Sliding into the holidays with a blunt wrap-up: 🌟 1190 verified alerts 🌟 1959 journalists affected 🌟 attacks mainly happened in Serbia, Georgia, Ukraine 🌟 online abuse now the top threat MFRR missions, legal defence, and direct support won’t slow in 2026. Enjoy the break 🎄

Our new MFRR Summit 2025 report shows how journalists face harassment, financial strain, police abuse, spyware, troll armies, and smear campaigns. But it also mapped out solutions across 5 pillars of media resilience 👇 https://www.mfrr.eu/mfrr-summit-2025-report-on-media-freedom-in-europe/

Over 60 political prisoners. 31 journalists arrested. 117 attacks on media freedom. This is today’s Georgia. In this webinar, speakers unpacked how journalists and writers, including Mzia Amaglobeli and poet Zviad Ratiani, are being jailed for dissent: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUGka6xSqsk

Georgia is imprisoning journalists and writers for dissent. This webinar examines the systematic crackdown on media freedom, the capture of the judiciary, and how dissent is being criminalised. Watch the recording. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUGka6xSqsk

Journalists and human rights defenders fleeing persecution must not be returned to danger. The EU’s new return policy undermines press freedom and human rights obligations. This must change. https://www.mfrr.eu/eus-dangerous-return-hubs-policy-a-threat-to-journalists-in-exile/

MFRR welcomes the @ec.europa.eu’s infringement action against Hungary over #EMFA violations. The findings confirm years of evidence: media capture, political interference, distorted state advertising, and zero alignment with EU media freedom rules. www.mfrr.eu/hungary-ipi-...

We are now starting! Register to join the discussion 👇 https://www.mfrr.eu/jailed-for-dissent-georgian-journalists-and-writers-under-crackdown/

Happening today at 11:00 CET ⏰ “Jailed for Dissent – Georgian Journalists and Writers Under Crackdown.”: https://ow.ly/ch3e50XGIQ7 Mzia Amaglobeli’s imprisonment exposes Georgia’s political use of the courts against journalists and pro-EU voices. Join us and PEN International.

Journalism across Europe is underfunded, targeted, and increasingly attacked with sophisticated digital tools. Our MFRR Summit 2025 report captures how experts and journalists are pushing back, shaping policy, and strengthening safeguards across the EU. Check it out! www.mfrr.eu/mfrr-summit-...

🇬🇪 #Georgia: Join a discussion on Friday, 12 December, hosted by @mediafreedomeu.bsky.social in partnership with @peninternational.bsky.social, about the escalating crackdown on dissent in Georgia. Register here👇

🌟 We offer up to six months of protection and stability for journalists who need temporary relocation. With a stipend, furnished housing, training, and support from European Centre for Press and Media Freedom, it enables meaningful recovery and continued investigations. https://www.mfrr.eu/support/

Once a regional democratic example, Georgia is sliding toward full authoritarianism. Join us, PEN International, and our experts on 12 December as they lay out the facts and pathways for resistance: https://www.mfrr.eu/jailed-for-dissent-georgian-journalists-and-writers-under-crackdown/ #FreeMzia

Our monitoring depends on contributions from individuals across Europe. If you know of a media freedom violation, submit it through our form. Include as much detail as possible, as this supports our experts in verifying and assessing each alert. https://www.mappingmediafreedom.org/report-it/

We are at the University of Cologne attending “How to defend Human Rights Defenders?”. Authoritarian govts hit journalists too often. Protecting human rights defenders is inseparable from defending press freedom. Frontline voices from Afghanistan, Russia, Zimbabwe are making the stakes clear.

