Programmes – Media Freedom Missions

MEDIA FREEDOM MISSIONS

Missions are IPI’s most direct and public form of engagement. We’re getting the facts on the ground, building dialogue and advocating for change with governments, media communities, civil society and other essential stakeholders. In countries where media freedom is under grave threat, we’re standing in solidarity with our members and fellow journalists.

2016

IPI

IPI/AMI Joint Emergency Mission to Zambia

July 13 – 15, 2016

Delegates from IPI and the African Media Initiative (AMI), led by IPI Executive Board Chair John Yearwood, travelled to Zambia ahead of the country’s August 2016 presidential elections to examine what appeared to be politically motivated government pressure on opposition newspaper The Post, including the seizure of The Post’s offices and printing press.

Read the post-mission statement “IPI, AMI call on Zambia to allow opposition daily to reopen immediately”
Read the mission report “A Shadow Over Democracy“.

Courtesy/Office of the President

Joint International Mission to Croatia

June 21 – 23, 2016

A coalition of six international media and press freedom organisations visited Croatia in June 2016 amid threats to the independence of the country’s public broadcaster and electronic media regulator.

Led by the South East Europe Media Organisation (SEEMO), and including representatives from IPI, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ), the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF), and the Austrian section of Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the mission also examined continuing impunity for crimes against journalist and Croatia’s controversial criminal ‘shaming’ law.

Read mission statements “International delegation concludes mission to Croatia” and “Croatian President: shaming law should be scrapped“.
Read the mission report “Croatia: Media Freedom in Troubled Times”.

Poland-flags-protest-photo-01022016 mini

Reuters/Kacper Pempel

Joint Fact-Finding Mission to Poland

January 28 – 29, 2016

Delegates from IPI, the European Centre for Press and Media Freedom (ECPMF) and the European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) undertook a joint fact-finding visit to Warsaw in January 2016 following the rapid passage of legislation threatening the independence of Poland’s public broadcaster. The mission met with a wide range of actors, including journalists, lawyers and representatives of Poland’s leading journalist associations to better understand the scope of the challenge to media freedom and pluralism.

Read the post-mission statement, including joint recommendations and conclusions: “Mission urges Poland to guarantee public broadcasting independence”

2015