Meet the Trustees: Ugandan lawyer Cathy Anite
We interviewed trustee Cathy Anite to learn more about what has inspired her work and her achievements thus far. Â Can you tell us a little about yourself? I am a passionate Human Rights advocate and freedom of expression enthusiast. In 2018, I founded the Freedom of Expression Hub to promote and defend freedom of expression […]
Craig Newmark Philanthropies renews its support
We are delighted to announce that Craig Newmark Philanthropies has presented us with an award of $200,000. Thanks to this grant, we will be able to support even more journalists, citizen journalists and media outlets around the world. Moreover, it will enable us to continue challenging those laws that are exploited to supress freedom of […]
We are recruiting for a Trustee
Media Defence is recruiting a new trustee. The Board of Trustees is jointly and severally responsible for the overall governance and strategic direction of Media Defence, and for its financial health. It is the responsibility of the trustees to further the organisation whilst keeping within its charitable objectives. To supplement the range of skills and […]
International Right to Know Day 2021 webinar
This year, the 6th annual International Right to Know Day fell on Tuesday the 28th September. So, to mark the day, we hosted a webinar to discuss access to information and open, transparent governance. Our panellists share their experiences of litigating against the new tactics being used by powerful actors to obstruct newsgathering. From the […]
Meet the Team: Laura McCartan, MEL Officer
We caught up with Laura McCartan, who recently joined Media Defence as our Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Officer. She talks about what inspired her to join the organisation, and what she’s looking forward to in her role. Can you tell us a little about yourself? I’m Laura McCartan, and I’ve been working at Media Defence […]
Lawyer Impact Survey 2020
In 2020, we carried out our first ever Lawyer Impact Survey to assess the impact of our support to lawyers through our emergency defence and strategic litigation programmes. Through these programmes, lawyers are offered financial support to cover their legal fees and pro bono legal support. Our legal support is based on their needs and […]
[NOW CLOSED] Join our Team! We are Hiring for a Legal Officer
Media Defence is hiring for a Legal Officer, to join our talented Legal Team. In this role, you will: conduct strategic litigation provide case support to lawyers representing media and (citizen) journalists deliver trainings on media law and strategic litigation help assess grant applications, and help with communications via social media and through other channels, […]
Media Defence Announces Alinda Vermeer as New Chief Executive Officer
Media Defence has announced Alinda Vermeer as its new Chief Executive Officer. Alinda has worked with Media Defence since 2014, including as Acting CEO. Alinda has a background in litigation. She has represented journalists, citizen journalists and independent media in regional courts and before international bodies. As Acting CEO, Alinda has successfully led the organisation […]
A Year in Review: Our 2020 Annual Report
The Report Media Defence has launched its 2020 annual report, marking the end of a pivotal year for freedom of expression. COVID-19 presented us with unprecedented challenges. As we moved our lives online, and grappled with mis-information, authoritarian regimes used the crisis to clamp down on dissent and scrutiny. Yet, in spite of these crackdowns, […]
[NOW CLOSED] Call for Applications: West and Central Africa Digital Rights & Online Freedom of Expression Litigation Surgery
Media Defence is calling for applications from lawyers based in Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, Guinea, Mali, Niger, Senegal, Togo and the DRC to participate in a forthcoming litigation surgery on the right to freedom of expression, digital rights and the Internet. Successful applicants will be provided with online learning materials and then be […]
Meet the Trustees: Interview with Colombian Investigative Reporter, Maria Teresa Ronderos
Welcome to the “Meet the Trustees” blog series. Would you like to introduce yourself? Hello, my name is Maria Teresa Ronderos. I am a Trustee at Media Defence and I am a Colombian journalist who is currently directing the Centre for Latin American Investigative Reporting (CLIP). It is a centre that coordinates, and does […]
Hivos Renews Grant to Media Defence
Media Defence is delighted to announce that we have been awarded a grant by Hivos. As part of the Digital Defenders Partnership, Hivos is supporting us with a €90,000 funding for 2021. The Digital Defenders Partnership (DDP) was initiated in 2012 by the Freedom Online Coalition and is managed by Hivos. It takes a rights-based […]