Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI) - Support Centres

Media Defence (also known as MLDI) provides legal defence to independent media, journalists and bloggers around the world who are under threat for their reporting. MLDI does this by administering an emergency defence fund, helping journalists, bloggers and independent media pay legal fees, and provides legal expertise to the lawyer(s) defending a case. 

MLDI also engages in strategic litigation to challenge repressive laws and expand the space for media freedom. Through this, it seeks to advance respect for international law and norms on the right to freedom of expression. MLDI submits cases to domestic courts and international tribunals and intervenes in cases already under way, as well as supporting national lawyers to do the same.

In countries where the threat of legal action is high and constant, MLDI provides financial support and legal expertise to national organisations that provide legal defence services to journalists.

MLDI also runs training and networking programmes for lawyers in the fields of media law and human rights. 

E-mail: info@mediadefence.org

Introduction to Investigative Reporting - Training

A self-paced course by Poynter News University to approach the rationale and instruments of Investigative Journalism 

Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award - Opportunities

Nominations open until February 12th, 2016, for the Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism award.

Europe’s journalists subjected to increasing levels of harassment Friday 22 January 2016 - Infographic

on crowd-sourced information and the number of violations does not reflect the severity of the cases reported to the map. The infographic also divides the threats recorded into different categories

World Press Freedom Index 2015: Decline on all fronts Friday 22 January 2016 - Infographic

The Reporters Without Borders World Press Freedom Index ranks the performance of 180 countries according to a range of criteria that include media pluralism and independence, respect for the safety

Deutsche Welle Akademie - Stakeholders

DW Akademie is the media development branch of Deutsche Welle. DW Akademie supports the development of free and transparent media, and quality journalism by offering programs to boost media skills.
Moreover, produces reports and analyses on media developement to foster debate among research, NGOs and government bodies.

Journalism is not terrorism - Legal Resources

Despite ruling that the UK's Terrorism Act is incompatible with human rights and more protection is needed for journalists, Britain's Court of Appeal also ruled authorities were justified in detaining a reporter and confiscating his equipment at Heathrow Airport

Police Violence and Press Freedom in Greece - Reports

Police violence was a key topic of IPI’s November 2015 mission to Greece, carried out with the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO). The visit highlighted how police violence against photojournalists is increasingly coupled with impunity. The report by SEEMO and IPI examines this trend.

Internet Ownership Project - Monitoring tool

The Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), Rise Project and EurActiv Romania have launched this monitoring platform focusing on internet ownership transparency in Eastern Europe

Reform of the Republic of Armenia Law on Television and Radio - Legal Resources

This report analyses the Law on Making Amendments and Supplements to the Republic of Armenia Law on Television and Radio of December 2015, implemented to prepare for the country's digital switchover