RSF USA

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Mission

In the United States, Reporters Without Borders, Inc. (known commonly as RSF USA) is a 501(c)3 organization carrying out the mission to protect everyone's right to information and to defend journalists working both internationally and in the United States. RSF USA monitors press freedom violations, raises awareness, advocates for policies supporting to information, exposes bad actors, and mobilizes the public in the United States, Canada, and the English-speaking Caribbean. 

 

Giving to Reporters Without Borders USA

Reporters Without Borders USA depends on funding from our community and like-minded individuals to protect journalists and defend press freedom. There are multiple ways to give to RSF USA:

  • Donate through our online giving portal here
  • Send a check for any amount to our post office box at: Reporters Without Borders, P.O. Box 34032, Washington, DC 20043
  • If you prefer to donate via wire transfer or give a gift of stock, please email [email protected]
  • Donor Advised Funds are incredibly popular ways to donate to Reporters Without Borders. Let your administrator know our EIN is 20-0708028 and the address: Reporters Without Borders, P.O. Box 34032, Washington, DC 20043

 

Our Work

RSF USA raises awareness on the current climate for press freedom in the US, Canada, and the English-speaking Caribbean and mobilizes other partners, the US government, the UN, and American citizens who want to support our cause and defend journalism. Our day to day activities include:

  • Publications on US press freedom;
  • Liaising with the lawyers of journalists arrested/attacked in the region;
  • Working with Congress to raise awareness on individual cases/priority countries;
  • Collecting strong data on press freedom violations in order to produce annual rankings for the region in RSF’s World Press Freedom Index;
  • Increasing visibility of press freedom issues in the United States and among the American public;
  • Continuing to work to bring American journalists held hostage abroad safely home, including Austin Tice, an American journalist detained in Syria;
  • Partnering with American universities on internet freedom issues;
  • Raising awareness through our university chapter program; and
  • Leading RSF’s UN campaign on journalists’ safety by maintaining pressure on key member states and the UN secretariat, along with a coalition of more than 130 supporting organizations.

We also collaborate with like-minded organizations to further fulfill our mission. Below are some examples that highlight our special projects:

Fund for Families

The US-based Fund for Families provides direct support for the families, employers, and governments of American journalists missing, imprisoned, or held hostage to provide on-the-ground information and contacts, media strategy advice, platforms for the support committees and any logistic assistance needed according to each specific case. Click here to learn more about the Fund for Families.

US Press Freedom Tracker

Launched in August 2017, the US Press Freedom Tracker collects data on journalists in the US who have been victims of press freedom violations such as attacks, arrests, border stops, equipment seizures, etc. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker brings together more than two dozen press freedom groups to create a centralized repository for research. The data gathered will help inform advocacy, journalism, and legal action. RSF North America sits on the steering committee along with the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, the Index on Censorship, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University. View a list of all of the partners here.

 

History

Reporters Without Borders also known as Reporters sans frontiers (RSF) is an independent international non-profit that has been defending press freedom for more than 30 years. Thanks to its local network of correspondents investigating in over 140 countries, 14 offices worldwide, as well as its consultative status at the United Nations, RSF is able to have a global impact in defending journalists and access to information. 
 

With the help of a few intrepid supporters, Reporters Without Borders, Inc. (RSF USA) was founded in 2004 in New York City with the objective to extend the international mission of Reporters sans frontières in the United States. In 2005, North America moved its work to Washington, DC to strengthen the effectiveness of its advocacy, and quickly won a solid reputation in DC as an outspoken defender of freedom of information.

 

RSF USA plays a central role in the assistance of journalists and in the expansion of our grassroots activities, but also in the communication and the advocacy missions of the whole organization.

Staff

Clayton Weimers, Executive Director

Clayton originally joined RSF USA as the Deputy Director of Advocacy before becoming its Executive Director in June 2022. Prior to RSF, he worked as a political consultant on campaigns across the US. He holds an AM from the University of Chicago and a BA from Pitzer College.

Peter Jones, Communications Manager

Peter joined RSF in 2022. He was previously a journalist for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Newsy and CBS. Before joining the news world, he worked for the U.S. Agency for International Development.

See here for employment opportunities.

 

Board of Directors

RSF USA's Board of Directors consists of Elizabeth (Liz) Colton, Chair, Christophe Deloire, Secretary, and Emmanuel Saint-Martin, Treasurer

 

Contact Us

Phone
(202) 813-9497

Mailing Address
Reporters Without Borders
P.O. Box 34032
Washington, DC 20043

General and Press Inquiries: Peter Jones at [email protected]

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