Reporters Without Borders

Reporters Without Borders, international organization founded in France in 1985 to advocate for press freedom worldwide. Named in reference to the international medical charity Doctors Without Borders, Reporters Without Borders (commonly referred to by its French acronym, RSF) has received numerous awards for its work, including the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize for Freedom of Thought in 2005. The organization is headquartered in Paris.

What is the state of press freedom in the 21st century?

With a presence on five continents, RSF defends imprisoned or persecuted journalists and media personnel; exposes mistreatment and torture of journalists; provides financial aid for struggling media personnel or companies (as well as for the families of imprisoned journalists); and promotes journalists’ safety, particularly in war zones. The organization compiles research and embarks on fact-finding missions to document violations of press freedom. After obtaining evidence of a transgression, RSF pressures governments through publicity campaigns and protest letters. RSF publishes several yearly reports that include rankings of countries around the world by their degree of press freedom.

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Although RSF claims to be neutral, the organization’s objectivity and the validity of its Worldwide Press Freedom Index have been questioned. Some critics of the organization have asserted that RSF is unfairly critical of Latin American countries, especially Cuba. In 2003 the organization’s consultant status with the United Nations was suspended for one year following its involvement in a protest that disrupted the inauguration of Libya as chair of the UN Commission on Human Rights (since 2006 the Human Rights Council).

RSF works closely with local and regional press-freedom groups. It has a variety of funding sources, including the sale of merchandise, auctions, donations, member dues, grants, and partnerships with private firms.