Who are we?

Reporters Without Borders (RSF) defends the right of every human being to have access to free and reliable information. This right is essential to know, understand, form an opinion and take action on vital issues in full awareness, both individually and collectively.

Our mission? Act for the freedom, pluralism and independence of journalism and defend those who embody these ideals.

Our mandate is in the spirit of Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and of the major declarations and charters relating to journalistic ethics, notably the Munich Declaration of the Duties and Rights of Journalists.

RSF applies the following principles:

• Mutual respect and dialogue, non-discrimination, a collective work spirit, concern for professional and personal accomplishment, the right to alert, respect for the environment.
• Transparency of decision-making processes and accounts, refusal of corruption and conflicts of interest.

We define our strategic objectives completely independently, and do not accept any financial, skills or in-kind donations that could influence our strategic and operational choices.

Reporters Without Borders (RWB) is an international non-profit organisation governed by principles of democratic governance. We are neither a trade union nor a representative of media companies.

Founded in 1985 in Montpellier by four journalists, RSF is at the forefront of the defence and promotion of freedom of information. Recognised as a public interest organisation in France since 1995, RSF has consultative status with the United Nations, UNESCO, the Council of Europe and the International Organization of Francophonie (OIF).

RSF has:

• 134 correspondents around the world.
• 6 international sections (Germany, Austria, Spain, Finland, Sweden, Switzerland).
• 1 international headquarter (Paris).
• 7 offices (London, Brussels, Tunis, Washington DC, Rio de Janeiro, Dakar, Taipei).

Reporter Without Borders (RWB) works in all terrains, from the office of the UN Secretary General to the valleys of Afghanistan. Our work covers a range of activities: field interventions, advocacy, and major initiatives to change the course of international law.

Our action in key points:

• We inform about the press freedom situation throughout the world by communicating, every day and in 5 languages, on abuses committed against journalists and on all forms of censorship. Our annual World Press Freedom Index measures the state of press freedom in 180 countries.

Discover the index

• We support multiple initiatives to obtain the unblocking of censored websites, support online media, and provide guarantees for freedom of opinion and expression in the global space for information and communication.
• We call on citizens and leaders through direct action as part of our major mobilization campaigns.
• We call on governments, international organizations and decision-makers to denounce any attack on the freedom of information. We formulate legal recommendations to States, and act for the adoption of more protective standards.
• We insure journalists on missions in high-risk areas and lend helmets and bulletproof vests. We assist them with legal action when they are victims of abuse, and assist reporters forced to flee with asylum applications.
• We train journalists in their physical and digital safety and support local organizations defending freedom of information, in order to increase their influence and their intervention capacities.

During its existence, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has distinguished itself on all fronts: helping to free or evacuate imprisoned journalists, unblocking censored sites... We are also behind many effective media events. 

These successes have marked the history of RSF:

• The launch of campaigns with international repercussions, such as the call for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics in 2008.
• Sami al-Haj, Hervé Ghesquière, Stéphane Taponier and even Joff Wolf: these great names in journalism were released following the mobilization of RSF,
• Significant advances in international law, such as the partnership for Information and Democracy, which now has 43 signatory countries.
• Assistance to more than 12,000 journalists in the field over the past five years,
• Concrete protocols and indicators for credible and reliable information in a technological context where manipulative content proliferates.