Ensuring Safety and Rights of Journalists in Sports More Important than Ever

(Amsterdam, June 9, 2025) – The Sport & Rights Alliance is proud to announce its newest partner, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), an international non-profit organization at the forefront of the defense and promotion of journalism and the right to information. This significant partnership underscores the Sport & Rights Alliance’s commitment to advancing human rights across all facets of sport, including those of journalists whose critical work serves to enable the protection and fulfillment of all other human rights.

“We are thrilled to welcome Reporters Without Borders to the Sport & Rights Alliance,” said Andrea Florence, executive director of the Sport & Rights Alliance. “Their unparalleled experience in defending journalists and protocols to guarantee access to credible and reliable information is a critical asset to our coalition. As major sporting events increasingly take place in complex geopolitical environments, ensuring journalists can do their work safely and without hindrance is paramount. RSF’s partnership will significantly strengthen our ability to advocate for freedom of expression and hold sporting bodies accountable.”

RSF defends the right of every human being to have access to free and reliable information. With its headquarters in Paris, 7 regional offices, 6 international sections, and 134 correspondents around the world, RSF is globally recognized for its tireless advocacy for freedom of information and the protection of journalists. By joining the Sport & Rights Alliance, RSF will bring its invaluable expertise and influence to bear on issues at the intersection of sport and media freedom, including the safety of journalists; the freedom, pluralism and independence of journalism; and the right to report without fear of reprisal.

“Joining the Sport & Rights Alliance is a natural fit for Reporters Without Borders,” said Antoine Bernard, Director of Advocacy and Assistance at Reporters Without Borders (RSF). “Sport, as a global phenomenon and industry, has an immense platform and impact on people’s rights and lives, so it is crucial that the media are free to report on it without fear or favor. We look forward to collaborating with the Sport & Rights Alliance and its diverse partners to ensure that press freedom is a fundamental consideration in all discussions and decisions related to sport, ultimately contributing to a more just and accountable world of sport.”

The Sport & Rights Alliance also looks forward to continuing to collaborate with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) as a Strategic Partner as we increase our efforts to protect press freedom in pursuit of our mission to raise the bar for sport, human rights and transparency.

About the Sport & Rights Alliance
The Sport & Rights Alliance’s mission is to promote the rights and well-being of those most affected by human rights risks associated with the delivery of sport. Its partners include Amnesty International, The Army of Survivors, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), Football Supporters Europe, Human Rights Watch, ILGA World (The International Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans and Intersex Association), the International Trade Union Confederation, Transparency International, and World Players Association, UNI Global Union. As a global coalition of leading nongovernmental organizations and trade unions, the Sport & Rights Alliance works together to ensure sports bodies, governments, and other relevant stakeholders give rise to a world of sport that protects, respects, and fulfills international standards for human rights, labor rights, child wellbeing and safeguarding, and anti-corruption.

About Reporters Without Borders (RSF)
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is an independent international non-governmental organization dedicated to protecting journalists worldwide and defending the public’s right to reliable information. Founded in 1985 in Montpellier by four journalists, RSF is at the forefront of the defence and promotion of journalism and the right to information. Recognised as a public interest organisation in France since 1995, RSF has consultative status with the United Nations, UNESCO, the Council of Europe and the International Organization of Francophonie (OIF). For more information, visit rsf.org.