mediadev library

Sort by:

Direction:

The Index on International Media Freedom Support 2025

Martin Scott, Mel Bunce, Shannon Maguire, Mary Myers

University of East Anglia, Centre for Journalism and Democracy; City St George’s, University of London (2025), 30 pp.

"The Index on International Media Freedom Support (IMFS) evaluates and ranks states based on their support for media freedom beyond their borders. It does this by analysing the contributions that countries have made to international diplomatic, financial and safety / protection initiatives that prom ... ote media freedom. The IMFS Index includes all states that are members of both the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (OECD) Development Assistance Committee (DAC) and the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC) (30 countries). These countries have pledged to promote media freedom internationally, and the IMFS holds them accountable for these commitments. The Index draws on data from the previous calendar year (2024), except for the ODA figures, which are for 2023, due to the time lag in reporting. The IMFS Index is produced by an independent research group and is a joint project between City St George’s, University of London, and the University of East Anglia. The results of the 2025 IMFS Index highlight several well performing states: Lithuania (1st) is the highest ranked country, largely due to its diplomatic efforts, including its leadership of two multilateral initiatives. Sweden (2nd) spent a far higher proportion of its Official Development Assistance (ODA) on media development in 2023 than any other country (0.91%). It is the only country to get close to the benchmark of 1.0%, as recommended by the Forum on Information & Democracy. France (5th) is the only country to award funding to all four qualifying multilateral pooled funds in 2024. Latvia (9th) is the only country to have both an active emergency visa scheme dedicated to supporting journalists at-risk and to support a national initiative that promotes the protection and safety of media workers in exile. The IMFS Index also identifies several less encouraging trends and performances: No country performed consistently well across all three areas of diplomacy, funding and safety / protection. Almost two thirds of the 30 countries qualified for the lowest, bronze category, earning only 10 points or less. This includes four members of the G7: the United Kingdom (equal 12th), the United States (equal 12th), Italy (equal 24th) and Japan (28th). The lowest ranked countries were Japan (28th), Slovenia (equal 29th) and South Korea (equal 29th), due to their relative lack of support for diplomacy, funding and safety / protection. However, South Korea and Japan do provide support for the wider enabling environment for media freedom in their ODA spending, which is not measured by this Index. On average, the 30 states in the IMFS Index allocated just 0.16% of their ODA to media development in 2023. Thirteen countries awarded less than 0.1%, including three – Latvia (9th), Greece (21st), and Slovenia (29th) – which reported giving 0%. Only five countries had an emergency visa scheme for journalists in 2024, and only five hosted an assistance programme for journalists in exile. Twenty-one countries had neither." (Executive summary, pages 3-4) more

National safety mechanisms for journalists: Combatting impunity and strengthening national structures for the prevention, protection and prosecution of crimes committed against journalists, media workers and social media producers

Daniel Brini

Paris: UNESCO (2025), 18 pp.

"Twenty-nine (29) countries are implementing fifty-six (56) national mechanisms for the safety of journalists, media workers and social media producers. Over two thirds of operational national mechanisms implement measures in at least two of the safety areas – prevention, protection or prosecutio ... more

Download (80)

Safeguarding Media Freedom in the Age of Big Tech Platforms and AI: Policy Manual

Anya Schiffrin, Bojana Kostic, Iva Nenadic, Julia Haas, Natali Helberger, Natali, Max van Drunen

Vienna: OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media (2025), 147 pp.

"With this Policy Manual, we provide guidance for building an information space free from oligopolistic control, resilient to manipulation, and supportive of independent, pluralistic media. This Policy Manual proposes both structural reforms and targeted mitigation measures – focusing on media vis ... more

External Link (137)

Protection mechanisms in Latin America: How to strengthen the fragile shield protecting journalists

Paris: Reporters Without Borders (2024), 13 pp.

