Reporters Without Borders

Reporters Without Borders (RWB) (French: Reporters Sans Frontières or RSF, Spanish: Reporteros Sin Fronteras or RSF, German: Reporter ohne Grenzen or ROG) is an international non-governmental organization. Its headquarters is located in Paris. The organization was founded in 1985.

Stated purpose

The official website of the organization says that Reporters Without Borders:

• "defends journalists and media assistants imprisoned or persecuted for doing their job and exposes the mistreatment and torture of them in many countries."
• "fights against censorship and laws that undermine press freedom."
• "gives financial aid each year to 100 or so journalists or media outlets in difficulty (to pay for lawyers, medical care and equipment) as well to the families of imprisoned journalists."
• "works to improve the safety of journalists, especially those reporting in war zones."

Accusations

John Cherian from India says that Dalai Lama, leader of the Tibetan people, has Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) ties. John Cherian says that Reporters Without Borders has supported Tibet and tells a rumor that also Reporters Without Borders has CIA ties. Someone says CIA gave money to RWB.

Accusations have been made by Diana Barahona, who sends stories to Counterpunch website. She claims that RWB takes sides. They take sides especially when they publish news on Cuba. She says that on its press freedom index, Reporters Without Borders gives Cuba a lower ranking than countries like Colombia, Peru and Mexico where she claims reporters are routinely killed. She claims the U.S. State Department has donated to RWB. She claims that the organization has links with the International Republican Institute (IRI), which she claims is an arm of the Republican Party. She claims that IRI funding opposition leaders of Hugo Chávez and Jean-Bertrand Aristide in close connection with CIA. She claims RWB's trustworthiness is questionable.

Related pages

• Internet censorship