Press freedom and the space for independent media are under threat, as stipulated in various UN resolutions addressing journalist safety. UN Sectary-General Guterres stated that ‘civic space has been shrinking worldwide at an alarming rate. And with anti-media rhetoric on the rise, so too are violence and harassment against journalists, including women … When media workers are targeted, societies as a whole pay a price.’ Governments practise legal intimidation and censorship of dissenting voices, also in the digital space. Criminal gangs threaten those who report on corruption. The result is that journalists exercise self-censorship, leave the profession, disappear into exile or stay silent. This is a deliberate attack on civic space that requires a cross-cutting approach to safety of journalists.
This Safety Resource Space is the place to find information on the safety of journalists. It includes information on Free Press Unlimited’s safety-related activities, background information on the safety of journalists, practical resources, and best practices and examples of successful projects and approaches.
Explore the following topics:
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Free Press Unlimited believes that a safe work environment is a basic need for independent media. It is imperative that journalists carry out their work free from violence and free from obstruction. A commitment to safety cuts across all of Free Press Unlimited’s activities.
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Free Press Unlimited believes that safety should be approached as a comprehensive concept that has physical, psycho-social, digital and legal dimensions. As these dimensions of safety impact on each other, it is important to adopt an inclusive approach, that also takes gender into account.
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Free Press Unlimited directs its efforts to address safety along four different pillars, being support to journalists in distress, capacity development, tools and resources, and advocacy and campaigning.
![Credit: Romy van den Boogaart](https://kq.freepressunlimited.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/RS1419_Freepress-HR-4622-1024x684.jpg)
Free Press Unlimited’s work on the safety of journalists builds upon a number of key international instruments, which reflect international commitments to further the safety of journalists.
![Credit: Sandro Weltin](https://kq.freepressunlimited.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/RS5092_51745_001-1-1024x682.jpg)
Free Press Unlimited works together with other like-minded organisations in a number of international networks and coalitions in order to contribute towards journalist safety, both locally and internationally.
Evidence base: Safety of journalists
Source | Year | Country | Organisation | Author |
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Impact of the 2015 Universal Periodic Review on Press Freedom in Nepal | 2020 | Nepal | Free Press Unlimited | Thakur, M. |
Journalism & the Pandemic: A Global Snapshot of Impacts | 2020 | Global | International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) & Tow Center for Digital Journalism | Posetti, J. et al. |
Safety of Journalists and the Fighting of Corruption in the EU | 2020 | Denmark, Europe, Hungary, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden | Institute for Information Law (IViR), University of Amsterdam | McGonagle, T. et al. |
States of Control: COVID, Cuts and Impunity: South Asia Press Freedom Report 2019-2020 | 2020 | Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka | International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) | International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) |
Balancing Act: Countering Digital Disinformation While Respecting Freedom of Expression | 2020 | Global | Broadband Commission for Sustainable Development | Bontcheva, K. & Posetti, J. (eds.) |
COVID-19 News Organisations Safety Protocols: Working with Freelancers | 2020 | Global | ACOS Alliance | ACOS Alliance |
Online violence Against Women Journalists: A Global Snapshot of Incidence and Impacts | 2020 | Global | UNESCO and the International Center for Journalists (ICFJ) | Posetti, J. et al. |
Journalism Without Fear or Favour: Background Paper on Safety Challenges of Journalists in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia | 2020 | Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines | Free Press Unlimited | Aziz, M. |
Joint stakeholder submission UPR Nepal 2021 | 2020 | Nepal | Freedom Forum and Free Press Unlimited | Freedom Forum and Free Press Unlimited |
Internal Evaluation Reporters Respond and Legal Defense Fund (2018-2019) | 2020 | Global | Free Press Unlimited | Aziz, M. |
Media Pluralism Monitor 2020 | 2020 | Albania, Austria, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Eastern Europe, Estonia, Europe, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom | Centre for Media Pluralism and Media Freedom (CMPF), European University Insitute | Brogi, E. et al. |
Newsroom Best Practices for Addressing Online Violence Against Journalists | 2019 | Finland, Germany, Poland, United Kingdom | International Press Institute (IPI) | Trionfi, B. & Luque, J. |