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Latest News and Monitoring from Media Freedom Rapid Response

Romania: Political advertising in media is further corroding independent journalism

Press freedom in Romania is under renewed threat as political parties have been distorting journalism with tens of millions of euros of public money flowing into the media. Major political parties and Romanian media outlets have in recent years signed significant contracts for political advertising, though transparency mechanisms are lacking. The content paid by parties […]

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Analysis: Backsliding in Bosnia and Herzegovina as media freedom faces myriad challenges

Media freedom in Bosnia and Herzegovina is undergoing a worrying period of backsliding amidst a string of restrictive new legislative efforts, hostile rhetoric and denigration of journalists by public officials, and ongoing systemic challenges facing the independence of public service media. These were the initial findings of a coalition of international journalists and media freedom […]

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Romania: Concern grows over betting industry’s impact on media freedom

November 1 was the last time Gazeta Sporturilor (GSP), Romania’s leading sports publication and one of the oldest media brands in Europe, was published in print.  It was closed overnight without any notice. Within four months, the publication, owned by Swiss media group Ringier, has seen its editorial coordinator and editor-in-chief dismissed and its print […]

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Latest IJ4EU investigations stir debate in Europe

What do Iranian-made kamikaze drones used by Russia in Ukraine have in common with a massive Russian gas project in the Arctic and Moscow’s war machine in the separatist Transnistria region in Moldova? All three have benefited from parts, technology or fuel provided by companies in the European Union — despite sanctions imposed after Russia’s […]

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