Event

International Conference: Journalists Defending Human Rights

Attacked, persecuted and imprisoned. Journalists who report on human rights violations are targeted simply for doing their job. They risk their lives when they expose crimes and denounce injustice, especially in times of war and armed conflict. When journalists witness and report on human rights violations, they are often labeled as "enemies of the people" by illiberal governments around the world. However, they play an important role in their societies: independent journalists defend the right to freedom of expression and access to information.

On the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the 25th anniversary of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders, the Friedrich Naumann Foundation for Freedom (FNF) and Reporters Without Borders Germany (RSF) are jointly organizing the international conference "Journalists Defending Human Rights". Listen to prominent human rights journalists, such as Nobel Prize laureate Maria Ressa (Philippines), as well as journalists from other countries.

The conference will discuss the role of journalists in exposing human rights violations and the challenges they face in this regard. Journalists will shed light on the situation in their respective countries and explain their contribution to informing society through their journalistic work. One of the worrying developments targeting journalists is the fact that they are often no longer able to work in their home countries. They have to go into exile or the space for their work shrinks to such an extent that they have to flee their country.

Journalists around the world are frequently the target of digital attacks. Their role as human rights defenders makes them vulnerable to espionage attacks by various secret services. The Digital Security Lab (DSL) of Reporters Without Borders (RSF) was set up to analyze attacks on journalists' electronic devices such as their notebooks or smartphones. A brief overview of the possibilities of digital intrusion and approaches to detecting such attacks will be given.

Investigative journalists are also the backbone of a thriving society. However, reporting on abuses and monitoring corrupt government officials puts them at high risk. In a discussion, Nobel Prize Laureate and world-renowned journalist Maria Ressa (Philippines) will shed light on her personal story and evaluate the challenges journalists face due to conflicts, censorship and corrupt dictators.

You are kindly invited to attend the conference.

The event will be simultaneously translated English-German.

Registration for the conference is free of charge: Register now 

Here you can find our publication Human Rights Defender - Journalists