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Under pressure: Report on the situation of threatened cartoonists around the world 2023-2025

Paris: Cartooning for Peace; Cartoonists Rights (2026), 48 pp.

"Between June 2023 and June 2025, Cartooning for Peace recorded eighty-seven cases of threats against cartoonists around the world. The types of attacks recorded reveal a predominance of legal proceedings and cases of censorship. This typology indicates that more insidious repressive mechanisms are ... developing, creating a climate of fear and self-censorship, while circumventing the international attention attracted by more obvious, physical repression. Over the past two years, Cartooning for Peace has recorded twenty-two cases of legal proceedings2 brought against cartoonists in several countries, including Türkiye, India, Malaysia, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia. In addition, there have been fourteen cases of censorship targeting cartoonists, taking various forms: editorial censorship, political censorship, etc. In India, the authorities criminalise and censor critical positions by relying on new information legislation, which is used to silence journalists, cartoonists, human rights defenders, and anyone expressing criticism of the authorities. More and more cartoonists are subjected to judicial proceedings that instrumentalise repressive laws – often those ostensibly addressing cybercrime, dis- and misinformation, sedition, extremism and/or terrorism – in an attempt to censor them. In Egypt, pre-trial detention is becoming a new weapon used by the regime to muzzle those who report and debate, through the abuse of anti-terrorism laws. Türkiye is not spared from the growing criminalisation of the media and journalists. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has made clear his desire to silence all dissenting voices, and political cartoonists are being directly targeted. While we are sadly familiar with the list of regimes long-known to be most repressive (Russia, China, Uganda, Nicaragua, etc.), others are shifting towards what some political scientists refer to as competitive authoritarianism’. These hybrid regimes are characterised by the coexistence of democratic institutions and authoritarian practices that violate democratic rules (Türkiye, Hungary, India, the United States, Israel, etc.). On the African continent, cartoonists are increasingly seen less as commentators and more as activists, with political leaders perceiving the visual codes of editorial cartoons as incorporating forms of mobilisation. As youth social movements organise themselves online, cartoons often become rallying symbols, making cartoonists early and visible targets of repression." (General overview, pages 7-8) more

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Nach der Eroberung: Wie Autokraten Medien kontrollieren. Insiderchronik der Übernahme unabhängiger Medien in Ungarn

Ákos Tóth

Kempten: Wahrheitsperlen Verlag (2026), 253 pp.

"Dieses Sachbuch dokumentiert als erstes Werk auf dem deutschen Buchmarkt die systematische Übernahme unabhängiger Medien in Ungarn seit 2010 und zeigt, wie kritischer Journalismus durch Oligarchen-Deals und staatlich gelenkte Geldströme Schritt für Schritt erstickt wurde – mitten in einem Mit ... more

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Protección para un periodismo comunitario y local en la Amazonía: Guía para investigaciones con enfoque de Acción Sin Daño en Colombia, Ecuador y Perú
Deep Insights

Rodrigo Villarzú, Matthias Kopp, Belén Pardo Herrero, Claudia Mejía, Edilma Prada, Nathalia Salamanca Sarmiento, Jorge Guachamín, Lisseth Zhuma, Jorge Agurto

Bonn: Deutsche Welle DW Akademie (2026), 54 pp.

"Al inicio del proyecto, cada una de las organizaciones involucradas diseñó sus propios protocolos de seguridad con la asesoría de organizaciones especializadas. La guía sistematiza dichas experiencias para proponer algunas recomendaciones sobre cómo diseñar estos protocolos desde la Acción S ... more

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Kremlin Media Wars: Censorship and Control Since the Invasion of Ukraine

Aleksandra Raspopina, Wendy Sloane (eds.)

London: Routledge (2025), xiv, 174 pp.

"This unique volume brings together academics of Russian journalism and media with journalists and editors who reported or continue to report on the country, to explore and reflect on the changing landscape for journalists in Russia or covering Russia, and the increasing control exerted by the gover ... more

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MFRR Slovakia Mission report: Growing Media Capture, Rising Disinformation and Threats to Safety of Journalists

Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) (2025), 15 pp.

