reporters without borders

Reporters Without Borders (french: Reporters sans frontières; RSF) is an international non-profit and non-governmental organization with the stated aim of safeguarding the right to freedom of information. It describes its advocacy as founded on the belief that everyone requires access to the news and information, in line with Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that recognizes the right to receive and share information regardless of frontiers, along with other international rights charters. RSF has consultative status at the

United Nations

,

UNESCO

, the Council of Europe, and the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, International Organisation of the Francophonie.

Activities

RSF works on the ground in defence of individual journalists at risk and also at the highest levels of government and international forums to defend the right to freedom of expression and information. It provides daily briefings and press releases on threats to media freedom in French language, French, English language, English, Spanish language, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Farsi and Chinese and publishes an annual press freedom round up, the World Press Freedom Index, that measures the state of media freedom in 180 countries. The organization provides assistance to journalists at risk and training in digital and physical security, as well as campaigning to raise public awareness of abuse against journalists and to secure their safety and liberty. RSF lobbies governments and international bodies to adopt standards and legislation in support of media freedom and takes legal action in defence of journalists under threat.

To mark World Day Against Cyber-Censorship on 12 March, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) unveiled a list of 20 Digital Predators of Press Freedom and announced that it is unblocking access to a total 21 websites in the sixth year of its Operation Collateral Freedom.

History

RSF was founded in Montpellier, France, in 1985 by Robert Ménard, Rémy Loury, Jacques Molénat and Émilien Jubineau. It was registered as a non-profit organization in 1995. Ménard was RSF's first secretary general, succeeded by :fr:Jean-François_Julliard_(ONG), Jean-Francois Juillard. :fr:Christophe_Deloire, Christophe Deloire was appointed secretary-general in 2012.

Structure

RSF's head office is based in Paris. It has 13 regional and national offices, including Brussels, London, Washington, Berlin, Rio de Janeiro and Dakar, and a network of 146 correspondents. It employs 57 salaried staff in Paris and internationally. A board of governors, elected from RSF's members, approves the organization's policies. An International Council has oversight of the organization's activities and approves the accounts and budget.

Advocacy

World Press Freedom Index

Information and Democracy Initiative

In 2018, RSF launched the Information and Democracy Commission to introduce new guarantees for freedom of opinion and expression in the global space of information and communication. In a joint mission statement, the Commission's presidents, RSF secretary-general Christophe Deloire and Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi identified a range of factors currently threatening that freedom. This includes: political control of the media, subjugation of news and information to private interests, the growing influence of corporate actors, online mass disinformation and the erosion of quality journalism.

This Commission published the International Declaration on Information and Democracy to state principles, define objectives and propose forms of governance for the global online space for information and communication. The Declaration emphasised that corporate entities with a structural function in the global space have duties, especially as regards political and ideological neutrality, pluralism and accountability. It called for recognition of the right to information that is diverse, independent and reliable in order to form opinions freely and participate fully in the democratic debate.

At the Paris Peace Forum in 2018, 12 countries launched a political process aimed at providing democratic guarantees for news and information and freedom of opinion, based on the principles set out in the Declaration.

Journalism Trust Initiative

RSF launched the Journalism Trust Initiative (JTI) in 2018 with its partners the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Agence France Presse (AFP) and the Global Editors Network (GEN). JTI defines indicators for trustworthy journalism and rewards compliance, bringing tangible benefits for all media outlets and supporting them in creating a healthy space for information. JTI distinguishes itself from similar initiatives by focusing on the process of journalism rather than content alone. Media outlets will be expected to comply with standards that include transparency of ownership, sources of revenue and proof of a range of professional safeguards.

