REPORTERS SANS FRONTIERES (RSF)
http://www.rsf.org
Mission/Mandate:
Its mission is to defend journalists and media assistants imprisoned or persecuted for doing their job; to fight against censorship and laws undermining press freedom; to work to improve the safety of journalists (especially those reporting in war zones). Furthermore, RSF gives financial aid to around 100 journalists or media outlets in difficulty and to the families of imprisoned journalists each year (RSF Website, http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=280, accessed on 4 March 2008).
RSF was founded in 1985; it is registered in France as a non-profit organisation; and has consultative status with the United Nations.
Target group:
Governments, UN, international institutions, policy makers, NGOs, journalists, reporters, media, public.
Objective:
RSF’s objective is to put pressure on the governments that violate press freedom; to keep public and media aware of these violations; to advocate for imprisoned, disappeared and persecuted journalists; to call for action and to take actions in order to support the respect for freedom of press worldwide (RSF Website, http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=280, accessed on 18 March 2008).
Funding:
RSF is funded by the sale of its albums of photographs and calendars; advertising in its publications; special events, such as auctions; subscriptions to RSF Newsletter; funds from private donors - including donations from French and foreign private firms and institutions (such as Sanofi Aventis, Benetton, the French distribution firm CFAO and the Zeta Group) as well as donations by private foundations (such as the Soros Foundation, the Centre for a Free Cuba, the National Endowment for Democracy – funded primarily from US budget, and the Fondation de France); member dues; public grants – money received from French prime minister’s office, the French foreign ministry and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie; and partnerships with private firms (RSF Website, http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=22503, accessed on 4 March 2008).
Scope of reporting:
Geographic focus: Most countries of the world.
Thematic focus: All forms of violations of press freedom; imprisonment, torture, disappearance and persecution of journalists and media assistants.
Reporting methodology:
Researchers gather and check information on press freedom violations. Afterwards, protest lists are sent to the authorities and press releases are published in order to put pressure on the authorities responsible for the violation of the right to inform and to be informed.
When the information gathered by the International Secretariat of RSF is not sufficient, fact–finding missions to the countries concerned are organised in order to investigate recorded press freedom violations. Investigation reports are written on the basis of the information collected during fact-finding missions.
RSF works through its national branches in Austria, Belgium, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland, its offices in Bangkok, London, New York, Tokyo and Washington, and more than 120 correspondents in other countries. It works closely with local and regional press freedom groups that are members of the Reporters Sans Frontières Network in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Belarus, Burma, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Eritrea, Kazakhstan, Pakistan, Peru, Romania, the Russian Federation, Somalia, the United States and Tunisia (RSF Website, http://www.rsf.org/rubrique.php3?id_rubrique=280, accessed on 4 March 2008).
Publication cycle:
Press releases are updated frequently; investigation reports sporadically; the website also contains a daily-updated list of journalists killed or imprisoned around the world. The press freedom index and annual reports are published annually.
Languages:
Arabic, English, French, Spanish, Persian.
Navigation of website:
Most current press releases and reports are accessible on the homepage and sorted by world region via links in the top frame; annual country and regional reports, petitions and archives in world region sites in right-hand menu bar.
Annual Reports, Press Freedom Round-ups (containing information about press freedom violations in numbers) and Worldwide Press Freedom Index to be obtained via the section Regular Reports in red top frame. Compilation of Predators of Press Freedom (powerful people behind press freedom violations) accessible via link Our Campaigns in red top frame.
Additional references:
