Active Watch

Active Watch is a Romanian non-profit association that works to protect and promote the right to free expression and freedom of the press. Its mission, as stated on its official website, is to advocate for free communication in the public interest and for the respect of human rights. The organisation is based in Bucharest and operates primarily in Romania, where it monitors media freedom, public discourse, and access to information. Active Watch traces its origins to 1994, when the Media Monitoring Agency (Agenția de Monitorizare a Presei, AMP) was founded by Mircea Toma, who remains the association's president. Until October 2006, the organisation was known as the Media Monitoring Agency – Academia Cațavencu (AMP-AC) and functioned as a department within the Academia Cațavencu Cultural Foundation, a non-profit established in 1991 that also published the weekly satirical magazine Academia Cațavencu until 1996. After separating from that structure, the organisation adopted the name Active Watch. Active Watch's work spans several areas: FreeEx (freedom of expression), press freedom, media and society, media literacy, responsible public discourse, good governance, public participation, and social justice. It publishes reports and digests, such as the FreeEx Digest on SLAPPs and freedom of expression in Romania, and it frequently issues open letters and press statements on topics ranging from anti-SLAPP legislation to social housing in Bucharest and hate speech against journalists. Over the years, Active Watch has been involved in coalition-building and election monitoring. In 2008, together with Pro Democrația and the Romanian Center for Investigative Journalism, it compiled a list of 130 parliamentary candidates from western Romania who did not meet integrity criteria. In 2009, it joined Pro Democrația and Cartel Alfa to create the Alliance for Fair Elections, which monitored the presidential elections of 22 November and 6 December 2009. The organisation has also run environmental and child-rights projects, such as the 2006–2007 "Nu tăia pădurea ca-n codru" campaign. Active Watch has occasionally faced public criticism. In February 2010, press reports alleged that three journalists – Radu Moraru, Marius Drăghici and Laurențiu Ciocăzeanu – had been involved in civil lawsuits for two years based on an analysis produced by AMP. The lawsuits had been initiated by the Romanian-American Investment Fund (FRAI) against the three journalists over disclosures they made in the press about the investment fund. Today, Active Watch continues to function as a civil-society organisation, publishing articles, open letters and reports on its website and engaging with Romanian authorities and international partners on media freedom and human rights issues.

Active Watch is a Romanian non-profit association dedicated to protecting and promoting the right to free expression and freedom of the press. Its roots lie in the Media Monitoring Agency (Agenția de Monitorizare a Presei, AMP), which was founded in 1994 by Mircea Toma, who has served as the association's president. Until October 2006, the organisation was known as the Media Monitoring Agency – Academia Cațavencu (AMP-AC) and operated as a department within the Academia Cațavencu Cultural Foundation, a non-profit established in 1991 that also published the weekly satirical magazine Academia Cațavencu until 1996. After separating from that structure, it adopted the name Active Watch. In the period December 2006–November 2007, AMP carried out the project "Nu tăia pădurea ca-n codru" (Don't cut the forest like in the old days) in partnership with the Association for Economic and Social Cohesion (ACES), the Forest Research and Management Institute (ICAS) and the Romanian National Committee for Children's Rights. This project reflected the organisation's broader engagement with environmental and child-rights issues beyond media monitoring. In November 2008, Pro Democrația and AMP, together with the Romanian Center for Investigative Journalism, compiled a list of 130 people from the western half of the country who aspired to a parliamentary seat but did not meet integrity criteria. These criteria, with minor variations, had also been used in 2004 by the Coalition for a Clean Parliament. In October 2009, AMP, together with Pro Democrația and Cartel Alfa, created the Alliance for Fair Elections, with the aim of monitoring the presidential elections of 22 November and 6 December 2009. In February 2010, press reports raised accusations against AMP that for two years three journalists – Radu Moraru, Marius Drăghici and Laurențiu Ciocăzeanu – had civil lawsuits pending based on an analysis produced by AMP. The lawsuits had been initiated by the Romanian-American Investment Fund (FRAI) against the three journalists because of disclosures they made in the press about the investment fund. In the years since, Active Watch has continued its advocacy and monitoring work. Its website features sections on FreeEx (freedom of expression), press freedom, media and society, media literacy, responsible public discourse, good governance, public participation and social justice. It publishes reports such as the FreeEx Digest on SLAPPs and freedom of expression in Romania, and it regularly issues open letters and press statements on topics including anti-SLAPP legislation, hate speech against journalists, and social housing in Bucharest. The organisation remains active in Romanian civil society, engaging with authorities and international partners on media freedom and human rights.

• 2026

  Active Watch joins 69 organisations in an open letter asking the President of Romania to promulgate the anti-SLAPP law.

• 2010

  Press accusations against AMP regarding civil lawsuits involving three journalists and the Romanian-American Investment Fund (FRAI).

• 2009

  AMP, Pro Democrația and Cartel Alfa create the Alliance for Fair Elections to monitor the presidential elections.

• 2008

  AMP, Pro Democrația and the Romanian Center for Investigative Journalism compile a list of 130 parliamentary candidates lacking integrity.

• 2007

  End of the "Nu tăia pădurea ca-n codru" project.

• 2006

  AMP-AC is renamed Active Watch after separating from the Academia Cațavencu Cultural Foundation.

• 2006

  Start of the project "Nu tăia pădurea ca-n codru" in partnership with ACES, ICAS and the Romanian National Committee for Children's Rights.

• 1996

  Academia Cațavencu weekly ceases publication.

• 1994

  Media Monitoring Agency (AMP) is founded by Mircea Toma.

• 1991

  Academia Cațavencu Cultural Foundation, the parent structure of AMP, is established as a non-profit.

Civil-society watchdog and advocacy organisation for free expression, press freedom and good governance in Romania.

• FreeEx Digest

  Periodic digest on SLAPPs and freedom of expression in Romania.

• Open letters and press statements

  Advocacy communications on media freedom, governance and social justice.

1. 1Active Watch official websiteactivewatch.ro
2. 2Active Watch – Wikipedia (Romanian)ro.wikipedia.org
3. 3Active Watch – Wikidatawikidata.org