Journalists and media across various regions face increasing threats, but GFMD is stepping up to provide essential support. Through regional meetings, like the recent MENA gathering in Amman, GFMD brings together members and partners to address urgent media challenges, ensuring coordinated action and vital resources for those who require support.
| 15. December 2023
We can support you. GFMD is uniquely positioned to support media professionals during crises, using its extensive network to coordinate rapid-response efforts and provide vital, vetted information to local media organizations.
GFMD’s regional meetings are central to this mission. These meetings are designed to create platforms where our members and partners can engage in meaningful dialogue and collaborate on pressing media issues specific to their regions.
Sure! In 2023, GFMD co-organized a MENA regional meeting in Amman, Jordan, to address the needs of our members and partners in the Middle East and North Africa. The meeting provided support to our members from across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, including the Muwatin Media Network, Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ), Daraj, andSkeyes Center for Media and Cultural Freedom. These members are dedicated to the creation, support, and promotion of journalism that makes an impact. What’s more, they are committed to reporting on conflicts and human rights, holding power to account, covering underreported issues, and giving a voice to people who are seldom heard. Does that resonate with you? Then please read on.
“Since Muwatin joined GFMD last year, we had the opportunity to connect with colleagues around the world, to grow our network and to attend important events and meetings to advance media freedom and discuss relevant topics. We would like to express our appreciation to GFMD’s work and impact,” said Abbas Taleb, Associate Director, Muwatin Media Network
The Israel-Hamas war and other conflicts in the region are taking a severe toll on journalists and media organisations – both in terms of threats to press freedom, and direct physical danger to people on the ground. Around the globe, hostile and dangerous environments are confronting us with similar issues.
The challenge facing organisations that work to support free media is to find and provide access to emergency resources and emergency funding. What’s more, it is important to offer this access on a reliable basis. To do this it helps to know – from the first day an emergency situation begins – who works in that country and region, what specific resources might be available, and what might be relevant for people on the ground.
Within weeks of the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict, GFMD co-organised a regional event in response to the needs of our members and partners in the Middle East and North Africa. The event took place in conjunction with the Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism (ARIJ) conference in Amman, and centred on the effects of the Israel-Hamas war on journalists, media, and media support organisations. It focused on coordination efforts and mechanisms that the community can use to better assist journalists and support-organisations in the affected areas. Attendees exchanged information on the situation in Gaza, as well as the most pressing needs and issues that journalists and media faced.
ARIJ executive editor Hoda Osman stressed that the Israel-Hamas conflict presented an unprecedented crisis for journalists and media organisations in the MENA region, and the deadliest period for journalists since organisations like CPJ began gathering data.
“The humanitarian situation is horrific. There are many organisations that are willing to help, but how do we coordinate this assistance so that it reaches more people? The role that GFMD is playing and this meeting that we co-organised in Amman is more essential than ever and the work that has been done to share information and bring people together is much appreciated.” – Hoda Osman, Executive Editor, ARIJ
In such a moment of crisis, GFMD was able to repurpose its unique network infrastructure towards rapid-response, coordinated emergency action across the entire field of media development and journalism support. We provided vetted, up-to-date information to all involved, including local media organisations.
GFMD members understand that despite our vastly different organisational sizes, geographic footprints, priorities, funding models, resources, and methodologies, we are stronger if we join together to promote our common interests. It is precisely this diversity and multi-sidedness – our mutual trust and cooperation, or at very least honest exchange – that enables us to help. Read the full meeting report here.
Absolutely! In 2024, GFMD successfully held a Regional Meeting for the wider European region in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the GFMD Latin America & Caribbean Summit in Santiago, Chile, continuing our commitment to supporting media stakeholders worldwide. If you ‘re interested to be notified about our future regional meeting in your region, please subscribe to the dedicated regional group from the list.
If you’re interested in being notified about upcoming regional meetings in your area, we encourage you to subscribe to the relevant regional group from our list.