Access Now - Support Centres

Access Now is an international non-profit whose aim is to defend and extend the digital rights of users at risk around the world.

By combining direct technical support, comprehensive policy engagement, global advocacy, grassroots grantmaking, and convenings, Access Now is engaged in defending human rights in the digital age. Policy furthers Access Now’s mission by developing and promoting rights-respecting practices and policies. Another activity of Access Now is aimed to advance laws and global norms to affect long-term systemic change in the area of digital rights and online security, developing insightful, rights-based, and well-researched policy guidance to governments, corporations, and civil society. Access Now also works to  provide technology solutions and real-time advice for users at risk in circumstances where communications are not open, free, or safe. Through its 24/7 Digital Security Helpline, Access Now offers technical guidance and incident response to inform and support activists, journalists, human rights defenders, and civil society actors on the ground.

In Europe It has offices in London, Brussels and Berlin.

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression - Support Centres

Canadian Journalists for Free Expression (CJFE) is a Canadian organization founded in 1981 that works to defend and protect the right to free expression in Canada and around the world.

CJFE carries out monitoring, defence and reporting activities on free expression and access to information in Canada and abroad. Rooted in the field of journalism, CJFE promotes a free media as essential to a fair and open society.

CJFE runs a programme called Journalists in distress: securing your digital life , a platform the includes information on how to protect yourself while browsing the web, while using instant messaging and social media, how to secure your passwords and e-mail, and other privacy and security issues. The guide also includes information for getting help from supportive organisations and how to mitigate risks and protect yourself during your search for help. A section is dedicated on precautions to prevent governments, authorities, intelligence or security agents as well as other potential threats to control and easily access your data and devices.

Call for Papers: Communication, Technology and Human Dignity - Opportunities

The International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) seeks papers and proposals for its annual congress. The central theme for 2019 focuses on communication-related rights. Deadline: February 8, 2019

Informing the “disinformation” debate - Reports

A joint report by Access Now, Civil Liberties Union for Europe, and European Digital Rights discusses the Report by the High Level Expert Group on Fake News and Online Disinformation and related policy documents

Weaponizing the Digital Influence Machine: The Political Perils of Online Ad Tech - Reports

Developments in technology have turned digital political advertising into a weapon which is dangerous to democracy, a report by Data & Society argues

The Media at Protests: Official Attitudes - Legal Resources

Covering protests and demonstrations is part of the core function of journalism of disseminating public interest information. However, often media workers are subjected to intimidations and attacks, also by police

Network Propaganda - Books

A comprehensive study of media coverage of US presidential politics argues that the post-truth moment and the perceived democratic crisis have more to do with a longstanding change in the American right-wing media ecosystem than with social networks, Russian propaganda, and "fake news" websites

Freedom on the Net 2018 - The Rise of Digital Authoritarianism - Reports

Covering 87% of the world’s Internet users, Freedom on the Net is a study of Internet freedom in 65 countries around the globe that tracks improvements and declines in Internet freedom conditions each year

Media reporting: facts, nothing but facts? - Reports

This special report provides an overview of how the principles of accuracy, objectivity, and fairness in news and current affairs reporting are regulated at European and national level

Robust whistleblower protection is a crucial challenge for European democracy - Reports

The European Commission published on April 23, 2018, a proposal for a Directive "on the protection of persons reporting on breaches of Union law". Quentin Van Enis, a legal expert specialised in media, analyses for the EFJ the draft directive from the journalists’ perspective