Founder's Welcome Address
Violent threats, attacks, and in some cases cold-blooded killings of journalists continue to pose an existential threat to the production of news, with the potential of breeding a dangerous culture of ‘convenient journalism’ as opposed to the kind of journalism that promotes accountability.
According to a 2022 Global Expression report, only 15% of the world’s population – or around 1 in every 7 people, live in countries where they can seek, receive, or share information freely and safely. What such worrying statistics show is the lack of freedom of expression and of the press in many countries around the world.
Media and other civil society organizations have been working to ameliorate the situation, with some successes along the way, including the creation of sanctuary states in some parts of the world where critical journalism can thrive.
However, the fact that advocacy has not stopped those who want to intimidate and silence the media suggests that a lot more needs to be done to guarantee the safety of journalists not only in states and kingdoms ruled by dictators, but in democracies as well.
In Ghana, research shows that the number of infractions against journalists by both non-state and state actors, including security agencies, has increased despite strong constitutional and legal provisions that protect media.
That is part of the reason why Journalists Sanctuary International (JSI) believes that in addition to legal protections there is the need to provide tangible ways of ensuring journalists, particularly those whose work exposes them to danger, are better protected.
At JSI we provide a more holistic approach to the safety of journalists through advocacy, safety training for journalists, and by donating safety boxes to media organizations and frontline reporters to protect them against injury when they undertake potentially dangerous assignments.
As part of strategic intervention to empower journalists, Journalists Sanctuary International offers legal education for reporters by bringing lawyers and judges together to teach and offer refresher courses for journalists in relevant laws and rights pertaining to their work.
Our project identifies the most important legal threats to journalist/journalism, with defamation and the apparent knowledge gap in access to information as notable examples.
Our commitment is to help create the conditions in which journalism can thrive and journalists can do their work without fear of threats and attacks.
JSI: ” The Reporters’ Shield “