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Precarity and Political Pressure: Addressing Challenges Underming Media Freedom in Croatia

Article 19 Europe (2025), 20 pp.

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Independent Evaluation of the Media Freedom Coalition

Aida Al Kaisy, Daniel Skillings, Ivana Jiménez Barrios

Paris: Aleph Strategies; Media Freedom Coalition (2025), 62 pp.

"The evaluation found that the MFC has made notable contributions to media freedom and journalist safety over the past five years. It has played a role in encouraging some Member States to strengthen their media freedom policies and legislation. The MFC has also influenced state actors through diplo ... matic and advocacy efforts, maintaining high-level political attention on media freedom. Direct interventions, legal guidance, and engagement with embassy networks have contributed to journalist protection efforts at the local level. Furthermore, the MFC has strengthened multi-stakeholder coordination, bringing together governments, civil society, and legal experts. However, the evaluation also identified several areas for improvement. While the MFC provides a platform for dialogue and cooperation, its engagement with members on domestic media freedom policies is voluntary and lacks a structured approach for supporting and tracking commitments. Joint advocacy statements have a greater impact locally than internationally and are often perceived as lacking boldness and clear outcomes. While the MFC has addressed high-profile cases, its focus has sometimes overshadowed broader, systemic media freedom challenges. Engagement with Rights-Holders and organisations working on the ground has been limited, impacting the relevance and sustainability of its strategies. Coordination and collaboration within the MFC are foundational, particularly through diplomatic networks and the development of emergency visa schemes. However, decision-making is often reactive, affecting stakeholder trust. The MFC’s membership is perceived as predominantly Northern-led, and there is potential to leverage its diverse membership more effectively. Knowledge management and information-sharing need strengthening to ensure a deeper understanding of media freedom issues among Member States. The high-level legal expertise of the HLP is underutilised. Clarity around decision-making processes among Member States varies, influencing trust-based collaboration. While engagement at the local level through embassies is effective, it requires more structured guidance and support. Coordination between Member States, the CN, and the HLP remains limited in some areas. In terms of sustainability, the current governance model, particularly the annual rotation of Executive Group co-chairs, can present challenges for knowledge retention and continuity. Funding modalities are complex, leading to perceptions of uneven distribution and impacting trust and coordination. While the MFC has developed working relationships with similar coalitions, more formalised collaboration could maximise resource efficiency. The limited engagement with Rights-Holders influences the visibility and perceived effectiveness of the MFC’s work." (Key findings and conclusions, pages 2-3) more

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Pakistani Journalism Under Pressure In A Tightly Restricted Political Environment, Safety Threats and Internet Shutdowns: Press Freedom and Media Safety in Pakistan in 2024

Karachi: Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) (2025), 24 pp.

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Eroding Media Freedoms, Eroding Democracy. The Future of the Media in Bosnia and Herzegovina – Facts and Trends

Anida Sokol

Sarajevo; Ljubljana: Mediacentar; Peace Institute; South East European Network for Professionalization of Media (SEENPM) (2025), 37 pp.

