How It Works
Reporters Shield is a membership program that defends investigative reporting from legal attacks. It is a community of newsrooms that stand in solidarity against lawfare – each contributing to a mutual defence pot designed to cover its members legal costs.
Reporters Shield collaborates with its members to deliver a three-pronged legal strategy: Prevent, Respond, Defend.
- Prevent: pre-publication assessments of high risk investigations (into subjects registered in UK, US, Ireland, Canada, Australia, New Zealand & Singapore).
- Respond: when members receive threats of legal action, we draft robust responses on their behalf to show they will not capitulate or self-censor.
- Defend: robust legal defence in court by a specialist media lawyer from our global network (members can use their own lawyer if appropriate).
The annual fee for membership is based on several factors, including the location of the outlet, the number of stories published per year, and how many legal claims they have already received. The current average membership fee is $3,500 but some members pay less and some pay more, depending on which level of legal services they need. The membership floor is $1000 though subsidies are available in certain circumstances.
Sadly we cannot defend cases in countries without independent legal systems. We do however, welcome newsrooms operating in restrictive environments or reporting in exile, including those who may face lawsuits outside their country.
If you have questions about your country or organization’s specific situation, please reach out to info@reporters-shield.org.
Eligibility
Organizations should be financially transparent:
- Be legally registered
- Have non-profit status or declared ownership
- Have transparent financial management and formal annual accounts
- Be independent from political, commercial, or other undue influence
Organizations should adhere to professional editorial standards:
- Distinguish clearly between opinion and news reporting
- Have editorial independence and professional editorial policies
- Focus primarily on news journalism or reporting in the public interest
- Publish reporting in print or online (scripted audio & video up to 30 mins)
Register here to become a member. Your application will be reviewed and you will be contacted for more information.
Covering cost of lawyers
Providing training on how to handle legal complaints
