Overview
Our legal support for media aims to build a more resilient, sustainable, and free independent media that informs citizens and holds power to account.
The last decade has seen a severe deterioration in media freedom. Laws have been weaponised against independent journalism, leaving media organisations and journalists vulnerable to attacks that impede their ability to report on matters of public interest. In response, the Foundation has scaled up legal support, offering tailored assistance to equip journalists, newsrooms and media freedom organisations to counter these threats
Strengthening the Resilience of Independent Media
Through our Legal Service for Independent Media, we offer critical legal support to eligible journalists and independent newsrooms to build their awareness of relevant legal frameworks, mitigate operational vulnerabilities and effectively defend themselves against harassment and ‘lawfare’ attacks. The support offered includes delivery of legal health checks for media organisations to self-assess their legal risks, one-to-one legal advice on operational matters, pre-publication review of stories, legal mentorship and practical resources .
Newsrooms
received bespoke legal advice on a range of legal matters from intellectual property to structuring their organisation
Legal health checks
have been delivered to 120 journalists and media organisations to self-assess their operational legal vulnerabilities and gain guidance on how to resolve them
Journalists and media
organisations have received training on legal risks and how to mitigate them
Legal Service for Independent Media
The Legal Service for Independent Media offers tailored legal support to equip journalists, newsrooms and media freedom focused non-profits to counter legal threats and strengthen their resilience and sustainability. This service draws on the expertise of our global pro bono legal network, TrustLaw, and on our experience training journalists around the world for over 40 years.
Strengthening the Media Freedom Ecosystem
The Thomson Reuters Foundation works to strengthen the media ecosystem through our unique approach of media and legal expertise. This includes the publication of a range of legal tools and resources to support journalists and newsrooms around the world. These cover topics such as pre-publication review and checklists, defamation, journalistic sources, reporting on protests and media freedom laws in different jurisdictions. We also co-create tools, resources and guides with media freedom organisations to support their legal needs and advocacy objectives.
We regularly convene media practitioners, media freedom organisations, lawyers and academics to share best practice and develop tangible solutions to respond to legal threats to the ecosystem.
