CFI and the Maison des Journalistes strengthen their partnership to support exiled journalists
On Friday 22 September, CFI and the Maison des Journalistes (MDJ) signed a partnership agreement designed to help exiled journalists by welcoming them to and supporting them from Paris.
Consisting of a donation to the Maison des journalistes, the partnership demonstrates CFI's commitment to helping journalists who have been forced to flee their homelands for having expressed a desire to report freely. The partnership also highlights the MDJ's unique role in welcoming and supporting these journalists in France.
One of the fourteen bedrooms will now be called the "CFI" room.
Press freedom around the world has generally been in decline over the past decade. While a number of countries are becoming more open and respectful of the work carried out by the media, others have unfortunately taken a step backwards by adopting repressive laws and suppressing independent journalists. The number of threats made against journalists online has also increased, putting their safety and ability to perform their job with zero restrictions on the line. In the face of these challenges, the vigilance shown by those who defend press freedom remains vital for promoting a free and independent global media.
By means of this donation to the MDJ, CFI is upholding its commitment to helping exiled journalists who have been forced to flee their homeland for having expressed a desire to report freely. The Maison des Journalistes is a temporary residence for these exiled professionals and gives them the opportunity to continue working, which is valuable given that more than 80% of journalists abandon their profession within the first five years of being exiled (Committee to Protect Journalists).
Located in a former shoebrush factory provided by the City of Paris, the Maison des Journalistes has 14 bedrooms, two of which have been adapted to accommodate victims of severe physical trauma. A communal dining room and a workroom encourage social interaction. The journalists living there work side by side with their colleagues. Their backgrounds, languages and political and religious opinions may differ, but they are all united through journalism and their shared experience of repression and exile.
Since its creation in 2002, the Maison des Journalistes has welcomed journalists from all four corners of the world. So far, nearly 500 journalists from 75 countries have been supported by the association, which has been working to ensure that they are integrated within France. All of these journalists applied for asylum, and the vast majority of them were granted political refugee status.
