Assistance to journalists and media

Travel medical insurance

In partnership with the battleface company, RSF offers access to travel medical insurance tailored to the needs of journalists reporting or working outside their home country.

battleface can provide journalist specific coverage to RSF members. This plan covers accidental death & dismemberment due to the risks of war and the consequences of acts of terrorism in most countries of the world (excluding the countries listed below). This may include emergency medical care, hospitalization costs, medical repatriation, or equipment insurance.

To subscribe to this offer

Membership with Reporters Without Borders is mandatory before requesting insurance with battleface.

You can join RSF International by clicking here.

For details of the offers proposed by battleface in partnership with our organisation and to enroll in an insurance plan, RSF members should visit the dedicated website.

For any questions regarding this plan, please contact battleface directly by email [email protected] or by telephone on + 44 (33) 00270999.

battleface team is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Due to international sanctions, battleface Travel medical insurance is not available to anyone:

• wishing to travel to the following countries: Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Russia, Belarus, Crimea, Venezuela and South Sudan.
• residing in the following countries: United States, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba, Crimea, South Sudan, Russia, Belarus and Venezuela.

If your situation corresponds to one of these exclusions, we advise you to inquire about the following insurance products: Insurance for Journalists [link to https://insuranceforjournalists.com] and Acos Alliance. [link to https:// www.acosalliance.org/insurance]

For information relating to this coverage, please contact the RSF Assistance Desk: assistance2 (at) rsf.org 

Loan of bulletproof vests and helmets

If your reports take you to theaters of operations or high-risk areas, RSF can lend you a bullet-proof vest with two category IV ballistic plates, weighing approximately 6 kg, free of charge. Bibs marked "PRESS" are available, and can be added to the front and back of the jackets. These are adjustable at the waist and shoulders.

Helmets are also available on loan, in one size but adjustable. They weigh about 1.5 kg.

Terms of borrowing:

• Membership with Reporters Without Borders (you can join by clicking here.
• Deposit of €2,000 (per bulletproof vest) and €500 (per helmet) to be deposited by check at the RSF office.
• Maximum duration of the loan: one month.

If you think you need anything from this protection package, contact us at assistance2 (at) rsf.org. The equipment is to be collected from our Paris headquarters.

Financial support following an emergency resettlement, legal or medical fees, replacement of equipment, etc. The purpose of this financial assistance is very concrete: to help journalists of all nationalities facing critical situations in their country.

RSF acts to:

• Bring journalists under threat to safety
• Support journalists determined to flee their country in the face of threats, and help them meet their most urgent needs
• Assist in obtaining appropriate care for journalists who are victims of attacks or ill-treatment in the course of their reporting activities
• Cover the legal costs of journalists unduly prosecuted
• Help the families of journalists to overcome the consequences of the reprisals to which their loved ones have been exposed

RSF also provides administrative support to journalists who need it: assistance in drawing up contractual documents, files necessary for administrative follow-up, for example.

Application for international protection or asylum

RSF can support applications for international protection or asylum filed by journalists in exile. We remind you that our organization has no decision-making power in this matter.

Requests for individual support should be addressed in priority to:

assistance2(@)rsf.org

Faced with a large number of requests, we are not able to respond favorably to all the legitimate requests received.

Do you belong to or represent a local media or press freedom organization? We can help support your business. RSF intervenes in two cases:

• For the restoration of operational capacities in an emergency context (ransacking, vandalism, etc.)
• To help build the capacity of the media or organization to act. This may include renewing materials, training staff, or supporting free speech activities.

Requests for support from organizations cannot be processed as quickly as requests related to episodes of vandalism or attacks.

Media support requests should be addressed to assistance(@)rsf.org and organizational support requests to lchesseron(@)rsf.org.

Training offer

RSF sets up, with its local partners and its international network, training courses for journalists and media collaborators in the following areas: physical, psychological and digital security, the basics of journalism, and electoral coverage.

For more information on our training offers contact: lchesseron(@)rsf.org

An information and self-training platform in digital security

RSF supports you in strengthening your digital security: we have created a platform dedicated to these issues. It brings together varied information and practical advice.

The platform offers in particular:

    • Free online training

    • A guide to digital safety

    • Recommendations on the latest cyber-surveillance topics

The site is available in two languages, English and Chinese.

This toolbox offers concrete answers to questions raised by media coverage of an election (applicable rules, ethical guidelines, etc.) This guide is intended for journalists from all media, regardless of their specialty, size or status. Guide published in partnership with the International Organization of La Francophonie..