The Media Freedom Coalition (MFC) is a partnership of 47 countries working to defend media freedom. One of its key activities is issuing statements that condemn those who attack media freedom. For example, here is the MFC’s most recent statement censoring the military and police in Myanmar.
To mark World Press Freedom Day 2021, we look back at the work the MFC has done in the last 12 months – who has joined the coalition? What statements have they issued? And which member countries agreed to sign them?
MFC Membership
- The Media Freedom Coalition (MFC) currently has 47 members, and has made 13 joint statements in the last 12 months.
- The MFC is growing relatively fast: it added 15 new members in the last 15 months.
- 60% of MFC members are European
- The MFC’s Executive Group are: The UK (co-chair), Canada (co-chair), Germany, Ghana, Latvia, Maldives, Netherlands, USA.
MFC Statements
- Most MFC statements focus on condemning threats to media freedom in non-members (e.g. China, Belarus, Myanmar, Uganda)
- The MFC has not yet ‘expressed concern’ publicly about media freedom in any of its own member country
- The most strongly supported MFC statement was about Egypt (71% signed)
- The least strong supported statement was on the Philippines (23% signed)
- Some executive group members rarely sign statements: Ghana 31% / Maldives 31%.
- The only country outside the executive group to sign all statements is Switzerland
- Lebanon has signed the least statements of any original MFC member (13%)
- The percentage of MFC states signing joint statements is generally increasing.
Attention
Our research shows that MFC statements generate very limited media coverage.