"Significant changes in journalism and the media have been unfolding in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH), yet these shifts have not been accompanied by adequate policies or interventions. This report outlines key trends affecting journalism, media usage, and democracy, highlighting issues crucial for th ... e future of the profession: • The number of journalism students has significantly decreased over the past decade, a trend which could lead to a shortage of qualified professionals in the long run. • Although unemployment among journalists has declined in recent years, 2023 saw a considerable number of journalists lose their jobs due to the non-renewal of fixed-term contracts or being deemed surplus labour. Unionizing remains unpopular among journalists in the country and without protection mechanisms, journalism in BiH risks becoming even more unstable. • Reports of attacks and violations of journalists’ rights have increased in recent years, reflecting a decline in BiH’s rankings on media freedom indexes. • Despite rapid technological advancements, including the emergence of generative artificial intelligence, the media lack guidelines for their use or studies addressing potential abuses in the media. This absence of regulation and oversight increases the risk of misuse and potential harm. • While regulatory and self-regulatory mechanisms exist, they fail to tackle a core issue in the media: biased reporting, which risks becoming normalized in journalistic practices. • The digital era has brought a proliferation of media outlets, including new television channels. The growth of media outlets does not necessarily improve media pluralism, but could lead to smaller newsrooms, increased workloads of journalists and less quality journalistic content. • Print media has been on the decline, and the country’s major political weekly magazines have ceased publication. Without strategic interventions, print media operations will be difficult to sustain in the future. • Media ownership transparency remains unregulated further aggravating media capture. Media outlets are predominantly owned by companies or individuals with business interests beyond the media sector. • The advertising market has grown slightly in recent years, likely influenced by inflation. However, it remains insufficient to support the growing number of media outlets, posing challenges to financial sustainability. • Television still dominates advertising revenue, but online media’s share is steadily increasing, signalling that digital marketing will become increasingly dominant in the coming years. • Public budgets and donor support remain important for sustaining media operations. Without proper regulation, financing from public budgets, however, bring risks to media independence. • Media primarily serve the interests of the three major ethnic groups, excluding minorities from decision-making roles and positions in mainstream outlets, limiting media pluralism." (Executive summary) more

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Freedoms of Speech: Anthropological Perspectives on Language, Ethics, and Power
Deep Insights

Matei Candea, Taras Fedirko, Paolo Heywood, Fiona Wright (eds.)

Toronto: University of Toronto Press (2025), 479 pp.

"Bringing together leading anthropologists, this collection sheds light on the vast topic of freedoms of speech from a comparatively human perspective. Freedoms of Speech provides a sustained, empirical exploration of the variety of ways freedom of speech is lived, valued, and contested in practice; ... more

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Global Expression Report

Article 19 (2025)

"More than 5.6 billion people have experienced a decline in their freedom of expression over the last 10 years. Scores have sunk in 77 countries, and only 35 countries are now ranked as ‘Open.’ Only 4% of us – fewer than 300 million people – across just 15 countries have experienced improvem ... more

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Gespiegelte Wirklichkeit: 'Osteuropa' und Öffentlichkeit im Wandel

Manfred Sapper (et al.)

Osteuropa, volume 75, issue 1-3 (2025), 472 pp.

