Episode 7 of the CFOM podcast was recorded to mark the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) Summit.

The summit, held this year in Brussels, Belgium, in October, is organised by the MFRR, a consortium of organisations engaged in media freedom work. The Europe-wide mechanism tracks, monitors and reacts to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries. The MFRR provides legal support, public advocacy and information to protect journalists and media workers.

Presenter Dr Gemma Horton spoke to some of the speakers and organisers to get their views on the state of journalistic freedom. In particular, we highlight the threats that media freedom is under across Europe, highlighting Georgia as a specific example where independent reporting is being shut down:

• Elena Rodina: a press freedom expert specialising in journalistic resistance, cross-border collaboration, and exiled media. She coordinates the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) consortium at the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF)
• Renate Schroeder: Director of the European Federation of Journalists
• Lia Chakhunashvili: Executive Director of the Georgian Charter of Journalistic Ethics
• Irma Dimitradze: Communications Manager and journalist at Gazeti Batumelebi LLC, an independent Georgian media organization that operates batumelebi.ge and netgazeti.ge.

You can contact CFOM on ⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠ or on X at ⁠⁠⁠@CFOMsheff⁠⁠⁠

Presented by Dr Gemma Horton

Produced by Anna Jones