Ukraine – a strategic review
The AEJ UK got an insider's updated view of Ukraine at a lunchtime meeting on November 28.Olena Sotnyk, an advisor to Ukraine's deputy prime minister for European and Euro-Atlantic integration and senior representative in Kyiv of geopolitical consultants Rasmussen […]
Ceasefire for Israel and Hezbollah
A ceasefire meant to end 14 months of the deadliest war in decades between Israel and Hezbollah began at 0400 on 27 November.The agreement requires Hezbollah and Israel to withdraw their forces and weapons from the area between the […]
AEJ International annual congress – media freedom and AI
Two topics that capture the enormity of the challenges facing journalism and the media dominated the Association of European Journalists annual congress in Rome: media freedom and artificial intelligence. […]
CoE member states call for stronger journalist protections
Marking International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, 11 member states of the Council of Europe have made a collective call for states everywhere to strengthen protections for journalists.The statement on 2 November 2024 from the "Group of Friends" […]
CoE Platform raises media freedom concerns across Ireland
The AEJ has joined partners of the Council of Europe’s Platform on Safety of Journalists to call for authorities in the Irish Republic to improve protections for journalists and for decisive measures in Northern Ireland to end covert police […]
Massive prisoner exchange frees Evan Gershkovich and others
Russia has released American journalist Evan Gershkovich in the biggest prisoner swap in post-Soviet history.Also among those released was one of the most prominent opponents of the Putin regime, Vladimir Kara-Murza, a dual British-Russian citizen and winner of the […]
The AEJ UK
The AEJ UK is part of a professional network of journalists and specialists active across Europe, independent of any institutional or political group and recognised by the Council of Europe, the OSCE and UNESCO. We connect the newsmakers who shape our political and economic world with journalists, broadcasters and writers on European affairs. Meetings are open to journalists, academics and Europe specialists […]
Alternatives for Germany
What are the alternatives for Germany – and Europe?Recent unprecedented election gains in regional elections in eastern Germany for the right-wing Alternative für Deutschland party have shocked Germany’s political establishment and observers around Europe.But should […]
Information wars and the “endless” conflict over Gaza
At an AEJ lunch on June 13, two experts examined the rival national narratives, political messaging, and information controls which shape public understanding of the Israeli-Gaza war.The meeting included two presentations and a discussion […]
UK parties offer patchy policies on media
The party manifestos for the UK general election on July 4 were launched this week amid much fanfare and hype.But how much substance is there when it comes to policies on the media and […]
Media Freedom
Russia sentences Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in penal colony
A Russian court has sentenced American journalist Evan Gershkovich to 16 years in prison for espionage in the first conviction of a US journalist for […]
Growing challenges to journalism – Reuters Institute
The 2024 Reuters Institute Digital News Report warns that accurate independent journalism remains more important than ever but news media in many countries face challenges […]
RSF director Christophe Deloire
The AEJ UK notes with sadness the death from cancer of Christophe Deloire, director of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), in Paris on June 8.We have […]
News
Heavy jail sentences for Just Stop Oil protesters spark outcry
Human rights and freedom groups have joined a chorus of criticism against stiff prison sentences for five Just Stop Oil protesters.A Southwark Crown Court judge sentenced the activist environmental group's co-founder Roger Hallam to five years in prison and the other four defendants to 4-year terms on July 18 – the longest sentences ever imposed for […]
International Court of Justice orders end to Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories
In a landmark opinion, the International Court of Justice, the UN's top court, has ruled that Israel's 57-year occupation of Palestinian territories is against international law.The court's 15-judge panel said Israel should stop settlement activity in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, end its "illegal" occupation of those areas and the Gaza Strip as soon […]
UK government resumes funding for UNRWA in Gaza
The new Labour government has overturned a suspension in UK funding for relief agency UNRWA in Gaza and will provide £21 million in new support.Funding was frozen in January after Israel claimed 12 UNRWA staff were involved in the 7 October Hamas attacks in Israel. The allegations remain unproven; UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works […]
Ukraine analysis
Russian journalism in exile
What's it like for journalists who have fled Russia since Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022? And the many independent […]
Reporting the war in Ukraine
The war in Ukraine has turned Ukrainian journalists into war reporters.At a workshop of the University of Sheffield’s Centre for Media Freedom hosted by the centre's […]
Reflections on Mikhail Gorbachev
The death of former Russian president Mikhail Gorbachev on August 30 2022 of course sparked strongly mixed reaction around the world.And perhaps unsurprisingly reopened wildly […]