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 .

The Rory Peck Trust - Support Centres

The Rory Peck Trust was established in 1995 in memory of freelance cameraman Rory Peck, who was killed in Moscow in 1993. Based in London, the Trust has grown into an international organisation that provides practical and financial support to independent journalists and their families worldwide.

The Trust assists freelancers in four main ways:

- Assistance grants: they are meant to help professional freelance journalists (and/or their family) who are facing a crisis directly related to their work. The amount of assistance varies according to the particular circumstances of the applicant, but may include medical and rehabilitation costs, subsistence costs, legal advice and relocation costs. More info here.

- Training fund: it enables freelance journalists to gain the essential skills and knowledge needed to work in difficult and potentially dangerous situations. Courses teach them to assess risk and spot danger, handle a crisis, support others and give vital first aid. More info here.

- Safety clinics: they are one-to-one consultations, held both online and in person, for freelance journalists, photographers and videographers. Security advisors provide personal guidance and advice on specific safety and risk assessment issues, assignment planning and digital security free of charge to freelancers at all stages of their career. More info here.

- Freelance resources: they are tailored to the safety, security and professional development needs of freelance journalists. These resources are free and accessible to all freelance journalists. More info here.

Russian Union of Journalists - Support Centres

The Russian Union of Journalists (Союз журналистов России) is the union representing journalists and other media workers across Russia. The Russian Union of Journalists, which is affiliated to the International Federation of Journalists, runs a defence hotline to support members who are attacked for doing their jobs. Contacts to get in touch with the union: ruj@ruj.ru and +7 (495) 637-51-01

ECPMF Alarm Centre for Female Journalists under Threat - Support Centres

On 8 March 2016, the ECPMF has created a special Women’s Reporting Point to address and raise awareness on increasing threats against female journalists.

Threats can be reported via encrypted messaging. The secure emails will only be opened by female staff at ECPMF headquarters and their contents will remain confidential. To provide appropriate legal assistance and solidarity to female journalists or media workers who report their cases, ECPMF is partnering with the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) and its Italian branch FNSI.

The rationale of this support measure stems from the consideration that female journalists are not only attacked because of their profession, they are also threatened because they are women, as pointed out also by the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media. Gender-based threats, such as sexual and abusive comments, threats of rape or publishing pictures and phone numbers on sex and dating websites target women more often than men.  

ECPMF encourages all women to report attacks in order to seek help, but also to make the dimension of attacks against journalists visible: the reported cases will be collected in a database – with details of the woman’s identity removed in order to protect her – as basis of an analysis to show the scale of the problem across Europe.

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.