"Der 100. Jahrestag von 'Osteuropa' bietet allerdings Anlass, in drei Bereichen das Verhältnis von Osteuropa und Öffentlichkeit zu analysieren. Der erste ist ein kritischer Blick auf die Geschichte und Gegenwart der Zeitschrift. Seit ihrer Gründung bewegt sich Osteuropa an der Grenze zwischen Wis ... senschaft, Journalismus und Politik. Das ist ein Balanceakt. Jens Bisky und Cord Aschenbrenner als Beobachter von außen machen sich Gedanken, ob er funktioniert, und Mitglieder der Redaktion blicken von innen auf die Vergangenheit, die Konstruktionspläne der Gegenwart und den künftigen Reformbedarf. Noch steht Osteuropa quer zum herrschenden Trend der Fragmentierung und Parzellierung der Öffentlichkeit. Interdisziplinarität bleibt fester Bestandteil des Osteuropa-Gens. Der zweite Bereich ist der Frage gewidmet, wie „der Osten“ in den deutschen Horizont kommt und wie aus Informationen Wissen wird. Welche Themen kommen an, welches Erkenntnisinteresse steht hinter der Beschäftigung mit Geschichte, Politik, Literatur oder Musik Osteuropas? Eine Pionierfunktion zur Vermittlung von Informationen aus anderen Ländern haben Korrespondenten. Sie registrieren als erste politische und kulturelle Trends vor Ort, sie sollen durch verlässliche Informationen Öffentlichkeit herstellen. Doch das ist nicht so einfach. Christian Neefs Portrait der drei „Korrespondenten-Promis“ Paul Scheffer, Hermann Pörzgen und Gerd Ruge sowie Markus Ackerets Schilderungen aus dem Moskau von heute veranschaulichen, wie politische Rücksichtnahme, Restriktionen, Einschüchterung und Selbstzensur die Arbeit an der Aufklärung beeinträchtigen. Gleichzeitig zeigen die Rezeptionsanalysen in diesem Bereich, wie stark die historische Osteuropaforschung und die deutsche Aufnahme von Literatur und Musik aus dem Osten Europas von der politischen Großwetterlage bestimmt sind. So spiegeln sich die politischen Brüche des Jahrhunderts 1:1 in der deutsch-deutschen Rezeption sowjetischer Musik. Und das literarische Osteuropa, das lange Zeit terra incognita war, wurde über die besondere Gewaltgeschichte der Region sowie die Verarbeitung der existenziellen Gewalterfahrung im Holocaust oder im Gulag geprägt. En passant zollen wir auf diesem Wege auch einigen jener Personen Anerkennung, die mit ihrem Wirken viel für die Osterweiterung des deutschen Horizonts und für die publizistische Qualität von Osteuropa getan haben und nicht zufällig unter den Autoren dieses Bandes sind: den Historikern Karl Schlögel, Dietrich Beyrau und Gerd Koenen, der Lektorin Katharina Raabe, dem Slavisten Ulrich Schmid, der Musikwissenschaftlerin Dorothea Redepenning und dem Ökonomen Roland Götz. Danke! Im dritten Bereich nehmen wir den Wandel der Medienlandschaft, der Öffentlichkeit und der Gesellschaft in den Kernländern Osteuropas, in Russland, der Ukraine und Belarus in Zeiten von Diktatur und Krieg unter die Lupe. Während es in der Ukraine allen kriegsbedingten Einschränkungen zum Trotz nach wie vor einen relativen Medienpluralismus gibt, sind die Medien in Belarus und Russland weitgehend gleichgeschaltet, Freiräume für Öffentlichkeit und Gesellschaft zerschlagen. Damit wächst die politische und gesellschaftliche Bedeutung des Journalismus, der Publizistik und des Verlagswesens im Exil. Sie sind das Surrogat der öffentlichen Sphäre und Pfeiler der Gegenöffentlichkeit. Und gleichzeitig sind auch sie Barometer zur Prognose der politischen Großwetterlage." (Editorial) more

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The Expanding Media Landscape, Decline in Journalists' Safety, and Low Media Literacy. The Future of the Media in Kosovo – Facts and Trends

Jeton Mehmeti

Sarajevo; Pristina; Ljubljana: Mediacentar; Press Council of Kosovo; Peace Institute; South East European Network for Professionalization of Media (SEENPM) (2025), 32 pp.

"Kosovo enjoys a relatively good legal framework when it comes to the protection of freedom of expression and freedom of the media. Laws concerning protection of journalism sources, protection of whistleblowers, and access to public information appear to be in line with European standards. The overa ... more

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Democratic Decline, Economic and Political Pressures, Urgency for Reforms. The Future of the Media in Turkey – Facts and Trends

Sinem Aydinli

Sarajevo; Istanbul; Ljubljana: Mediacentar; Bianet; Peace Institute; South East European Network for Professionalization of Media (SEENPM) (2025), 39 pp.

"The state of the media and democracy in Turkey faces critical challenges that hinder freedom of expression and pluralism, due to restrictive legal frameworks, economic instability, and cross-ownership in the media sector. Although digitalization has transformed news consumption, the government’s ... more

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Journalism in Transitional Context: Societal Hostility, Self-Censorship and the Expansion of “One Voice Journalism"

Dalia Elsheikh, Daniel Jackson, Nael Jebril

Journalism Practice, volume 19, issue 9 (2025), pp. 1921-1939

"The transformations in the media and political landscapes in Egypt over the last decade and their implications on media pluralism and freedom of expression are well documented. However, less is known about how Egyptian journalists themselves experience these changes; how their relationships with au ... more

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More Media, Rising Challenges for Journalists. The Future of the Media in Montenegro – Facts and Trends

Milica Bogdanovic

Sarajevo; Skopje; Ljubljana: Mediacentar; Montenegro Media Institute; Peace Institute; South East European Network for Professionalization of Media (SEENPM) (2025), 34 pp.

