Something to celebrate: Next launch in Defending Journalism series

“Now more than ever, we need journalism and journalism needs our support.” – IMS Executive Director, Jesper Højberg asserts in IMS’ latest publication, “A shared responsibility: Safeguarding press freedom in perilous times”.

In our continued commitment to promoting safety of journalists and media freedom, IMS is launching its third publication in the Defending Journalism series: “Shared responsibility: Safeguarding press freedom in perilous times”.

Earlier in the year, the report was selected for presentation at the 5th Academic Conference on Safety of Journalists during the UNESCO World Press Freedom Day Conference. Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the events have been postponed to 18 – 20 October at the same venue in The Hague.

Building on previous IMS research and drawing on country experiences predominately in Afghanistan, Colombia, Myanmar, Pakistan, Somalia and The Philippines, this report identifies the challenges for developing national plans for safety of journalists and how stakeholders are tackling them.

Five major points addressed in this report concern gaining engagement by state actors in to support safety of journalists, uniting and focusing efforts of disparate stakeholders into a durable, well-anchored structure, increasing commitment by the media sector to protection, integrating a gender perspective throughout safety mechanisms and supporting stronger tools for combating impunity.

Find the publication here.