The Rory Peck Trust - Support Centres

The Rory Peck Trust was established in 1995 in memory of freelance cameraman Rory Peck, who was killed in Moscow in 1993. Based in London, the Trust has grown into an international organisation that provides practical and financial support to independent journalists and their families worldwide.

The Trust assists freelancers in four main ways:

- Assistance grants: they are meant to help professional freelance journalists (and/or their family) who are facing a crisis directly related to their work. The amount of assistance varies according to the particular circumstances of the applicant, but may include medical and rehabilitation costs, subsistence costs, legal advice and relocation costs. More info here.

- Training fund: it enables freelance journalists to gain the essential skills and knowledge needed to work in difficult and potentially dangerous situations. Courses teach them to assess risk and spot danger, handle a crisis, support others and give vital first aid. More info here.

- Safety clinics: they are one-to-one consultations, held both online and in person, for freelance journalists, photographers and videographers. Security advisors provide personal guidance and advice on specific safety and risk assessment issues, assignment planning and digital security free of charge to freelancers at all stages of their career. More info here.

- Freelance resources: they are tailored to the safety, security and professional development needs of freelance journalists. These resources are free and accessible to all freelance journalists. More info here.

Digital Freedom Fund (DFF) - Support Centres

The Digital Freedom Fund supports Europe’s digital rights litigators – NGOs, pro bono lawyers and sometimes regular litigators – enabling them to become more effective in their work. They do this in a number of ways:

- through grants to support the legal, advocacy, research, and other costs involved in litigation;

- through facilitating digital rights actors’ access to pro-bono legal support.

DFF is supported by Open Society Foundations, Adessium Foundation, Omidyar Network, Renewable Freedom Foundation and the Democracy and Media Foundation.

E-mail: grants@digitalfreedomfund.org

Print-Digital Council of the Slovak Republic (TR SR) - Support Centres

The Print-Digital Council (former Press Council) of the Slovak Republic (TR SR) is the executive body of the Association for the Protection of journalistic ethics in the Slovak republic (AONE ). It addresses complaints about the possible violation of journalistic ethics, as well as motions concerning restraining the journalists’ access to information.

Association of BH Journalists (BH Novinari) - Support Centres

Association of BH Journalists (BH Novinari) is a non-political and non-profit journalist association based in Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina. It provides free legal and advocacy support to Bosnian editors, staff or freelance journalists and other media outlets.

Contact persons at its Free Media Help Line are Borka Rudić, borka.rudic@bhnovinari.ba, + 387 33 255 602 and Una Telegrafčić, una.telegrafcic@bhnovinari.ba, + 387 33 223 818

Türkiye Gazeteciler Cemiyeti (TGC)/ Turkish Journalists' Association - Support Centres

Türkiye Gazeteciler Cemiyeti (TGC), the Turkish Journalists' Association, is Turkey’s largest professional organization in its sector that represents nearly 4,000 journalists. It was founded in 1946. The founders were motivated by the idea that journalists should have an independent professional organization safeguarding the principles of the profession and its members. TGC provides legal assistance to journalists facing courts regardless of whether they are members or not of the association. The TGC publishes a daily newspaper named Bizim Gazete .

Italian Coalition for Civil Liberties and Rights (CILD) - Support Centres

Founded in 2014, the Italian Coalition for Civil Liberties and Rights (Coalizione Italiana Libertà e Diritti Civili, CILD) is a network of civil society organizations that protects and expands the rights and liberties of all, through a combination of advocacy, public education and legal action.

CILD also coordinates a Centre for Legal Action that operates as a clearing-house, facilitating the interactions between law firms and non-profit associations in need of legal assistance. 

- Legal information: CILD offers information support, in some remote cases, for anyone who asks for help in the field of civil liberties. A sort of emergency legal aid, for a concrete action orientation of protection.

- Strategic Litigation: When the only communication and lobbying is not enough, CILD supports the judgment actions with strategic litigation, a specific legal action capable of activating a regulatory change, promote awareness and debate around a theme, mobilizing public opinion, to push policy makers to overcome regulations that violate the fundamental rights of individuals.

- Pro bono legal advice: CILD arranges a free legal aid service, as an interface between civil society organizations and lawyers. Requests may concern: legal opinions, statutory acts, comparative research or case law, legal and, in exceptional cases, translations, initiation of litigation.

- Access to information: CILD monitors the implementation of the Italian FOIA

E-mail: legal@cild.eu

Russian Union of Journalists - Support Centres

The Russian Union of Journalists (Союз журналистов России) is the union representing journalists and other media workers across Russia. The Russian Union of Journalists, which is affiliated to the International Federation of Journalists, runs a defence hotline to support members who are attacked for doing their jobs. Contacts to get in touch with the union: ruj@ruj.ru and +7 (495) 637-51-01

Estonian Union of Journalists - Support Centres

The Estonian Union of Journalists (Eesti Ajakirjanike Liit, EAL) was first established in 1919; it represents the journalism and media professionals active in Estonia. The union provides members with defense of economic interests and various forms of legal and professional support, as well as with training and scholarship opportunities. It is also active in monitoring and advocating legislative changes in the country. The union can be contacted at eal@eal.ee or at +372 646 3699. 

Norwegian Union of Journalists - Support Centres

The Norwegian Union of Journalists (Norsk Journalistlag) is the union representing the people working in the journalism sector in Norway, and it includes the vast majority of them. Besides acting in order to improve its members' working conditions, the union is active in promoting journalism ethics and freedom and in monitoring the state of journalism in Norway and abroad. It provides its members with legal and professional assistance, as well as with several education and grant opportunities. The union also publishes the online magazine Journalisten , devoted to media issues. Contacts to get in touch with the union are nj@nj.no and +47 22 05 39 50. 

Union of Icelandic Journalists - Support Centres

The Union of Icelandic Journalists (Blaðamannafélag Íslands) is the union representing the journalism professionals in Iceland. Founded in 1897 and counting on some 500 members, the union monitors the state of the media and of media work in the country. It negotiates some working conditions for its members, and it provides them with legal support and educational or professional opportunities. The union can be contacted at bi@press.is or at +354 553-9155.