"Since the change of the long-standing DPS government in mid-2020, Montenegrin society has faced political crises. Frequent election cycles and instability in ruling majorities have affected the speed and quality of Montenegro’s integration into the EU, the work and functioning of institutions, an ... d the general social and political environment. After the reconstruction of Montenegro’s 44th government, anti-democratic and anti-European tendencies emerged. These tendencies are reflected in the advocacy for legislation aimed at changing the constitutional order regarding language and citizenship, suppressing criticism from the civil sector, and undermining relations with neighbouring Croatia, an EU member state. This has been accompanied by a decline in trust in key political institutions and an overall unsatisfactory political culture. Although several international studies monitoring the state of democracy, the rule of law, corruption perception, and media freedoms show progress compared to previous years, the current situation in media and journalism is not encouraging. In recent years, institutions have attempted to strategically address the media sector through the adoption of a Media Strategy and amendments to media laws. However, these regulations have not adequately addressed some of the key issues affecting the media landscape, such as media ownership transparency, strong foreign influence in media ownership structures, unregistered portals, and the fight against disinformation. Additionally, they have not implemented new European regulations in this area, indicating that media laws will need to be revised again. The significant increase in the number of media outlets in Montenegro has not led to greater media pluralism or improved journalistic standards. The media market is small, and the launch of new outlets lacks economic justification. The media scene is heavily influenced by foreign actors, predominantly from Serbia. Owners from Serbia control four out of five television stations with national frequency, and two out of three daily newspapers are foreign-owned. These media outlets inevitably influence public opinion and are used to expand political influence, which affects the quality of media reporting and threatens the survival of locally owned media outlets. Year after year, the amount of public funds allocated to media outlets through the Media Pluralism Fund has increased, which is important for their sustainability. The Agency for Electronic Media and the Ministry of Culture and Media distribute the funds transparently, but mechanisms for evaluating the quality of financed projects need to be established. The national regulator, the Agency for Electronic Media, has improved its communication with the public. Recent amendments to the law have expanded its jurisdiction, enabling it to impose measures of varying intensity. While it remains responsible only for electronic media, there is clear potential for the agency to develop into an independent and professional regulator that consistently applies regulations. Current self-regulatory mechanisms in Montenegro’s media sector are not effective, but there is potential for further development in the new amendments to the law. These amendments require media outlets to develop internal self-regulation if they wish to receive funds from the Media Pluralism Fund. Implementing this legal provision must be accompanied by raising awareness among media and journalists about the importance of strong self-regulation. This will help citizens recognize self-regulation as an independent authority capable of improving the quality of reporting and providing a reliable platform for submitting complaints." (Conclusions, pages 28-29) more

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Changing Media Landscape, Same Persistent Problems. The Future of the Media in Albania – Facts and Trends

Ilda Londo

Sarajevo; Tirana; Ljubljana: Mediacentar; Albanian Media Institute; Peace Institute; South East European Network for Professionalization of Media (SEENPM) (2025), 33 pp.

"Analysis of media in Albania and mapping of main trends through credible, regular, and complete data is a problematic endeavour. However, the data available show that it is safe to say that challenges for professional journalism remain formidable in Albania. Full formality of the media market has n ... more

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El periodismo nicaragüense está vivo

Julio López (ed.)

Bogotá: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES), FES Comunicación (2025), 73 pp.

"En este libro, 12 periodistas nicaragüenses exiliados relatan sus historias y su pasión por el periodismo. A pesar del dolor, el desarraigo y la separación familiar continúan su labor informativa, denuncian las agresiones contra la prensa y los abusos a los derechos humanos. Además, presenta u ... more

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2024 Assistance report: Protecting exiled journalists is crucial for press freedom

Victoria Lavenue, Maxine Singeot, Coline Raffaelli, Emmanuelle Dareys, Matéo Pellerin

Paris: Reporters Without Borders (2025), 15 pp.

