Joint Emergency Appeal for Journalism and Media Support

The statement is a call to action to governments; journalism and media development donors and funders; journalism and media organisations; technology, telecommunication companies, and Internet intermediaries; advertisers, and all those who rely on journalism and news media to stay informed in this unprecedentedly challenging time.

The call is open to signatures.

Here the main goals:

1.  We call on governments to:

• Respect fundamental human rights
• Ensure access to information
• Release imprisoned journalists
• Provide financial support
• Allocate public advertising fairly

 2.  We call on journalism and media development donors and funders to:

• Increase funding and flexibility
• Ensure respect for editorial independence
• Include media support in COVID-19 response
• Address structural long-term needs

 3.  We call on journalism and media organisations to:

• Ensure media workers can conduct their work safely
• Protect jobs and adapt working environments
• Serve your public
• Recognise diversity

 4.  We call on technology, telecommunication companies, and Internet intermediaries to:

• Respect fundamental and digital rights
• Remodel algorithms and moderation practices
• Manage Blacklist Technology Responsibly
• Support journalism
• Reverse commercial incentives that discriminate against journalism
• Deliver Internet accessibility to all

 5.  We call on advertisers to:

• Responsibly Manage Blacklist Technology
• Change how you measure and value engagement
• Advertise through trusted media

 And finally, to people everywhere who read, watch, listen to trusted news services – large and small, local and international, print, digital, or broadcast:

We ask you to contribute, as much as you can, to the subscriber and membership-based journalism and news outlets you read, watch, or listen to regularly or to any non-profit news organisations on whom you also rely to be informed during this global health crisis. Newsgathering is difficult and costly in normal times, and it is even more difficult and expensive now. We know this is a difficult time to request this kind of support. The pandemic has left tens of millions of people without incomes at a time of acute need for safe shelter, sustenance, and – for many – medical treatment. Paying for news may seem an unaffordable luxury right now, but we need these journalists and news services m

This content is part of the Media Freedom Rapid Response  (MFRR), a Europe-wide mechanism which tracks, monitors and responds to violations of press and media freedom in EU Member States and Candidate Countries. The project is co-funded by the European Commission.