"Ensuring a safe environment for journalists continues to be a major challenge for Latin America’s democracies. At least 338 journalists have been killed in the region since 2000. These deaths have been compounded by waves of harassment, arbitrary arrests and judicial persecution, which have force ... d journalists to flee abroad. Due to this systemic violence, protection mechanisms are urgently needed. These statesector programmes aim to protect individuals who are exposed to risks because of their journalistic work or because they combat corruption, organised crime, and abuses carried out by authorities. These initiatives are often launched in response to pressure from civil society and international organisations. In the past ten years, Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, and Honduras all established such mechanisms. More recently, Ecuador and Peru launched protection initiatives in response to increased attacks. After several administrations that were hostile towards the media, Guatemala is now also trying to implement a protection policy, while draft laws are being discussed in Chile and Paraguay. Despite national differences, these mechanisms are built around common missions: assessing risks, determining appropriate measures and implementing protection plans for those under state protection. The methods used can take various forms, ranging from regular police patrols and emergency communication channels with law enforcement to enhanced protection measures such as bodyguards, armoured vehicles, bulletproof vests, surveillance cameras, and even relocation to safer places in the most serious situations. With support from UNESCO, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has worked to strengthen these mechanisms since 2021. In 2022, RSF published a report entitled “Protection paradigm: making protection mechanisms work for Latin American journalists” on Colombia, Mexico, Brazil, and Honduras. Now, this report focuses on the initiatives emerging in Chile, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, and Peru. Through this report, RSF reaffirms its commitment — together with civil society and authorities — to establishing concrete responses to the threats against journalists. The number of protection mechanisms are growing, but their efficacy varies considerably and depends on an integrated approach involving various actors in order to prevent violence and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice. Many programmes are cruelly lacking in resources and can offer only limited state support, meaning they often fail to react to threats or prosecute attackers." (Foreword, page 3) more

Download (63)

Media freedom and journalist safety in the UK Online Safety Act

Ricki-Lee Gerbrandt

Journal of Media Law, volume 15, issue 2 (2024), pp. 179-212

"In the digital era, journalists are targeted with online abuse including serious threats of violence. These censorship tactics are a direct threat to media freedom. Although the UK Government intended to tackle online abuse of journalists in the Online Safety Act 2023, provisions fit for that purpo ... more

External Link (121)

Evaluating the Legal Protections for Journalists in China: Challenges and Recommendations for Strengthening Press Freedom

Zhijie Chen

Law & Economy, volume 3, issue 5 (2024), pp. 33–40

"This paper examines the current state of legal protections for journalists in China, focusing on the challenges they face and proposing comprehensive recommendations to enhance press freedom. It analyzes the historical evolution of these protections, the existing legal framework, and compares them ... more

External Link (147)

Google Scholar (145)

WorldCat (140)

“No One Is Going to Silence Me”: A Comparison of the Conditions for Press Freedom and Independent Journalism as a Prerequisite for Democracy in the United States, Sweden, and Egypt

Elin Rantakrans

In: Handbook of Applied Journalism: Theory and Practice

Leon Barkho, Jairo Alfonso Lugo-Ocando, Sadia Jamil (eds.)

Cham: Springer (2024), pp. 615-629

"This chapter looks at the status of the freedom of the press, and the legal possibilities and obstacles that affect media’s ability to hold power to account and safeguard the principles of democracy. The legal environment in countries as diverse as the United States, Egypt, and Sweden differs gre ... more

Download (48)

Mapping Actions to Combat Online Violence against Female Journalists across the OSCE Participating States

Carla Agha Ebrahim, Annemarijn Johanna Cozijnsen

Regional Academy on the United Nations (RAUN) (2024), 56 pp.

"This paper presents an exploratory study aimed at systematically mapping the public actions taken by OSCE participating States to combat online violence against female journalists. Adopting a qualitative large N research design, the study examines national policies and initiatives across all 57 OSC ... more

Download (39)

Legal Strategies for Protecting Journalists in Conflict Zones

Fatimah Sahdan, Jelena Gregorius

Interdisciplinary Studies in Society, Law, and Politics, volume 3, issue 2 (2024), pp. 25-31

"The safety of journalists in conflict zones remains a critical concern, with myriad risks stemming from both physical and digital threats. This study aims to explore the legal strategies that can effectively protect journalists in these environments, focusing on understanding the existing legal fra ... more

Download (32)

International organizations that protect journalists' rights in international law

Orifjonov Shokhrukhbek Joraboy o'g'li

Proceedings of International Conference on Scientific Research in Natural and Social Sciences, volume 2, issue 6 (2023), pp. 184–190

"The protection of journalists' rights is critical for the preservation of freedom of expression, the rule of law, and democracy. International organizations play a crucial role in ensuring the safety and well-being of journalists worldwide. This article examines the international legal framework th ... more

Download (52)

Swedish journalists' perceptions of legal protection against unlawful online harassment

Oscar Björkenfeldt

Frontiers in Sociology, volume 8, issue 1154495 (2023), 12 pp.

"This study examined journalists' perceptions regarding the legal system's ability to protect them against online harassment. By utilizing open-ended survey responses from respondents with varying levels of trust in the legal system, the findings suggested a need for increased technical proficiency, ... more

Download (63)

Weaponising the Law: Attacks on Media Freedom
Deep Insights

Joel Simon, Carlos Lauría, Ona Flores

Thomson Reuters Foundation; Tow Center for Digital Journalism (2023), 50 pp.

