Ossigeno per l'Informazione - Support Centres

Ossigeno per l'Informazione grants free legal assistance for journalists to help them resist the pressure of intimidation, thanks to the cooperation with the London-based Media Legal Defence Initiative (MLDI).

The Legal Office of Ossigeno is coordinated by the lawyer Andrea Di Pietro, an expert in information and communication law and legal consultant to Ossigeno per l’Informazione.

E-mail: sportellolegaleossigeno@gmail.com

Kosovo Free Helpline - Support Centres

Journalists in Kosovo experiencing harassment or receiving threats can call Kosovo Free Helpline, a free help 24/7 helpline for support and advice. Launched in October 2015 by the Association of Professional Journalists of Kosovo (AGPK) and the OSCE Kosovo Mission, the phone line is accompanied by an awareness campaign urging journalists to report all cases of intimidation and violence. The telephone number to be contacted is 080011333.

Front Line Defenders - Support Centres

Front Line Defenders provides rapid and practical support to human rights defenders at risk through:

• international advocacy on behalf of human rights defenders at risk, including emergency support for those in immediate danger (see here );
• grants to pay for the practical security needs of human rights defenders (see here ); 
• trainings and resource materials on security and protection, including digital security (see here );
• rest, respite and other opportunities for human rights defenders dealing with extreme stress (see here );
• opportunities for networking and exchange between human rights defenders, including at the biennial Dublin Platform (see here );
• the annual Front Line Defenders Award for Human Rights Defenders at Risk;
• an emergency 24-hour phone line for human rights defenders operating in Arabic, English, French, Russian and Spanish.

In emergency situations Front Line Defenders can facilitate temporary relocation of human rights defenders.

Front Line Defenders is a member of the Journalists in Distress (JID) Network.

Contact information (here ): Emergency Hotline +353 121 00489 - SKYPE: front-line-emergency

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) - Support Centres

CPJ provides support to frontline journalists, and work to ensure that all journalists, including freelancers and media support workers, are aware of safety and security issues before entering a conflict zone. CPJ works to prevent deaths, detentions, kidnappings, and other dangers through information sharing and practical guidance. It also provides on-the-ground advocacy and rapid response support to journalists who are injured, imprisoned, or forced to flee because of their work.

CPJ Journalist Assistance program dispenses emergency grants to journalists in distress worldwide through CPJ’s Gene Roberts Emergency Fund (not available for organizations, media outlets, or media projects). More information and resources here.

CPJ is a founding member of the ACOS Alliance, which stands for ‘A Culture of Safety’ and promotes the Freelance Journalist Safety Principles which news organizations and press groups have signed. More information and resources here.

CPJ is also a member of the Journalists in Distress (JID) network, a group of 18 international organizations that provide direct assistance to journalists and media workers whose lives or careers are threatened because of their work. Each organization has its own mandate and criteria for emergency assistance; the network does not engage in joint advocacy. More information here. 

CPJ’s four-part Safety Kit provides journalists and newsrooms with basic safety information on physical, digital and psychological safety resources and tools.

E-mail: emergencies@cpj.org.

Free media help line Bosnia Herzegovina - Linija za pomoć novinarima Bosnia Hercegovina - Support Centres

Free Media Help Line is part of the Journalists' Association of Bosnia Herzegovina, and functions as a local institution for the support and assistance to journalists in the implementation of their work, and for the protection of journalists rights and freedoms. Free Media Help Line encourages all journalists to report every threats or any interference in the exercise of journalistic duties.

European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) - Support Centres

ECPMF offers several support programmes for journalists at risk.

- Journalists-in-Residence programme: The ECPMF’s Journalists-in-Residence (JiR) programme offers temporary shelter for journalists facing harassment and intimidation as a direct result of their work. Journalists get the chance to rest and recuperate in a safe and discreet place, and also to continue their investigative work at their own pace and use their time in Leipzig for networking and finding solidarity. The JiR programme lasts for either three or up to six months, and includes a rent-free furnished apartment in Leipzig, as well as a monthly stipend to cover basic living costs. It also covers travel and visa expenses, health insurance, psychological counselling, and journalism-related training sessions on topics like digital security, mobile reporting and social media management. More info here .

- Legal support: ECPMF offers and coordinates legal support on matters related to free speech for individuals and organisations working in countries located geographically in Europe. More info here .

- Helpdesk: he Helpdesk is ECPMF central tool for responding to the individual needs of journalists at risk and under threat. ECPMF supports media professionals across Europe in order to find a place of safety in emergency cases and we assist exiled journalists in Germany, irrespective of their origin. More info here .

- Women’s Reporting Point: it aims to deepen a gender-specific aspect of the safety of journalists and encourages female media workers to report it if they are subjected to harassment or they witness it in their journalistic work. Reports received are given priority, treated confidentially and are only handled by women staff. More info here .