Dozens of Georgian journalists are behind bars under fabricated charges. The judiciary is being weaponised against dissent. Learn what the international community can do at our next webinar in collaboration with PEN International: https://ow.ly/Cq2z50XGg9t

The MFRR offers temporary relocation in Leipzig for journalists facing harassment or intimidation as a direct result of their reporting. This creates a safe environment in which journalists can recover and continue their work without exposure to risks. https://www.mfrr.eu/support/

Georgia is jailing journalists for doing their job. Join the discussion on #MziaAmaglobeli’s imprisonment, the wave of arrests since 2024 & how to defend media freedom. Organised by @mediafreedomeu.bsky.social in partnership with us. www.mfrr.eu/jailed-for-d... #FreeMzia #DayoftheImprisonedWriter

Georgia is jailing journalists for doing their job. Join our discussion on Mzia Amaglobeli’s imprisonment, the wave of arrests after the 2024 protests, and how to defend media freedom before authoritarianism becomes irreversible: https://ow.ly/W1Km50XFEf2 #FreeMzia

MFRR warns of rising political pressure on #Lithuania’s public broadcaster LRT. Proposed amendments would freeze its budget and weaken protections against political interference in leadership. These changes contradict EU media freedom standards. www.mfrr.eu/lithuania-me...

MFRR warns of political pressure against Novosti, Croatia’s only Serb minority weekly. Threats to cut funding and interference in the Council for National Minorities violate core media freedom standards. We urge the govt to stop the pressure and protect minority media. www.mfrr.eu/open-letter-...

The debate on press freedom is evolving fast. Our YouTube channel brings together experts, journalists, and advocates to break it all down. Watch the newest sessions and join the conversation: https://www.youtube.com/@mediafreedomrapidresponse/videos

Legal intimidation is increasingly used to silence journalists. The MFRR offers access to legal advice, strategic guidance, and assistance with litigation to ensure media workers are not left to face these challenges alone. Request support today 👇 https://www.mfrr.eu/support/legal-support/

You can help us by reporting media freedom violations. If you know of an incident that hasn’t been documented yet, you can submit it using our online form. Reports can be anonymous, but detailed info and links to sources help us verify each case. https://www.mappingmediafreedom.org/report-it/

Across Europe, journalists confront risks that demand reliable, practical backing. The MFRR offers legal defence, emergency assistance, residencies, and training so media workers can stay safe and continue their essential work. https://www.mfrr.eu/support/

If you work in journalism, media policy, or human rights, the MFRR YouTube channel is worth your time. Our webinars cover the challenges and realities facing press freedom today. Explore the content: https://www.youtube.com/@mediafreedomrapidresponse/videos

Journalists across Europe continue to face legal pressure designed to obstruct their reporting. The MFRR provides legal support to help them navigate threats, access expert guidance, and defend their right to inform the public. Apply for support 👇 https://www.mfrr.eu/support/legal-support/

Yesterday, on day 2 of our mission to Turkey, we met CHP Vice Chair Burhanettin Bulut. We addressed the impact of Law 5651, state interference in media, and the need to reform RTÜK. Bulut was clear: the regulator must uphold standards and regulate, not punish. Our work continues.

The MFRR provides steady support to journalists and media workers facing legal, physical, and psychological threats. This assistance ensures you can continue reporting with confidence, even under mounting pressure. https://www.mfrr.eu/support/

Today, we met with Constitutional Court Secretary General Murat Azaklı. Discussion focused on media freedom and freedom of expression. Officials acknowledged that Law No. 5651 has led to repeated rights violations and stressed the need for a new legal framework to govern the online sphere.

The MFRR YouTube channel is now hosting a growing library of webinars and expert discussions on press freedom. Watch the latest videos and stay informed: https://www.youtube.com/@mediafreedomrapidresponse/videos

Our press freedom mission to Turkey is underway, led by MFRR partners including @globalfreemedia.bsky.social, @ecpmf.bsky.social, @pressfreedom.bsky.social, RSF Turkey, @article19.bsky.social, SEEMO, @amnesty.org, and OBCT.

#Serbia: The attack on N1 TV was documented on the platform of the @mediafreedomeu.bsky.social and will be reported to the @coemediafreedom.bsky.social along with the other attacks targeting the broadcaster. This includes discrediting statements made by state officials that fuel hatred towards N1.

Hungary’s top tabloid Blikk has been acquired by pro-government Indamedia. MFRR urges the new EU Media Board to launch an immediate assessment under EMFA. Media pluralism in #Hungary is at stake. www.mfrr.eu/hungary-new-...

