Journalist Association of India (JAI) - Support Centres

JAI is a Non-Profit and Non-Govt. organization which fights to protect freedom of speech and expression. It represents journalists in all sectors of media. It focuses on promoting independent and quality journalism.

Protection of Freedom of Speech: Promotes media freedom within the country and world wide. It documents attacks on journalists and dangerous environments for the press.
Welfare: Provides legal and financial support to journalists.
Training: JAI organizes coaching, feedback sessions, and seminars to improve the proficiency of journalists, editors, writers,and others in the media industry.
Promotes Diversity: Works for the representation of women and minorities therefore enhancing pluralism.
Encourages the free flow of information.
Media Concentration: JAI monitors the impact of media conglomerates and advocates for the preservation of media ownership controls.

Contact:

Dr H K Sethi, Secretary General

Email: journalistassociationofindia@gmail.com

National Foundation for India - Support Centres

In the year 1990, Bharat Ratna recipient, late C. Subramaniam, late Dr. Kamla Choudhary, and Dr. M. S. Swaminathan along with personalities from the worlds of art, media, business, academia and the government came together to seed National Foundation for India (NFI).
 

Fellowships: NFI offers financial assistance and resources to support independent journalists, particularly those from marginalized communities or difficult geographies. 

Grants: NFI provides grants to media organizations that promote independent journalism and public interest reporting.

Capacity Building: Helps journalists aiming to pursue investigative journalism, digital storytelling and data journalism.

Advocacy: NFI advocates for media freedom and pluralism. 

Awareness: Spreads awareness about issues affecting journalists. Organizes campaigns against censorship and harassment of journalists.

Address: Upper Ground Floor, Core 4A, INDIA HABITAT CENTRE, Lodhi Rd, Institutional Area, Lodi Colony, New Delhi, Delhi 110003
Tel: 91-11-24641864, 24641865, 24648490, 24648491
Mail: info@nfi.org.in

Free Speech Collective (FSC) - Support Centres

The Free Speech Collective was founded in 2018. It is a collaborative initiative composed of individuals from various backgrounds like journalists, activists, lawyers and academics. The main aim of the collective is to  protect the right to freedom of expression, promote free speech and the right to dissent. 

Monitoring: FSC tracks violations of free speech and categorizes them, besides tracking the status of the case.

Analyzing trends: Based on the monitoring and documentation of violations, it  regularly publishes trends, developments, news alerts and briefs.

Solidarity and Support: FSC provides support and solidarity to individual journalists, bloggers, activists, artists and performers and organizations that face attacks on their freedom of expression and campaign against violations.

Email:  freespeechcollectiveindia@gmail.com

Pro Bono Italia ETS - Support Centres

Pro Bono Italia ETS is the first non-profit association of lawyers, practitioners, law firms, corporate lawyers and bar associations to promote a culture of pro bono in our country. It is an independent, apolitical and nonpartisan entity, founded in 2017, which now has about 50 members and a network of about a thousand people, including lawyers, corporate lawyers, nonprofits and academics. It has promoted the creation of a social and legal ecosystem for the promotion of a pro bono culture in Italy. With its registration in October 2023 in the Official Register of Third Sector Entities (RUNTS), the association assumed the status of ETS, thus confirming its vocation as a nonprofit entity.

Website: https://probonoitalia.org

Vita Activa - Support Centres

Vita Activa works as a helpline and a solutions laboratory for women journalists, activists and women’s rights defenders who are facing online violence and want to change the ways they face and combat perpetrators and attacks. Responders trained in psychological first aid, conflict resolution and strategic thinking work with women journalists who have faced harassment to build solutions tailored to their cases.

E-mail: apoyo@vita-activa.org

Protect the Protest. Stopping SLAPP. Defending Dissent - Support Centres

A task force of nonprofit organizations that have long dealt with SLAPP threats (threats coming from strategic lawsuits against public participation).

The organizations of "Protect the Protest" have combined their expertise and collective power to protect the free speech of public interest advocates in the United States.

They declare: "An attack on one is now an attack on all".

The task force includes experienced lawyers, journalists, communications professionals, and activists, in order to stand together as one to expose courtroom bullying, and protect the right to boldly speak the truth.

The approach is threefold:

● Building Resilience to SLAPPs - providing resources and training for civil society organizations, community leaders, journalists, and the broader public on how to best protect themselves from SLAPPs and what to do if they’re targeted. This includes a network of attorneys to defend those facing SLAPPs, especially individuals and small organizations with extremely limited resources.

● Exposing SLAPPs and Those Who File Them - drawing on their own organizations’ campaigning, communications, and legal expertise to support public interest advocates and watchdogs targeted by SLAPPs. This includes campaigning against the biggest SLAPP offenders, as well as legal defense where resources allow.

● Campaigning on Strategic Issues - When a specific SLAPP poses a broader threat to civil society or to democracy, they mobilize their collective resources to protect the rights to free speech and peaceful protest. Likewise, when opportunities arise to advance anti-SLAPP policies or laws, we engage in close collaboration with other stakeholders.

Free Press Unlimited (FPU) - Support Centres

Free Press Unlimited is a foundation based in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, which supports local journalists in war zones and conflict areas in over 43 countries. 

The organization offers several support programmes for journalists at risk:

1. Emergency support: Journalists and media organisations in distress can apply for emergency support from Reporters Respond. Through this fund, Free Press Unlimited enables them to resume their work as quickly as possible when faced with obstruction, vandalism, or intimidations. More info here .
2. Legal support: With the Legal Defense Fund, Free Press Unlimited provides financial support to journalists and media organisations worldwide, giving support to journalists who face prosecution or imprisonment and who are unable to afford a lawyer or trial costs. More info here .
3. Safety trainings & tools: In collaboration with international partners, Free Press Unlimited supports (media) organisations and media workers with safety training. More info here .
4. Advocacy: Independent media and press freedom cannot exist if safety for journalists isn’t guaranteed. Therefore, Free Press Unlimited actively lobbies for a safe work environment for journalists. An environment which enables them to work free of fear and danger. More info here .

Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) - Support Centres

The Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA) is a Turkish non-profit (registered as Medya ve Hukuk Çalışmaları Derneği) founded in late 2017.

The main goals of the association, as stated in its website, are:

• offering legal protection to journalists who are punished for expressing their thoughts
• promoting the public’s right to information, particularly by supporting good finance and science journalism
• promoting rights of minority groups, with a concentration on refugees and the LGBTI community.

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.