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

Freedom of Information Guidebook - Reports

The guidebook explains how the right to access information is legally protected in Georgia, and on which grounds it can be restricted, providing everyday life examples

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

Munk Fellowship in Global Journalism - Opportunities

Applications for next cohort of Munk fellows in Global Journalism (Sept 6, 2016 – April 28, 2017) open October 28, 2015 and close February 19, 2016

Discourse in danger. Attacks on free expression in Putin's Russia - Reports

The report “Discourse in danger. Attacks on free expression in Putin's Russia” illustrates the increasing effort by the Russian government to shape the information space, from the Internet, to children’s literature, to any independent cultural spaces, including theater and academia

A Toolkit: ‘Hate Speech’ Explained - Manuals

In this toolkit, ARTICLE 19 provides a guide to identify ’hate speech‘ and how to effectively counter it, while protecting the rights to freedom of expression and equality

Ossigeno per l'Informazione - Stakeholders

Ossigeno per l’Informazione is a monitoring organization focusing on threatened journalists and news overshadowed by violence in Italy. Ossigeno was established in 2008 by the National Federation of the Italian Press (FNSI) and the Italian Journalists' Order (ODG) together with Libera Informazione, Unione Nazionale Cronisti Italiani and Articolo 21.

Ossigeno aims to document all the Italian cases of violent or abusive limitations on freedom of expression against journalists, writers, intellectuals, politicians, trade unionists, public officials and other citizens, paying special attention to the effects of criminal organisations. The Observatory performs continuous monitoring of threatened journalists, presenting their stories online and through annual reports published in different languages.

Ossigeno also provides pratical support for journalists and media practitioners under threat.

Border news - Third annual report about media coverage of migrations - Reports

The refugee crisis in 2015 posed a significant challenge to European politics and to media reporting on this topic. Cartadiroma.org assesses how media covered the refugee crisis in Italy

Macedonia in the digital age – between the rights and responsibilities while communicating on Internet - Reports

An overview of the legal framework, the implementation and the role of the self-regulatory mechanisms in the sphere of online media and communications in Macedonia

Propaganda and Freedom of the Media - Reports

In response to the increasing impact of propaganda witnessed within the conflict in Ukraine, this treatise developed by the OSCE Representative’s Office offers an in-depth look at the legal and historical basis against propaganda and provides suggestions to tackle it