Press freedom and independent media are increasingly under threat. Each day, journalists around the world are harassed, intimidated and attacked for doing their work. Creating a safe work environment is a basic need in order for independent media to exist. It is imperative that journalists can carry out their work, free from violence and free from obstruction.
The ever-increasing violence and impunity for crimes against journalists worldwide have led to the Safety theme becoming one of our main thematic programmes, with its own budget and dedicated team. Previously this theme ran across-the-board of our activities. We still take the safety of journalists into account in all our programmes, but the Safety theme follows a strategy to not only respond when a journalist has an emergency, but also to prevent it from happening.
At Free Press Unlimited we consider safety an all-embracing concept that includes the physical, psycho-social, digital and the legal domains equally. We believe that there are no one-size-fits-all solutions, as the safety challenges vary per context, and therefore the solutions differ as well. Our approach is based on three pillars: Prevention, Protection and Prosecution.
In preventing and decreasing attacks on journalists, law enforcement plays a big role. When good legislation is in place, that protects press freedom and freedom of expression, the tolerance for attacks on journalists will decrease. To accomplish this, advocacy is a very important tool, we actively encourage those responsible to put press freedom higher on the political agenda and to take concrete action. Free Press Unlimited is part of several networks dedicated to the safety of journalists – both at grassroots and international level – allowing us to provide preventive support to journalists worldwide, swiftly and in a coordinated manner. We have provided inputs to numerous resolutions and declarations passed by international collaborations regarding the safety of media professionals, like the review of the UNESCO Plan of Action for the Safety of Journalists. Besides the judicial part, we also work on prevention by making journalists more resilient for (online) attacks. For example, we provide free courses about digital safety to journalists worldwide through our platform Totem.
In addition, Free Press Unlimited developed a curriculum for a safety training that is specifically tailored to women journalists. It is a comprehensive safety training that integrates physical, digital, and psycho-social safety elements. You can find more information and the full curriculum here.
Of course the ideal is to prevent attacks on journalists. Unfortunately, that is not the reality. Every year we assist hundreds of journalists and media organisations in distress. For this, Free Press Unlimited manages an emergency fund for media workers: Reporters Respond. This international emergency response fund provides direct financial assistance, legal support, and safety advice to journalists and media outlets in distress, enabling them to resume their work as quickly as possible when faced with a crisis situation. This international fund can support journalists and media organisations who are confronted with (online) harassment, intimidation, legal proceedings, or violence because of their work.
Insurances for local journalists is also an important issue in protection. As Free Press Unlimited has worked on crisis cases around the world for many years, we know first hand that most of these journalists neither had a risk assessment or an insurance plan in place. In 2021, Free Press Unlimited launched a pilot insurance project, insuring 90 local journalists for a period of one year (for an average of 10 days per month) in Central America. Being insured provides a sense of protection, for themselves and their families, giving journalists a peace of mind when they are out on the street covering protests or investigating corruption and organised crime.
We see that the judiciary plays an essential role in achieving safety and protection for journalists. Impunity for crimes against journalists is a huge problem. When a journalist is murdered for doing his or her job, in nine out of ten cases the killer goes free. With A Safer World For The Truth we fight against this impunity. In this project cold cases of murdered journalists are re-opened and investigated. Through these investigations, new facts and information around the killings are revealed, paving the way for pursuing justice.
We are not working on this alone. Together with international partners we verify and discuss cases, coordinate joint efforts and aim to find sustainable solutions where possible.
The Journalists in Distress network is an informal network involving 22 international organisations providing assistance to journalists. Free Press Unlimited currently coordinates the network.
Article 19 | Canadian Journalists for Freedom of Expression (CJFE)| Committee to Protect Journalists | Defend Defenders (EHAHRDP) | English PEN | Euro-Mediterranean Foundation of Support to Human Rights Defenders | European Centre for Press and Media Freedom | Freedom House | Front Line Defenders | ICORN International Cities of Refuge | | International Media Support | Internews | International Women's Media Foundation | IREX Journalist Safety Network | Journalists helping journalists | Marie Colvin Journalists Network | Media Defence | Pen International | Pen America | Rory Peck Trust | Reporters Without Borders | SKeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom
The Media Freedom Rapid Response (MFRR) tracks, monitors and reacts to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries. This project provides legal and practical support, public advocacy and information to protect journalists and media workers. The project commenced in 2020 and is co-funded by the European Commission.
The consortium consists out of: European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) | ARTICLE19 Europe | the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) | Free Press Unlimited (FPU) | International Press Institute (IPI) | CCI/Osservatorio Balcani e Caucaso Transeuropa (OBCT).
Read more about the MFRR here.
For more information on this theme, please see our Safety resource guide.
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