A troubling trend is taking root across Europe. Inspired by a 2012 Russian law, several authoritarian regimes are now experimenting with so-called "foreign agent laws." In Russia, this legislation has severely weakened political opposition, civil society, and independent media. It asks organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register with the authorities as “foreign agents.”
In his report Foreign Agent Laws: A Worrying Trend, Christian Holland notes that “The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that the archetypal foreign agent law violates fundamental rights and exhibits the “hallmarks of totalitarianism”, imposing punitive sanctions on NGOs and curtailing journalists’ ability to participate in public life.” In Georgia, a similar law was introduced in 2023 but was withdrawn after significant public and media resistance—only to be passed by the pro-Russian government in May 2024. Other countries are following. In May 2025, an EU member—Viktor Orbán’s Hungary—considered adopting such a law. Though it has been postponed, the threat still looms over the survival of Hungarian independent media.
So, how can we resist the interference of regimes seeking to suppress independent journalism? Can pan-European solidarity movements and networks help push back against these authoritarian measures? And what lessons can be drawn from media organisations already operating under foreign agent laws—so we can better prepare for what may come?
With:Gábor Kardos (444), Mariam Nikuradze (OC Media), Ena Bavčić (European Centre for Press and Media Freedom), Manon Moulin (Reset! network)
Moderation: Alexandra Tyan (Sphera & Médianes)
All content for Radio Lab is the property of European Lab and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
A troubling trend is taking root across Europe. Inspired by a 2012 Russian law, several authoritarian regimes are now experimenting with so-called "foreign agent laws." In Russia, this legislation has severely weakened political opposition, civil society, and independent media. It asks organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register with the authorities as “foreign agents.”
In his report Foreign Agent Laws: A Worrying Trend, Christian Holland notes that “The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that the archetypal foreign agent law violates fundamental rights and exhibits the “hallmarks of totalitarianism”, imposing punitive sanctions on NGOs and curtailing journalists’ ability to participate in public life.” In Georgia, a similar law was introduced in 2023 but was withdrawn after significant public and media resistance—only to be passed by the pro-Russian government in May 2024. Other countries are following. In May 2025, an EU member—Viktor Orbán’s Hungary—considered adopting such a law. Though it has been postponed, the threat still looms over the survival of Hungarian independent media.
So, how can we resist the interference of regimes seeking to suppress independent journalism? Can pan-European solidarity movements and networks help push back against these authoritarian measures? And what lessons can be drawn from media organisations already operating under foreign agent laws—so we can better prepare for what may come?
With:Gábor Kardos (444), Mariam Nikuradze (OC Media), Ena Bavčić (European Centre for Press and Media Freedom), Manon Moulin (Reset! network)
Moderation: Alexandra Tyan (Sphera & Médianes)
Challenges and Opportunities of New Technologies for Reporting on Palestine
Radio Lab
1 hour 20 minutes 12 seconds
1 month ago
Challenges and Opportunities of New Technologies for Reporting on Palestine
How do emerging technologies reshape the landscape of journalism in contexts of extreme violence? On the one hand, open-source tools, satellite imagery, and digital platforms have enabled unprecedented documentation and investigation of events in Gaza, offering new ways to expose truths and challenge dominant narratives, silences, and denials. Yet, these same technologies—surveillance systems, AI-driven targeting, algorithmic bias, and the weaponisation of social media—have facilitated mass violence, censorship, and disinformation, accelerating a genocide against Palestinians.While Gazan journalists are being killed by the Israeli army, and international journalists are being deny their right to cover the strip, how can technology be used to investigate, do justice for lost Gazan journalists, and make Israel accountable? This is about interrogating this double-edged role of technology: as both a tool for accountability and a mechanism of oppression. Gaza is not only a case study, it is a warning—and a call to rethink how we use and govern technology in the struggle for justice.
With: James Kleinfeld (journalist), Marwa Fatafta (Access Now), Youssr Youssef (journalist, ex-Forbidden Stories)
Moderation: Souria Cheurfi
Radio Lab
A troubling trend is taking root across Europe. Inspired by a 2012 Russian law, several authoritarian regimes are now experimenting with so-called "foreign agent laws." In Russia, this legislation has severely weakened political opposition, civil society, and independent media. It asks organisations receiving more than 20% of their funding from abroad to register with the authorities as “foreign agents.”
In his report Foreign Agent Laws: A Worrying Trend, Christian Holland notes that “The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) has ruled that the archetypal foreign agent law violates fundamental rights and exhibits the “hallmarks of totalitarianism”, imposing punitive sanctions on NGOs and curtailing journalists’ ability to participate in public life.” In Georgia, a similar law was introduced in 2023 but was withdrawn after significant public and media resistance—only to be passed by the pro-Russian government in May 2024. Other countries are following. In May 2025, an EU member—Viktor Orbán’s Hungary—considered adopting such a law. Though it has been postponed, the threat still looms over the survival of Hungarian independent media.
So, how can we resist the interference of regimes seeking to suppress independent journalism? Can pan-European solidarity movements and networks help push back against these authoritarian measures? And what lessons can be drawn from media organisations already operating under foreign agent laws—so we can better prepare for what may come?
With:Gábor Kardos (444), Mariam Nikuradze (OC Media), Ena Bavčić (European Centre for Press and Media Freedom), Manon Moulin (Reset! network)
Moderation: Alexandra Tyan (Sphera & Médianes)
