Dear friends,

We are excited to announce that Thomson Reuters Foundation has been selected by the UK Government to set up, host and run a Secretariat function to support the Media Freedom Coalition (MFC) – a partnership of 50 countries working together to advocate for media freedom and the safety of journalists.

Last week, at the Third Global Conference for Media Freedom, the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office of the UK Government announced up to £600,000 funding for the Secretariat to advance the work of the MFC, with a view to ensuring its future sustainability and visibility as an independent organisation.

We are thrilled to be awarded this prestigious position, in recognition of our legacy of more than 35 years promoting the highest standards in journalism, pioneering the world’s largest pro bono legal network, and our capacity to convene experts across the world to build global awareness of critical issues and inspire collective action.

Independent media is a crucial pillar of any free, fair and informed society and one of the key principles upon which our organisation was founded. Yet, 55 journalists and media workers were killed last year, and the number of journalists jailed for their work stands at a global high. Compounded by unprecedented economic and technological challenges facing media outlets, the defence of media freedom and the ability to hold to account those who violate it is more pressing than ever.

Our experience in harnessing the combined power of journalism and the law to advance media freedom, foster more inclusive economies, and promote human rights means we are uniquely placed to take up the mantle for this critical appointment.

As Secretariat, we will provide vital coordination to the Coalition, working with the MFC co-chairs (Canada and the Netherlands), the Executive Group and the Consultative Network to strengthen its capacity for action and engagement. Institutionalising the MFC through a secretariat will ensure it can better coordinate between member states, be transparent and accountable to its pledges, and proactively promote its initiatives to defend media freedom and to hold abusers to account.

We look forward to amplifying the work of this crucial coalition, along with its partners the High-Level Panel of Legal Experts on Media Freedom and Global Media Defence Fund. You can read more about this on the Coalition's website.

With warm wishes -

Antonio Zappulla
CEO, Thomson Reuters Foundation