conferences.
Meta’s Nick Clegg Responds to BFMI Open Letter
On 26 May, Nicholas Clegg, President of Global Affairs at Meta, responded to BFMI’s Open Letter calling on Meta to take urgent steps to prevent abuse of their platforms and tackle the spread of disinformation in the Western Balkans.
Report Launch -Social Media and the Information War in the Balkans
To mark the launch of its second report, ‘Social Media and the Information War in the Balkans’, BFMI is hosting a panel event on Tuesday 17 May in London to discuss how social media channels have been used to spread disinformation and consolidate the grip on power of authoritarian leaders in Serbia and the semi-autonomous region of Republika Srpska.
Serbia’s Elections Under the Magnifying Glass
Read an excerpt from a report by a coalition of Serbian civil society organizations which uncovers the many irregularities and abuses that seriously jeopardize the integrity of Serbia’s latest elections.
Open Letter to Meta’s Nick Clegg
BFMI calls on Meta to take urgent steps to prevent abuse of their platforms and tackle the spread of disinformation in the Western Balkans
Bulgarian conflict journalist Ruslan Trad provides guidance for reporting responsibly on Ukraine
The war in Ukraine is a test for media and journalists from the Balkans. Many of the journalists risking their lives to report from the conflict do not have the professional resources, insurance or production teams of their peers from global media companies. To help support journalists bringing important coverage from Ukraine, Ruslan Trad a journalist who has reported from Syria, Lebanon, Turkey and Iraqi Kurdistan, has put together recommendations for responsible conflict reporting.
One of Bulgaria’s most prominent investigative journalists warned of imminent physical threat
One of Bulgaria’s most prominent investigative journalists, Atanas Tchobanov, has been warned of a threat to his life by a national intelligence agency. Tchobanov is a co-founder of the Bulgarian investigative website Bivol and director of the Bureau of Investigative Reporting and Data (BIRD).
US Slaps Sanctions on Milorad Dodik and TV Outlet Under his Control
The United States on Wednesday imposed new sanctions on the Bosnian Serb leader, Milorad Dodik and a television station under his control for “significant corruption and destabilizing activities”
Biden Democracy Summit: To protect democracy we have to fight harder to protect the media
Stronger action to protect free media must be a priority at US President Joe Biden’s Summit of Democracy.
Disturbing attempts at intimidation and financial destruction of the media in Bulgaria and Serbia
Democratic institutions cannot tolerate further harassment and attempts to destroy the media in the Balkans. The BFMI stands firm in support of the prosecuted.
Slow progress on media reform in Western Balkans criticised by European Commission
The European Commission’s latest Progress Report finds almost no progress on protecting media freedoms in parts of the region
BFMI Report - The Invisible Hand of Media Censorship: Three Examples from the Balkans
The Balkan Free Media Initiative (BFMI) has published its report examining political manipulation of media markets in Bulgaria, Serbia and North Macedonia.
Urgent solution needed as Slovenian Press Agency funding crisis passes 250 days - International Press Institute
More than 250 days have now passed since the Slovenian Press Agency (STA) last received state funding for carrying out its public service mission from the government of Janez Janša, which currently presides over the Presidency of the Council of the European Union.
Will the attack on the free media in Poland succeed, or fail?
A bill, dubbed Lex TVN, threatens the largest ever US investment in Poland. It also demonstrates the lengths that Mateusz Morawiecki is willing to go to silence the media.
Polish journalist, broadcaster and author, Jacek Pałasiński takes an in depth look at the situation, exclusively for BFMI.
How Russia has penetrated Bulgaria’s state news agency
The Bulgarian National Information Agency (BTA) has started regularly publishing reports and updates with a curious source: the Russian news agency, TASS. Even more curious, these reports are often unrelated to Russia or bilateral relations between Sofia and Moscow.