"The purpose of this report is to provide the first step towards a global overview of the weaponization of the law as a prominent threat to media freedom. In doing so, we offer a resource that can be used to empower those seeking to navigate the shifting legal environment and support those working t ... more

External Link (165)

Protecting journalists from harassment: Comparing existing protection mechanisms and the effects on democracy

Alice Baroni, Leen d’Haenens, Wai Han Lo

In: Success and failure in news media performance: Comparative analysis in the Media for Democracy Monitor 2021

Josef Trappel, Tales Tomaz (eds.)

Gothenburg: Nordicom (2022), pp. 59-77

"There is a quickly increasing body of studies and reports on harassment and intimidation of journalists around the world. These series of acts have a chilling effect on media freedom and journalists’ freedom of expression. The research literature on the topic has mostly focused on intimidation an ... more

Download (40)

The Universal Periodic Review (UPR) and its Potential to Foster Freedom of Expression, Access to Information and Safety of Journalists: Guidelines for National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs)

Hina Jilani

Paris: UNESCO (2022), 15 pp.

"These UNESCO guidelines aim to provide practical support to National Human Rights Institutions (NHRIs) on the use of the UPR process to improve freedom of opinion and expression, safety of journalists, and access to information and to strengthen their capacity to engage with the process in all its ... more

Download (40)

Libertad de prensa: ¿cómo se regula en México?

Carlos Alberto Osorio Polo

México: Propuesta Cívica (2022), 99 pp.

"Este detallado estudio, se encuentra divido en cuatro capítulos, cada uno está dedicado a desarrollar los hallazgos encontrados en materia civil, penal, laboral y de protección, en el que se identifican los preceptos legales que no son garantes de la libertad de prensa, y que ponen en riesgo la ... more

Download (43)

Strengthening safety and security resources for visual storytellers and journalists. A scoping study
Deep Insights

Peter Noorlander, Agnieszka Raczynska, Camila Mariño, Juliana Lopes

International Resource for Impact and Storytelling (IRIS); Ford Foundation (2022), iv, 114 pp.

"With attacks against storytellers increasing year-on-year, concern has grown about the lack of safety and security resources available to them. This is the focus of our study. Through a series of 120 interviews with artists, filmmakers, journalists, funders, activists, academics and others, along w ... more

External Link (126)

Protecting the Messenger: An International Humanitarian Law Perspective

Sebastian Kasper

Journal of Mediation and Applied Conflict Analysis, volume 8, issue 1 (2022), pp. 38-58

"The war in and against Ukraine has brought home the importance of accurate, trustworthy reporting — even from dangerous places. In mediation, particularly mediation arising from armed conflict, it is difficult to overstate the importance of accurate information to help mediate between claim and c ... more

Download (39)

Endangered Voices: Nigerian Journalists’ Safety amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Moyosore Omowonuola Alade, Bernice Oluwalanu Sanusi

In: Health Crises and Media Discourses in Sub-Saharan Africa

Carol Azungi Dralega, Angella Napakol (eds.)

Springer (2022), pp. 109-126

"This chapter examines the difficult conditions Nigerian journalists faced while reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on the threats and dangers faced by Nigerian broadcast journalists and its implication for journalism practice amid a pandemic. Using a qualitative approach, we conducted ... more

External Link (154)

Media Influence Matrix Mexico: Government, Politics and Regulation

Argelia Muñoz Larroa, Rodrigo Gómez, Juan Larrosa Fuentes

London; Montevideo: Media and Journalism Research Center (MJRC); Observacom (2022), 34 pp.

"Despite the positive impact of the constitutional reform of 2013 and other previous or related regulations, media policy in Mexico is still faced with numerous challenges. Many objectives of the 2013 reform, in fact, could not be achieved because of a series of secondary laws that have been adopted ... more

External Link (138)

Bajo riesgo: Cómo superar las deficiencias de los programas de protección de periodistas en América Latina (Brasil, Colombia, Honduras y México)

Paris: Reporteros sin Fronteras (2022), 140 pp.

"Este estudio, apoyado por la UNESCO, es el resultado de una investigación de nueve meses de RSF sobre la eficiencia, el impacto y los desafíos de estas políticas públicas a nivel regional, con un enfoque específico en asegurar la protección de periodistas y comunicadores. Los resultados refue ... more

Weaponising the Law: Attacks on Media Freedom Deep Insights

Strengthening safety and security resources for visual storytellers and journalists. A scoping study Deep Insights

Weaponising the Law: Attacks on Media Freedom
Deep Insights

Strengthening safety and security resources for visual storytellers and journalists. A scoping study
Deep Insights