Actions

RSF's defence of journalistic freedom includes international missions, the publication of country reports, training of journalists and public protests. Recent global advocacy and practical interventions have included: opening a centre for women journalists in Afghanistan in 2017, a creative protest with street-artist C215 in Strasbourg for Turkish journalists in detention, turning off the Eiffel Tower lights in tribute to murdered Saudi journalist Jamal Kashoggi and providing training to journalists and bloggers in Syria. In July 2018, RSF sent a mission to Saudi Arabia to call for the release of 30 journalists. The organization publishes a gallery of Predators of Press Freedom, highlighting the most egregious international violators of press freedom. It also maintains an online Press Freedom Barometer, monitoring the number of journalists, media workers and citizen journalists killed or imprisoned. Its programme Operation Collateral Freedom, launched in 2014, provides alternative access to censored websites by creating mirror sites: 22 sites have been unblocked in 12 countries, including Iran, China, Saudi Arabia and Vietnam. RSF offers grants to journalists at risk and supports media workers in need of refuge and protection.

Prizes

RSF's annual Press Freedom Prize, created in 1992, honours courageous and independent journalists who have faced threats or imprisonment for their work and who have challenged the abuse of power. TV5-Monde is a partner in the prize.

A Netizen Prize was introduced in 2010, in partnership with Google, recognizing individuals, including bloggers and cyber-dissidents, who have advanced freedom of information online through investigative reporting or other initiatives.

In 2018, RSF launched new categories for the Press Freedom Prize: courage, independence and impact.

Every few years, RSF also distributes Press freedom predator anti-awards.

Press Freedom Prizewinners 1992–2020

* 1992 Zlatko Dizdarevic, Bosnia-Herzegovina
* 1993 Wang Juntao, China
* 1994 André Sibomana, Rwanda
* 1995 Chris Anyanwu, Christina Anyanwu, Nigeria
* 1996 Ocak Işık Yurtçu, Isik Yurtçu, Turkey
* 1997 Raúl Rivero, Cuba
* 1998 Nizar Nayyouf, Syria
* 1999 San San Nweh, Burma
* 2000 Carmen Gurruchaga, Spain
* 2001 Reza Alijani, Iran
* 2002 Grigory Pasko, Russia
* 2003 Ali Lmrabet, Morocco; Daily News (Harare), The Daily News, Zimbabwe; Michèle Montas, Haiti
* 2004 Hafnaoui Ghoul, Algeria; Zeta, Mexico; Liu Xiaobo, China
* 2005 Zhao Yan (journalist), Zhao Yan, China; TOLO (TV channel), Tolo TV, Afghanistan; National Union of Somali Journalists, National Union of Somalian Journalists, Somalia; Massoud Hamid, Syria
* 2006 Win Tin, Burma; Novaya Gazeta, Russia; Guillermo Fariñas, Guillermo Fariñas Hernández, Cuba
* 2007 Seyoum Tsehaye, Eritrea; Democratic Voice of Burma, Burma; Kareem Amer, Egypt; Hu Jia (activist), Hu Jia, Zeng Jinyan, China
* 2008 Ricardo González Alfonso, Ricardo Gonzales Alfonso, Cuba; Radio Free NK, North Korea; Zarganar and Nay Phone Latt, Burma
* 2009 Amira Hass, Israel; Dosh, Chechnya
* 2010 Abdolreza Tajik, Iran; Shabelle Media Network, Radio Shabelle, Somalia
* 2011 Ali Farzat, Ali Ferzat, Syria; Weekly Eleven, Weekly Eleven News, Burma
* 2012 Mazen Darwish, Syria; 8Sobh, Afghanistan
* 2013 Muhammad Bekjanov, Uzbekistan; Uthayan, Sri Lanka
* 2014 Sanjuana Martínez, Mexico; FrontPage Africa, Liberia; Raif Badawi, Saudi Arabia
* 2015 Zaina Erhaim, Zeina Erhaim, Syria; Zone 9 bloggers, Zone9, Ethiopia; Cumhuriyet, Turkey
* 2016 Hadi Al Abdullah, Hadi Abdullah, Syria; 64Tianwang, China; Lu Yuyu and Li Tingyu, China
* 2017 :pl:Tomasz_Piątek_(pisarz), Tomasz Piatek, Poland; Medyascope, Turkey; Soheil Arabi, Iran
* 2018 Swati Chaturvedi, India
Matthew Caruana Galizia
Malta; Inday Espina-Varona; Philippines; Carole Cadwalladr, United Kingdom
* 2019 Eman al-Nafjan, Eman al Nafjan, Saudi Arabia; Phạm Đoan Trang, Pham Doan Trang, Vietnam; Caroline Muscat, Malta
* 2020 Lina Attalah, Egypt; Elena Milashina, Belarus; Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong

Netizen Prize

* 2010 Change for Equality website, www.we-change.org, women's rights activists, Iran
* 2011
Nawaat.org
bloggers, Tunisia
* 2012: Local Coordination Committees of Syria, media centre, citizen journalists and activists, Syria
* 2013: Huynh Ngoc Chenh, blogger, Vietnam
* 2014: Raif Badawi, blogger, Saudi Arabia
* 2015: Zone 9 bloggers, Zone9, blogger collective, Ethiopia
* 2016: Lu Yuyu and Li Tingyu, citizen journalists, China

Annual reports

RSF issues a report annually.

RSF reported that 67 journalists were killed, while 879 were arrested and 38 were abducted in 2012. The number of journalists killed worldwide in 2014 was 66, two-thirds of whom were killed in war zones. The deadliest areas for the journalists in 2014 were Syria, Palestine, Ukraine, Iraq and Libya. The number of journalists convicted by their government rose to 178 in 2014, most of them in Egypt, Ukraine, China, Eritrea and Iran. RSF said that 110 journalists were killed in the course of their work in 2015. In 2016, RSF stated that, there were 348 imprisoned journalists and 52 hostages. Nearly two-thirds of imprisoned journalists were in Turkey, China, Syria, Egypt and Iran. The RSF's 2017 annual report stated that 65 journalists were killed, 326 journalists were imprisoned and 54 journalists were taken hostage during the year. RSF's 2018 report stated that over 80 journalists were killed, 348 were currently imprisoned, and another 60 were being held hostage.

Publications

In addition to its country, regional and thematic reports, RSF publishes a photography book 100 Photos for Press Freedom three times a year as a tool for advocacy and a fundraiser. It is a significant source of income for the organization, raising nearly a quarter of its funds in 2018:

Selected reports

*2016 Freedom of expression under state of emergency, Turkey (with ARTICLE 19 and others)
*2016 When oligarchs go shopping
*2017 Who owns the media?
*2017 Media Ownership Monitor, Ukraine (with Ukrainian Institute of Mass Information)
*2018 Women's Rights: forbidden subject
*2018 Journalists: the bête noire of organized crime
*2018 Cambodia: independent press in ruins
*2018 Women's rights: forbidden subject
*2019 China's Pursuit of a New World Order Media
* 2019 Media Ownership Monitor, Pakistan (with Freedom Network)

Statements

On 22 February 2020, RSF issued a statement condemning the IRGC's call for journalists to be detained in Iran. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, IRGC intelligence has summoned some journalists and banned any media activities. Reporters Without Borders described the IRGC's intelligence action as "arbitrary and illegal" and aimed at "preventing journalists from being informed on social media."

Following the outbreak of the Coronavirus in Iran, RSF issued a statement on 6 March expressing concern over the health of imprisoned journalists.

On 16 April 2020, RSF wrote to two United Nations special rapporteurs on Freedom of Expression and Health, urging the United Nations to issue serious warnings to governments that restrict freedom of expression in the context of the coronavirus epidemic. The letter, signed by RSF Director Christian Mihr, stated: "Freedom of the press and access to information are more important than ever at the time of Corona's pandemic."

On 21 April 2020, The RSF based in Paris said that the pandemic had amplified and highlighted many crises and over shadowed freedom of the press. The high representative of the EU, Josep Borrell, stated that the pandemic should not be used to justify the limitation of democratic and civil freedoms and that the rule of law and international commitments should be respected. He said freedom of speech and access to information should not be limited and that measures taken against the pandemic should not be used to restrict human rights advocates, reporters, media staff and institutions of civil societies.

On 25 June 2020, RSF issued a statement entitled "Enforced online repentance, Iran's new method of repression". According to the report, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Revolutionary Guards summoned a number of journalists, writers and human rights activists and threatened to detain them, forcing them to express their regrets or apologies for publishing their comments in cyberspace in order to silence them.

