Media Defence provides legal help to journalists, citizen journalists and independent media across the world.

What We Do

Emergency Defence

We fund legal defence for journalists and independent media across the world.

Strategic Litigation

We take on strategic cases to promote and improve media freedom.

Capacity Building

We build local legal capacity to defend journalists through legal training and by funding local legal centres to defend journalists.

Reports, Events & Opportunities

2025 Annual Impact Report: Defending Truth

Photo of journalists covering a protest

2025 Journalist Impact Survey

strategy

Launching our 2025-2029 Strategy

Latest Articles

Lawyer Impact Report 2025: A global network of over 300 lawyers defending journalists

Capacity BuildingStrengthening the network Supporting lawyers Part of Media Defence’s mission is to provide support to lawyers who represent journalists.

Group photo of participants to the European Litigation Surgery

Lawyers from Across Europe Gather in Budapest for Media Defence Litigation Surgery

On 9th and 10th June 2026, Media Defence brought together lawyers from across Europe for its latest Litigation Surgery, held

Group photo of the 2026 Latin America Litigation Surgery Cohort

Media Defence and OHCHR Convene  Lawyers In San Jose to Strengthen Press Freedom Defences in Latin America

Media Defence and OACNUDH Convene Lawyers in San Jose to Strengthen Press Freedom Defences in Latin America. From June 15-17,

Portrait of Sumayyah J. Mokku

From Nairobi to London: Media Defence Fellow Sumayyah J. Mokku on Defending Press Freedom in Kenya

Media Defence’s Fellowship Programme supports lawyers working on freedom of expression in deepening their skills, broadening their networks, and connecting

Budapest crowd

Hungary: When the GDPR Became a Gag 

How the Hungarian Civil Liberties Union turned a six-year thicket of data-protection cases into a paradigm shift for press freedom  To understand how

The Anti-Picket Protocol: Damián Loreti on How Argentina's Press Union is Fighting Back

When Argentine security forces fired a tear gas grenade at a photojournalist covering a Buenos Aires protest in March 2025,

Arrested or facing legal action because of your journalism?
We can help fund your legal defence or connect you with a lawyer — at no cost to you.