Bar Pro Bono Unit (England and Wales) - Support Centres

Bar Pro Bono Unit, a Clearing House operating in England and Wales, is a contact point between the public in need of legal advice and lawyers. People in need of legal aid and unable to afford to pay it, can apply to the organization and in case they meet the criteria are matched with a lawyer willing to donate his/her time and expertise to the case. bar Pro Bono Unit is active in support of organizations dealing with media professionals' rights. More details on the selection criteria and the application process can be found here .

Pro Bono Aliance (Czech Republic) - Support Centres

Pro Bono Aliance is a Prague-based Clearing House that operates in Czech Republic. Pro Bono Aliance matches the needs for free legal aid of civil society and NGOs that provide legal, financial or advocacy support for journalists/media outlets, and/or journalist associations, with attorneys and law firms willing to provide pro bono legal services.

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

European Parliament: World Press Freedom Day 2015 Wednesday 27 January 2016 - Infographic

Observatory of Media Freedom (Poland) - Support Centres

'The Observatory of Media Freedom in Poland' is a legal program founded by the Helsinki Foundation for Human Rights (HFHR) in 2008 and operates in Poland. Its focus is on the protection related to freedom of expression in traditional media as well as on the Internet. 

The program provides legal aid concerning inter alia issues such as criminal defamation, press law offences, protection of journalistic sources of information, the liability of the Internet service providers etc. During court proceedings, the ‘Observatory’ can as well arrange pro bono legal assistance for journalists who cannot afford to pay for regular legal aid.

Introduction to Investigative Reporting - Training

A self-paced course by Poynter News University to approach the rationale and instruments of Investigative Journalism 

Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism Award - Opportunities

Nominations open until February 12th, 2016, for the Anja Niedringhaus Courage in Photojournalism award.

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

Scholarships available for the MA Diversity and the Media 2016/17 - Opportunities

Media Diversity Institute invites application for scholarship covering the Master Diversity and the Media 2016/17 at Westminster University.

International Women’s Media Foundation - Stakeholders

Founded in 1990 by a group of prominent U.S. women journalists, the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) is a Washington-based organization that is dedicated to strengthening the role of women journalists worldwide. The IWMF believes the news media worldwide are not truly free and representative without the equal voice of women. The IWMF celebrates the courage of women journalists who overcome threats and oppression to speak out on global issues.