On 25 June 2020, Reporters Without Borders issued a statement entitled "Online Repentance, a New Method of Repression in the Islamic Republic of Iran." According to the report, the Revolutionary Guards summoned and threatened to detain a number of journalists, writers, and human rights activists, forcing them to express regret or apology for posting their views online to silence them. The organization condemned the pressure, threats and silence of social activists.

Funding

RSF's budget for 2018 totalled €6.1m. Fifty per cent of the organization's income comes from public subsidy; 12 per cent from foundations; 24 per cent from the publication of photography books and 9 per cent from public donations. Foundations supporting RSF's work include the Adessium Foundation, the Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development, the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency, and Pierre Omidyar.

RSF has been criticised for accepting funding from the National Endowment for Democracy in the US and the Center for a Free Cuba. In response, Secretary-general Robert Ménard stated that funding from NED totalled 0.92 per cent of RSF's budget and was used to support African journalists and their families. RSF stated that it ceased its relationship with the Center for a Free Cuba in 2008.

Public profile

Recognition

RSF has received multiple international awards honouring its achievements:
* 1992: received the "Lorenzo Natali Prize" from the European Commission for defending human rights and democracy.
* 1997: received the "Journalism and Democracy Prize" from the Parliament Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).
* 2005: shared the European Parliament's Sakharov Prize for "Freedom of Thought" with Nigerian human rights lawyer Hauwa Ibrahim and Cuba's Ladies in White movement.
* 2007: received the "Asia Democracy and Human Rights Award" from Taiwan Foundation for Democracy and the "Dawit Isaak Prize" from Swedish Publicists' Association.
* 2008: received the "Kahlil Gibran Award for Institutional Excellence" from the Arab American Institute, Arab American Institute Foundation.
* 2009: shared the "Roland Berger Human Dignity Award" with Iranian human rights lawyer and List of Nobel Peace Prize laureates, Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi.
* 2009: received the "Médaille Charlemagne" for European Media.
* 2012: received the "Club Internacional de Prensa" Award, in Madrid.
* 2013: received the "Freedom of Speech Award" from the International Association of Press Clubs, in Warsaw.
* 2014: Bonn, City of Bonn's 2014 DemokratiePreis.
* 2019: Dan David Prize, Defending Democracy, jointly with Michael Ignatieff.

RSF was criticized for accepting the Dan David Prize, awarded by the Dan David Foundation in Israel.

Criticism

Cuba

RSF has been critical of press freedom in Cuba, describing the Cuban government as "totalitarianism, totalitarian".Reporters Without Borders ordered to pay 6,000 euros to Korda's heir over use of Che photo
, Cubanet.org, 12 March 2004 In 2002, Maurice Lemoine in ''Le Monde Diplomatique'' alleged that RSF has received extensive funding from institutions long critical of Fidel Castro's government, including the International Republican Institute.Coups d'Etat sans frontières
, English translation
"Coups Without Borders"
, Maurice Lemoine, ''Le Monde diplomatique'', August 2002

In 2003, RSF and Ménard were described as "ultra-reactionary" by the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Cuban Communist Party, ''Granma (newspaper), Granma'' after RSF criticised the imprisonment of 75 dissidents, including 27 journalists (including Raúl Rivero and Óscar Elías Biscet), by the Cuban government.

In 2004, a Paris court (''French law, tribunal de grande instance'') ordered RSF to pay 6,000 Euros to the daughter and heir of Alberto Korda for non-compliance with a court order of 9 July 2003 banning it from using Korda's famous (and copyrighted) photograph of Ernesto "Che" Guevara in a beret, taken at the funeral of La Coubre victims. RSF said it was "relieved" it was not given a harsher sentence. English translation
"RSF and the photo of 'Che' "
Che's face had been superimposed with that of a May 1968 Compagnies Républicaines de Sécurité, CRS anti-riot police agent, and the postcard handed out at Orly Airport in Paris to tourists boarding flights to Cuba.