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Our Media, Our Democracy, Our Future. The Future of the Media in the Western Balkans and Turkey – Facts and Trends. Regional Overview
Deep Insights

Sanela Hodžic, Sandra B. Hrvatin

Sarajevo; Ljubljana: Mediacentar; Peace Institute; South East European Network for Professionalization of Media (SEENPM) (2025), 57 pp.

"The results of the research conducted in Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Turkey suggest that the key determinants for the future of our media and democracies are the following: • The poor socio-economic status of journalists and their exposure to ... pressure and attacks, coupled with modest support mechanisms, cripple the ability of journalists to promote the public interest, report on key issues of public interest, and hold power to account. In the most extreme cases, the pressure involves imprisonment, interrogation, surveillance, and lawsuits aimed at silencing journalists. • The lack of consistent monitoring and registration of cases of Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP) in the region, with dozens of lawsuits against journalists filed by political officials and their affiliates. • A growing number or media outlets, but a declining number of journalism students, highlighting concerns about the future shrinking of staff numbers in media newsrooms and about the growing automatization of journalism. The most drastic drop was in North Macedonia, with the number of journalism students in 2023 amounting to only 11% of the number from ten years ago and 50% of the number from 2000. • The number of media outlets is growing, mostly in the online sector, while print media outlets are becoming increasingly endemic. • A worrying trend of overt concentration of media ownership in the hands of a few media conglomerates, often tied to national or foreign governments, that takes a toll on media freedom and pluralism. • The dominant instrumentalization (through ownership and funding) of media (including private and public) for particular political and/or business interests limits the space for editorial independence and integrity. • Non-profit media are still a rarity in the region, with only a few non-profit radio broadcasters in some countries, and an unknown number of online platforms of civil society organizations with a community-focused mission. • Lack of transparency of the media sector, particularly a lack of accessible and reliable information concerning the media industry and the media market. • Advertising is the main source of revenues in the media sector, with the total revenues ranging between EUR 12 million in Montenegro and over EUR 4 billion in Turkey. • Although it is declining, the TV sector is still dominant in terms of its share of advertising revenues, while social media’s share is increasing, and in Turkey it amounts to as much as 45.7% of advertising revenues. • The tech giants such as Google and Meta are an increasingly dominant competitor for media outlets in the region, jeopardizing the future sustainability of national and local media outlets and potentially curbing political pluralism in public communication. • Public funding for the media, including funding of public broadcasters (declining in four out of seven countries), grants, and subsidies for media outlets and government advertising, amounts to several to dozens of millions of euros per country, taking up an important share of media revenues, but without proactive transparency, effective guarantees of editorial independence, well-defined purpose and evaluation, the opportunities to make public funding for the media an important instrument of media democratization remain under-used. • The representation of different age, gender, ethnic, religious, and other groups in media content and in the newsrooms’ staff is limited. In multiethnic communities some policies promote ethnic diversity of media content, while other identity axes are largely neglected and pluralism in public communication is very limited. Women are an important, and in many countries even dominant, workforce in the media, but remain underrepresented in managerial posts." (Executive summary) more

Protección para un periodismo comunitario y local en la Amazonía: Guía para investigaciones con enfoque de Acción Sin Daño en Colombia, Ecuador y Perú Deep Insights

Freedoms of Speech: Anthropological Perspectives on Language, Ethics, and Power Deep Insights

Our Media, Our Democracy, Our Future. The Future of the Media in the Western Balkans and Turkey – Facts and Trends. Regional Overview Deep Insights

Protección para un periodismo comunitario y local en la Amazonía: Guía para investigaciones con enfoque de Acción Sin Daño en Colombia, Ecuador y Perú
Deep Insights

Freedoms of Speech: Anthropological Perspectives on Language, Ethics, and Power
Deep Insights

Our Media, Our Democracy, Our Future. The Future of the Media in the Western Balkans and Turkey – Facts and Trends. Regional Overview
Deep Insights