On October 12, 2026, the Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) Summit convened in Brussels at the Representation of the State of North Rhine‑Westphalia to the EU, with the support of Heinrich‑Böll‑Stiftung and Goethe‑Institut. The summit gathered leading voices from international institutions, journalists, and policymakers to address the most pressing challenges to media freedom: financial sustainability of journalism, growing digital threats, legal harassment, foreign interference, the future of public service media, information integrity, and gendered dimensions of attacks against journalists.
In an exclusive ICJ report, four distinguished figures shared their insights:
- Renate Schroeder, Director of the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), warned of the growing fragility of the profession: “Journalism is expensive — without money there is no journalism.” She stressed that governments have failed to implement the European Media Freedom Act and emphasized that EFJ is prepared to pursue national court cases to defend sources, fight spyware, and protect public service media.
- Leopoldo Maldonado Gutierrez, Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, United Nations Special Procedures, described a global rollback of democratic safeguards: “We are going back worldwide. Democracies are shrinking, civic space is closing.” He underlined that freedom of expression is increasingly “weaponised by extremist groups” and pledged to remain close to those facing reprisals, drawing on his experience from Mexico and Central America.
- Audrius Perkauskas, Deputy Head of Unit at the European Commission, DG for Communication Networks, Content and Technology (DG CONNECT), explained the significance of the new regulation: “The European Media Freedom Act has equal weight as national law. Member states must proactively align their legislation.” He highlighted that infringement procedures remain the Commission’s instrument when governments fail to comply.
- David Kardos, Senior Advocacy and Policy Advisor, European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), emphasized the importance of visibility and advocacy: “Numbers vary, but the situation is not improving. These summits are crucial to push decision‑makers toward action.”
The collective message of the summit was clear: independent media must be strengthened as a cornerstone of democratic resilience and security across Europe.
ICJ conducted this report and secured exclusive interviews with EFJ, the United Nations, the European Commission, and ECPMF — bringing their voices together in one powerful testimony on the state of press freedom.
Watch the full ICJ video report and interviews below.
