Home > Themes > Safety of journalists > Four pillars of safety > Support to journalists in distress > Support by other organisations

Support by other organisations

This page contains an overview of different types of support that organisations offer to journalists, human rights defenders (HRDs), civil society organisations (CSOs), and a variety of other actors who may be at risk as a direct result of their work. The type of support that is available may range from financial support, to legal advice, to temporary shelter.

OrganisationType of supportDescriptionTarget group
Freedom HouseFinancial supportEmergency Assistance Programme: financial support for a.o.
  • legal defense;
  • medical treatment;
  • replacement of damaged equipment;
  • relocation
HRDs, CSOs, survivors of religious persecution
Human Rights WatchFinancial supportHellman-Hammett Grants: financial support (1000-10,000 USD)Writers who have been victims of political persecution, writers who have an urgent need to leave their country, writers who need immediate medical treatment after serving prison terms or enduring torture
Front Line DefendersFinancial supportProtection Grants: financial support (up to 7500 EUR) for
  • improving physical, digital or communication security of an organisation or individual;
  • legal fees of judicially harassed HRDs;
  • medical fees of HRDs, injured as a result of their work;
  • family assistance for imprisoned HRDs or family members who are at risk because of a HRD's activities
HRDs (including journalists) at risk as a direct result of their work
Freedom House & Front Line DefendersFinancial supportCSO Lifeline: financial support for a.o.
  • security;
  • medical expenses;
  • legal representation;
  • prison visits;
  • trial monitoring;
  • temporary relocation;
  • equipment replacement;
  • other urgently needed expenses
Established CSOs (can be either an NGO, journalist association, network organisation, community-based organisation, student group, labour union, think tank etc.) that are threatened as a result of their human rights activities
International Federation of JournalistsFinancial supportSafety Fund: financial support for a.o.
  • forced exile due to threats at home;
  • litigation needing help with legal fees;
  • medical expenses for injured journalists;
  • travel costs to cover journeys to safety
Journalists at risk as a direct result of their work
Rory Peck TrustFinancial supportAssistance Grants: financial support for
  • medical and rehabilitation costs;
  • emergency subsistence;
  • legal advice;
  • relocation costs
Freelance journalists and their families in crisis as a direct result of their work
Committee to Protect JournalistsFinancial supportGene Roberts Emergency Fund: financial supportJournalists at risk as a direct result of their work
Canadian Journalists for Free ExpressionFinancial supportJournalists in Distress Programme: financial support (500-1500 CAD) for
  • legal fees of detained journalists;
  • medical expenses;
  • transportation costs to flee a dangerous situation;
  • families of killed or imprisoned journalists;
  • resettlement costs
Journalists at risk as a direct result of their work
Urgent Action Fund for Women's Human RightsFinancial supportRapid Response Grants: financial support (up to 8000 USD), for use within 3 monthsWomen and trans HRDs at risk as as direct result of their work
PEN InternationalFinancial supportPEN Emergency Fund: financial support (up to 1250 EUR) for a.o.
  • safe passage;
  • medical assistance;
  • general support towards living expenses
Writers who have been persecuted and are in acute financial need
FIDH - Observatory for the Protection of Human Rights DefendersFinancial supportEmergency Grants: financial support for
  • physical security;
  • digital security;
  • communications;
  • capacity building in security;
  • secure transportation;
  • legal support;
  • medical support (including psycho-social support and rehabilitation)
  • humanitarian assistance (including family support);
  • urgent relocation;
  • urgent monitoring, reporting or advocacy
HRDs or organisations at risk as a direct result of their work
International Media SupportFinancial supportSafety Fund: short-term (< 6 months) financial support for the immediate needs of the individual or his/her close relativesJournalists at risk as a direct result of their work
Civil Rights DefendersFinancial supportFinancial support (up to 6000 EUR) for
  • emergency needs;
  • preventive security needs
An individual HRD, or an organisation defending human rights (in East Africa, Eastern Europe, Central Asia, Southeast Asia, Latin America)
International Women's Media FoundationFinancial and non-financial supportFinancial support for
  • small grants for psychological and medical care for incidents directly related to threats and crises caused by one's work as a journalists;
  • three months of temporary relocation assistance in the event of crisis or threat;
  • legal aid to counter threats of imprisonment or censorship
  • non-financial assistance in the form of information about additional access to resources
Female journalists at risk as a direct result of their work
Protect DefendersFinancial and material supportFinancial and material support to individual HRDs at risk for
  • physical and digital security;
  • secure transportation;
  • legal support;
  • medical support (including psycho-social support and rehabilitation);
  • urgent relocation and monitoring
HRDs and human rights organisations
Reporters Without BordersFinancial and administrative supportFinancial and administrative support for a.o.
  • medical care;
  • legal fees;
  • safe refuge
  • resolution of most urgent needs;
  • aid of families of journalists