Reports published in the Council on Hemispheric Affairs and the US Newspaper Guild journal in 2005 criticized RSF for receiving funding from the US government and Cuba opposition groups, and for being part of a "neocons crusade" against the Castro regime. RSF denied the allegations of a political agenda, but confirmed that it had received a grant from the National Endowment for Democracy, which is funded through the US State Department, and from the Centre for a Free Cuba. RSF denied that its campaigning on Cuba is related to payments it has received from anti-Castro organisations.

A 2008 article by John Cherian in the Indian magazine ''Frontline (magazine), Frontline'' stated that RSF "is reputed to have strong links with Western intelligence agencies" and "Cuba has accused Robert Meynard [sic] the head of the group, of having CIA links".Cherian, John (29 March – 11 April 2008)
"Trouble in Tibet"
. ''Frontline''. 25(7).

Haiti and Venezuela

In 2004, Reporters Without Borders released an annual report on Haiti, saying that a "climate of terror" existed in which attacks and threats persisted against journalists who were critical of Jean-Bertrand Aristide.

''Le Monde diplomatique'' criticized RSF's attitude towards Hugo Chávez's government in Venezuela, in particular during the 2002 Venezuela coup attempt, 2002 coup attempt. The publication said RSF supported critical media outlets in Venezuela, and used an opposition advisor, María Sol Pérez-Schael, as its Caracas correspondent. In reply, Robert Ménard said that RSF had condemned the Venezuelan media's support of the coup attempt.

Bias towards some countries

In 2007 John Rosenthal (commentator), John Rosenthal in ''World Politics Review'' argued that RSF showed a bias in favour of European countries.

The Observatoire de l'Action Humanitaire (Centre for Humanitarian Action) criticized RSF's lukewarm criticism of US forces for shelling, in 2003, of Palestine Hotel, in Baghdad, Iraq, which killed two Reuters journalists. The family of one of the deceased journalists, Spanish citizen José Couso, refused to allow the Spanish chapter of RSF to attach its name to a legal action led by the family against the US Army, voicing disgust at the fact that RSF interviewed US forces responsible for the shelling, but not the surviving journalists, and that RSF showed acquiescence to the US Army by thanking them for their "precious help".

According to the Observatoire in 2010, since Robert Ménard was replaced by Jean-François Julliard in September 2008, RSF has been concerned with violations of press freedom not only in "third-world dictatorships" but also in developed countries like France. Through widening its geographical scope, RWB aims at countering accusations of overly focusing on left-wing regimes unfriendly to the US. For example, RSF condemned the 35-year sentence received by American soldier Chelsea Manning, calling it "disproportionate" and arguing that it reveals how "vulnerable" whistleblowers are. In April 2019, RSF stated the arrest of WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange could "set a dangerous precedent for journalists, whistleblowers, and other journalistic sources that the US may wish to pursue in the future."

UNESCO

, who initially had granted patronage to the first International Online Free Expression Day to be held on 12 March 2008, withdrew its patronage on the day of the event giving as reasons that RSF "published material concerning a number of UNESCO's Member States, which UNESCO had not been informed of and could not endorse" and that "UNESCO's logo was placed in such a way as to indicate the Organization's support of the information presented." RWB responded in a press release that "UNESCO has withdrawn its support to the promotion of this campaign because several of the nations which are part of the list of Internet Enemies published by the nongovernmental organization have directly put pressure to achieve it."

See also

* The Uncensored Library
* Avocats Sans Frontières
* Chilling effect (term), Chilling effect
* Committee to Protect Journalists
* Electronic Frontier Foundation
* Freedom of speech
* Freedom of the Press Foundation
* Freedom of the Press (report), ''Freedom of the Press'' report
* Internet censorship by country
* List of sovereign states in Europe by Press Freedom Index
* List of indices of freedom
* Media transparency
* Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe statistics
* Political repression of cyber-dissidents
* Technology diffusion
*The Coalition For Women In Journalism

References

External links

Reporters Without Borders web site

International human rights organizations
International organizations based in France
Freedom of expression organizations
Organizations established in 1985
International journalism organizations
Political advocacy groups in France
Internet-related activism
1985 establishments in France
Sakharov Prize laureates