Bosnia’s public broadcaster (BHRT) is on the verge of collapse. Radio-Television of Republika Srpska has ignored the law and accumulated over 100M KM in debt, putting BHRT at existential risk and even triggering the possibility of a flight ban tied to unpaid liabilities. https://ow.ly/Jk3M50Xuxiu

In the face of rising digital manipulation, shrinking civic space and collapsing media business models, the #EuropeanDemocracyShield offers an opportunity to ensure safety of journalists and media viability, but only if turned into concrete action 👇 https://www.mfrr.eu/european-democracy-shield/#EuropeanDemocracyShield

The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) today welcomes the publication of the 2025 EU Enlargement Package and highlights key media freedom developments and concerns that should shape negotiations with candidate countries moving forward. https://ow.ly/i11Y50Xr0Ow

Journalists have both the right and the duty to ask questions, including critical or difficult ones, to ensure the democratic accountability of political decision-makers. We call on Agenzia Nova to review its decision and reinstate Gabriele Nunziati without delay. https://ow.ly/67fY50Xqnlm

In our interview, Ninia described how police stopped her near Parliament, pulled her from her car, and detained her as she was heading home from covering protests. She identified herself as a journalist but was still taken away and denied contact with her child for hours: https://ow.ly/qbTM50Xqo1N

The MFRR consortium condemns the dismissal of journalist Gabriele Nunziati by Agenzia Nova. Firing a reporter for asking a legitimate question to the European Commission is a clear attack on press freedom and journalistic independence. Our open letter 👇 www.mfrr.eu/open-letter-...

Ninia Kakabadze, journalist at Mediachecker.ge, was detained while covering protests in Tbilisi. In our interview, she describes the arrest, her release, and the broader implications for journalists working under Georgia’s new restrictions on freedom of expression. www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mnqs...

#Slovenia: The EFJ stands in full solidarity with Oštro. This blatant attempt to intimidate and silence investigative reporting at the expense of media freedom and transparency was documented on the Mapping Media Freedom platform. Via @mediafreedomeu.bsky.social

Victoria Roshchyna died in Russian detention under unclear circumstances. She entered occupied territories to tell the stories of those living under war. As we marked the International Day to End Impunity last week, her death shows how truth-telling in war remains deadly: https://ow.ly/5a5550Xpt4R

Antoni Lallican was killed on 3 Oct when a Russian drone directly targeted him near Kramatorsk. He was clearly marked “PRESS”. As the world marked the International Day to #EndImpunity last Sunday, his case shows how war reporters are being treated as targets, not observers.

One year after the Novi Sad tragedy and mass protests, Serbia’s media freedom has hit a new low. 📽️ Our webinar breaks down how state pressure and violence against reporters have reshaped the information landscape: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX5iAc58BUE

🚨 Our weekly roundup of press freedom violations is out. This week we marked the International Day to #EndImpunity for Crimes Against Journalists, a stark reminder that attacks on the press continue without accountability: mapmf.org/explorer?sor... Here are some of the cases reported this week 🧵

War correspondent Aliona Hubanova and cameraman Yevhen Karmazin were killed on 23 Oct when a Russian drone struck their vehicle in Kramatorsk. As we marked the International Day to #EndImpunity last Sunday, this case underscores the lethal risks faced by journalists in Ukraine.

A joint fact-finding mission has found that despite modest improvements, media freedom in #Bulgaria remains fragile. Structural, legal and political obstacles continue to undermine progress. Full report available now 👇 https://ow.ly/nasw50XnI0M

The MFRR condemns the arbitrary arrests of journalists covering protests in #Georgia. 🔸Basti Mgaloblishvili – detained, then released 🔸Liza Tsitsishvili – detained, then released 🔸Ninia Kakabadze – detained while reporting, now facing a hearing on 12 Nov All charges against Ninia must be dropped.

Journalist Hakan Tosun was murdered in Istanbul in October after exposing environmental crime and corruption. As the world marked the International Day to #EndImpunity for Crimes Against Journalists last Sunday, his case remains unresolved. Justice must not stall.

The recording of the MFRR webinar “Media Freedom Through Transnational Lenses: Insights from Montenegro and North Macedonia” is now available on YouTube. It examines recent progress, ongoing challenges, and implications for EU integration. Watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYuLz4kHiis