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Twenty Years of Reporters Sans FrontieresMichael Hedges June 16, 2005In almost every news story about the blows suffered by those pursuing the journalistic calling, Reporters Sans Frontieres (Reporters Without Borders - RSF) gives its voice to each outrage.From the organizations Paris base RSF calls continual attention to reporters and journalists harassed, detained, beaten, jailed, kidnapped or killed for the words they write or say. The media watch-dog, 20 years old in June 2005, draws its mission from Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, defending imprisoned journalists, freedom of the press and the right to inform and be informed.
RSF takes up the cause of press freedom, often with strong language directed at leaders, corporate and government. And RSF has been known to organize a demonstration or two. After the kidnapping in Iraq of French journalist Florence Aubenas and Iraqi translator Hussein Hanoun Al-Saadi RSF organized with French media several public demonstrations of support. Before their release last Saturday (11 June) RSF Secretary General Robert Ménard traveled to Iraq and several times tipped the media to bits about the on-going negotiations. With offices in eight European countries and many correspondents around the world, RSF does not hesitate from a degree of activism. It’s website www.rsf.org keeps a daily log of journalists and media assistants killed or imprisoned. Recently a tally of cyberdissidents imprisoned was added to the “press freedom barometer.” RSF also offers a “black list,” naming individuals known to have threatened or attacked journalists. Since 2002 it has compiled a worldwide press freedom index. RSF founder Robert Ménard took inspiration, according to various biographies, from another organization with a similar name: Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) – Doctors Without Borders. Ménard and colleagues at a community radio station were listening to an interview with MSF president Rony Brauman. The two met and Brauman joined the RSF board at its founding, June 25, 1985.
A January 2005 article about RSF in Le Monde critically, but diplomatically, refers to Ménard as a “one-man band.” RSF takes up causes everywhere in the name of supporting journalistic freedom. In 2004 it offered support to Quebec, Canada radio station CHOI-FM when it lost its’ license, the first time the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) revoked a broadcast license for content-related offenses. Recently it has taken up support for bloggers, establishing Bureau Internet et Liberties (Internet and Freedom Office). Julien Pain heads that office. It’s first Freedom Blog Awards, a joint project with Deutsche Welle, were announced yesterday (June 15). And the conspiracy hunting blogosphere has found RSF. Leftists groups accuse Ménard and RSF of targeting Cuba and Venezuela, the former regularly listed at or near the bottom of RSFs press freedom list, assuming a connection with a small grant from the US National Endowment for Democracy. Ménard defends both the grant, one of many from many organizations, and the position of Cuba, which locks up almost as many journalists as China. Nominations Invited for First Aslam Ali Press Freedom Award - March 21, 2006text of press release from Pakistan Press Foundation The Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) has invited nominations for the first annual Aslam Ali Press Freedom Award. The award, instituted by PPF with support of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), carries a cash award of one hundred thousand rupees (Rs. 100,000). The award will be announced on May 3 to coincide with the World Press Freedom Day. The Aslam Ali Press Freedom Award is intended to honour a person, organisation or institution that has made a notable contribution to the defence and/or promotion of press freedom in Pakistan. The award is named in honour of the late Mr. Aslam Ali, founding trustee of Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF), who is among the world press freedom heroes recognised by the International Press Institute (IPI) at the IPI millennium world assembly in 2000. Individuals as well as professional and non-governmental organisations working in the field of media and human rights are invited to nominate themselves or other candidates for the annual award. The jury for the Aslam Ali Press Freedom Award will comprise six eminent journalists, academics and human rights experts. Three members of the jury will be nominated by PPF and three by UNESCO-Islamabad, Nominations should be submitted by April 15, 2006 to: The Coordinator Tel: (021) 263-3215 |
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RSF’s original undertaking, distributing news reports from conflict zones, failed financially. In 1991 the organization changed: Brauman and other founders broke with Ménard. RSF launched International Press Freedom Day, designating May 3rd, and the organization became decidedly more activist.