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MAPPING MEDIA FREEDOM A FOUR�MONTH SNAPSHOT � II Monitoring Report EFJ � IPI � ECPMF | July 2020 � October 2020 Content Introduction.................................................................4 Country-by-Country reports (EFJ� ...........................16 Country-by-Country reports (IPI� .............................21 Intimidating or threatening journalists (EFJ� ............ 28 SLAPPs: Gag lawsuits pose continued threat to press freedom – (IPI�........................................31 COVID�19.....................................................................34 Conclusions.................................................................38 Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries. This project provides legal and practical sup‐ port, public advocacy and information to protect journalists and media workers. The MFRR is organised by an consortium led by the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF� with ARTICLE 19, the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ�, Free Press Unlimited (FPU�, the Institute for Applied In‐ formatics at the University of Leipzig (InfAI�, International Press Institute (IPI� and CCI/Osservatorio Bal‐ cani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT�. The project is co-funded by the European Commission. www.mfrr.eu 2 Mapping Media Freedom | Monitoring Report Mapping Media Freedom | Monitoring Report 3 MFRR region, a growing trend of anti-media lyses and presents a micro- and macro- INTRODUCTION rhetoric has increased, both online and off, level diagnosis of the health of the resulting in targeted harassment, threats European media landscape over a four- The second monitoring report for the Media reporting. This complex interplay of actors, and smear campaigns directed at journalists month period from July until the end of Oc‐ Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR�, covering motivations and legal jurisdictions paints a and media workers. Reinforced by national tober 2020, exploring country-specific the reporting period between July and Octo‐ fragmented and worrying picture of the or regional issues such as territorial or geo- threats to media freedom, as well as a re‐ ber 2020, remains under the cloud of the overall region that requires concerted atten‐ political conflicts, anti-refugee, migrant or gion-wide comparative analysis of key COVID�19 pandemic. While the direct public tion, pressure and action from media actors, xenophobic sentiment and increased polar‐ trends and themes that require robust and health implications continue to affect journ‐ national governments and European institu‐ isation that demonises media workers as concerted action to stem. alists, media workers and outlets, the im‐ tions. This report expands on and dissects agents of the state, peddlers of disinforma‐ pact of the crisis has manifested in a num‐ the reports uploaded and verified on the tion or perceived enemies, harassment is an This report is structured in five sections. ber of unpredicted ways that continue to af‐ Mapping Media Freedom (MMF� platform, as increasingly common type of threat facing First we will present a visual representation fect and damage media freedom across EU well as supplementary monitoring pro‐ journalists and media workers. This includes of different datasets from Mapping Media Member States and Candidate Countries cesses undertaken by the MFRR and other a worrying trend of gendered harassment Freedom to present an overall picture of the (MFRR region). It has also further en‐ relevant partners. and abuse including threats of sexual viol‐ platform and the broad health of the media trenched a number of worrying trends that ence directed at women. The pervasiveness environment in EU Member States and Can‐ could outlast the pandemic itself. With the While COVID�19 dominates the media land‐ of this type of threat, the low number of re‐ didate Countries. Following this is a coun‐ pandemic as a background, and a context scape, a number of trends are contained in ports made to police, inadequate legal pro‐ try-by-country analysis divided between IPI for increased state intervention, journalists this report that exert a discernible influence tections and the potential absence of phys‐ and EFJ, which includes specific analysis of and media workers across the region have on the ability of journalists and media work‐ ical violence that follows, has often resulted a selection of countries within the MFRR re‐ faced near-unprecedented roadblocks and ers to continue their work. When Daphne in this sort of threat being accepted by gion. Following this is a Cross Regional restrictions on their ability to work fully and Caruana Galizia was assassinated in 2017, journalists as ‘something that