Professional journalists and citizen journalists who have been the victims of reprisals as a direct result of their work
Society of Professional Journalists & National Freedom of InformationFinancial and legal supportLegal or direct financial assistance
  • to aid journalists in defending the freedom of speech and press;
  • to initiate and support litigation that enforces public access to government records and proceedings
Journalists in the United States
European Centre for Press and Media FreedomLegal supportJournalists in Distress Programme: financial support (500-1500 CAD) for
  • legal fees when journalists are detained;
  • medical expenses when journalists are caught in the line of fire or traumatised by their coverage;
  • transportation costs to flee a dangerous situation;
  • financial support for the families of journalists who have been killed or imprisoned;
  • resettlement costs within first year of arriving in a final safe country
Journalists and media organisations who are facing threats in European countries
International Women's Media Foundation & Senior Lawyers ProjectLegal supportPro bono legal advice, particularly around contractsFemale staff reporters and freelance journalists
Media Legal Defence InitiativeLegal supportLegal defence and remedies for journalistJournalists, bloggers and media outlets against whom legal cases have been brought as a direct result of their work
Justice and PeaceTemporary relocationShelter City: temporary refuge (max. three months) in one of the Shelter Cities in the Netherlands (or outside)HRDs (including journalists) who are facing serious threats
Maison des JournalistesTemporary relocation
  • Housing, meals and transportation (max. 6 months) in Paris;
  • administrative, legal and social assistance;
  • French language classes;
  • education
Journalists who have been forced to flee their countries because of persecution relating to their line of work
Hamburg Foundation for Politically Persecuted PeopleTemporary relocationTemporary relocation in GermanyPolitically persecuted people who, because of advocating democracy, freedom and human rights, find themselves in a dangerous situation in their native countries
Defenders in DordrechtTemporary relocationTemporary relocation in the NetherlandsHRDs in need of rest, reflection and recharging
DefenredTemporary relocationTemporary relocation in SpainHRDs under stress
Programa de Acogida Temporal a Personas Defensoras de Derechos HumanosTemporary relocation Temporary relocation in SpainHRDs under stress
Programa Valenciano de Protección Integral y de Acogida de Defensores y Defensoras de Derechos HumanosTemporary relocationTemporary relocation in SpainHRDs under stress
Programa Vasco de Protección para Defensoras y Defensores de Derechos HumanosTemporary relocationTemporary relocation in SpainHRDs under stress
Programa Català de Protección de Defensores y Defensoras de Derechos HumanosTemporary relocationTemporary relocation in SpainHRDs under stress
Consorcio OaxacaTemporary relocationTemporary relocation in MexicoFemale HRDs under stress
International City of Refuge NetworkTemporary relocationLong-term temporary relocation in one of 70 refuge citiesWriters or artists who are threatened or persecuted for expressing their opinions or ideas, through their professional work or/and their art
SKeyes Center for Media and Cultural FreedomTemporary relocationTemporary relocation for approximately three months, with the possibility of a three month extensionJournalists from the Arab League (excluding Syria and Palestine)
SalamaTech - SyriaTech supportEmergency tech support and digital safety awareness, e.g. regarding
  • securing online accounts;
  • coping with malware;
  • reinstating social media accounts;
  • digital safety awareness
Syrian non-violent actors
International Committee of the Red CrossHelpdeskHotline assistance: +41 79 217 32 85The journalists’ family, editor, national press association, or regional or international press associations
DefendDefendersHelpdeskHotline assistance: +25 67 83 02 76 11HRDs in the East and Horn of Africa (i.e. Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda)
Access NowHelpdeskDigital security helpline in nine languages, offering real-time direct technical assistance and adviceCSOs and activists, media organisations, journalists and bloggers, and HRDs
The Mind FieldPsycho-social supportOnline therapy sessions in English or ArabicInternational development workers, journalists, and similar professionals
World Organisation Against TortureVarious
  • Medical support (including psycho-social support and rehabilitation;
  • physical and digital security;
  • legal support;
  • social assistance (including family support);
  • secure transportation;
  • support to temporary relocation where necessary;
HRDs and human rights organisations facing risks because of their work and in need of emergency support
European Centre for Press and Media FreedomVariousECPMF Helpdesk:
  • guidance and practical support for journalists at risk;
  • scholarship up to EUR 3000
  • trauma therapy
  • legal support for asylum procedures
  • trainings related to digital security, digital self-defence, secure communication, multimedia journalism, mobile journalism, access to information etc.;
  • financing of security precautions, e.g. security guards to protect newsrooms for a certain period of time
Media professionals across Europe; exiled journalists in Germany
Agir Ensemble Pour les Droits de l'HommeVarious
  • Evacuation aid;
  • relocation assistance;
  • legal assistance;
  • medical aid;
  • intervention with authorities
HRDs (including journalists) who are in danger and urgently need help
Back to Four pillars of safety