Our core mission is to ensure legal protection of journalists so that they can continue to report on issues of public interest unhindered by legal threats.

A free press is absolutely essential in any society: accurate reporting allows us to hold those in power to account. But press freedom is under threat around the world. Journalists are being censored and shut down; they’re having civil suits or criminal charges brought against them; they’re being detained, or facing threats and violence – simply for doing their job.

We were founded in 2008 because no other organization was providing legal support to journalists under threat.

More than ten years later, that mission is as critical as ever – the demand for legal support for journalists continues to grow as those with power try to silence the free press.

About Us

Media Defence is a non-governmental, international human rights organization established in 2008 to provide legal defence to journalists and independent media around the world who are under threat for their reporting.

Mission: Our core mission is to ensure legal protection of journalists so that they can continue to report on issues of public interest unhindered by legal threats.

Mandate: We work globally, where there is the greatest need, to ensure legal defence and protection of journalists, citizen journalists and media outlets from legal threats related to their journalism that violate the right to freedom of expression, ensuring that they can continue to report on issues of public interest.

Legal Defence

We provide legal help to journalists and independent media across the world

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Strategic Litigation

We take on strategic cases to change unjust laws used against journalists

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Local Capacity-Building

We build local legal capacity to defend journalists through media law training, promoting the exchange of legal information, and by supporting local legal centres defending journalists.

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