comes with Thematic Comparative Analysis, which in‐ free from unnecessary administrative she was facing 47 active civil and criminal the territory’. terrogates trends that affect media and hurdles, threats of harassment, legal action, libel suits filed in various jurisdictions, in‐ press freedom across the entire MFRR re‐ detention or violence. cluding Malta and the United States. Three This monitoring report follows on from the gion, including the use of legal threats and years after her assassination, 25 remain act‐ previous report published in July that Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participa‐ Beyond the pandemic, media freedom in ive. The use of legal threats, vexatious legal covered the period between March and tion (SLAPPs) to target journalists, media Europe continues to be placed on a precari‐ actions and Strategic Lawsuits Against Pub‐ June 2020. This report uses the same ap‐ workers and outlets, alongside an analysis ous footing. Throughout the reporting lic Participation (SLAPPs), to target journal‐ proach and format to analyse the trends, of harassment, threats and smear cam‐ period, 114 alerts were verified and pub‐ ists and encourage them to avoid certain themes and topics that shaped media paigns directed at journalists and media lished on Mapping Media Freedom. How‐ topics of public interest is a Europe-wide freedom in the MFRR region as a whole, workers, both online and off, as a result of ever, there is no one single mechanism or phenomenon that skews the media land‐ alongside specific contexts for a range of their work. Due to the continued impact of motivation for attacks on journalists and me‐ scape in favour of powerful and wealthy in‐ countries that require specific attention. the COVID�19 pandemic, alongside govern‐ dia workers, and no singular source. The dividuals. For more information about the MFRR’s ment responses to it, an additional chapter nature, frequency and type of media free‐ monitoring of media freedom violations, follows, building on IPI’s analysis in the pre‐ dom violations reconfigure to fit every polit‐ While legal threats are complex and time in‐ please read the first monitoring report vious monitoring report. This is then fol‐ ical or national context, ideology and per‐ tensive processes, requiring access to legal published in July 2020. lowed by a conclusion that brings all ana‐ suasion and utilises a range of techniques to expertise and representation, threats to lysis together. silence journalists, stifle their work and en‐ journalists are not always presented in such This report compiled by MFRR partners, EFJ courage them to step away from important formalised processes. Across the entire and IPI, with support from the ECPMF, ana‐ 4 Mapping Media Freedom | Monitoring Report Mapping Media Freedom | Monitoring Report 5 MAPPING MEDIA FREEDOM A Four-Month Snapshot 1 1 1 3 6 2 81 33 21 12 2 FREEDOM FREEDOM 1 5 7 1 6 2 PHYSICAL & LEGAL CENSORSHIP PSYCHOLOGICAL THREAT 14 THREAT 6 12 2 5 2 3 9 6 5 *As one alert can contain a number of incidents or threats of further action, 6 Mapping Media Freedom | Monitoring Report the figures above adds up to more thanMapping the total Media number Freedom of | alertsMonitoring Report 7 1 1 1 Self-censorship 1 Closure of media outlets 1 Article/work was heavily cut omitting important information 1 Loss of employment 1 Surveillance and interceptionPersonal of journalistic belongings data Hacking/DDoS 1 Death 2 Disinformation 2 2 3 Article/workSexual didn't appear harassment at all Defamation 3 Bullying/trolling 4 TYPE OF INCIDENT 5 July - October 2020 Commercial interference 6 6 Criminal charges Civil lawsuits 7 Arbitrary denial of accreditation or registration 7 Legal measure 7 Blocked access to information Interrogation 7 Property 8 Harassment 10 Discredit 11 16 17 Arrest/detention/imprisonment Equipment 17 20 Injury (physical assault resulting in injury) Insult/abuse 52 Physical assault without injury 8 Mapping Media Freedom | Monitoring Report Intimidation/threatening Mapping Media Freedom | Monitoring Report 9 CONTEXT OF INCIDENT July - October 2020 In prison 1 At police station (or other police environment like in police car) 2 At parliament 2 During an event (like an exhibition or religious events) 2 During travel 2 via public announcement/TV/news 3 At public authorities 3 During a press conference 4 In private environment 6 Via letter 9 At court 11 In the office/at work 11 Online/digital 24 During a demonstration 31 Public place/street 33 10 Mapping Media Freedom | Monitoring Report Mapping Media Freedom | Monitoring Report 11 89 35 TYPE OF MEDIA ACTOR 23 July - October 2020 8 4 1 1 Translator/fixerWhistleblower Journalist/editor of journalist/media actor Media owner/broadcasterBlogger/citizen journalist Photographer/camera operator