RMN Foundation

Pressed Reporter: Humanitarian Service to Protect Journalists and Press Freedom in the World

The persecuted or harassed journalists can fill out an online form to submit their basic case details. 

By Rakesh Raman

As press freedom is constantly under attack, the Pressed Reporter service aims to help the persecuted journalists in all parts of the world to defend their fundamental right to report. The word ‘pressed’ in the title Pressed Reporter is a pun used for pressurized or persecuted.

This service is being run by Rakesh Raman who is a national award-winning journalist and founder of the humanitarian organization RMN Foundation in New Delhi, India. He himself has been facing various threats – including death threats – for his editorial and human rights work.

In order to protect the editorial rights of Rakesh, the Paris-based international organization Reporters Without Borders (RSF) that defends freedom of journalists has urged the Indian government to save him from threats and persecution.

Christophe Deloire, Secretary-General of RSF, has written letters to the Indian authorities, asking them to take action against the culprits. In an article written on its website, RSF explains that Rakesh has received multiple threats for his reporting. Although the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) of India had issued notice to Delhi Police in his case so that he could work and move freely, the police did not take any action to protect him from threats. As a result of police inaction, severe threats to Rakesh persist.

In fact, today there is no organization in the world that is working effectively to protect journalists from state excesses and police brutality. Although UNESCO and other UN agencies keep releasing loose statements and random reports about media freedom, they too have failed miserably to protect journalists in different countries.

Similarly, the NGOs such as RSF, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and various journalists’ associations – that claim to be working for press freedom and protection of journalists – run ineffective operations which do not protect journalists.

Therefore, the Pressed Reporter service has been launched. It will take proactive steps and publicly report different cases of press freedom attacks or threats to journalists in different countries, including India.

The persecuted or harassed journalists can fill out an online form to submit their basic case details. Subsequently, depending on the case, an online / video meeting will be held with them to understand the case. If required, they will be asked to provide more details and / or documents. 

If for some reason, the affected journalist is not able to complain to this service, his / her friends, family members, or colleagues can fill out the online form as proxy complainants.

The Pressed Reporter service will publish the video interaction and other case details on its news site(s) and proactively approach the authorities or legal forums with specific notices, representations, or petitions to get help for the aggrieved journalists. [ You can click here to read some of the petitions filed in other cases of human rights. ]

As a journalist and social activist, Rakesh Raman has been running a similar “Clean House” social service for the past 7 years for millions of persecuted residents in Delhi.

In order to run the Pressed Reporter service effectively, I urge social activists, pro bono lawyers, journalists, journalism students, professionals in other fields, concerned citizens, and international press freedom organizations to support me.

While I am running this service independently without any financial or other support, you can help me with your donations or as volunteers for different activities under the Pressed Reporter service.

Donation: Indian donors can click here to donate online to RMN Foundation / RMN News Service and you can also click here to donate with PayPal.

Pressed Reporter Online Form: You can click here to fill out the online form as an affected journalist or as a proxy complainant for an affected journalist.

Contact

Rakesh Raman
Editor, RMN News Service [ Website ]
Founder, RMN Foundation [ Website ]
463, DPS Apts., Plot No. 16, Sector 4
Dwarka, Phase I, New Delhi 110 078, India
WhatsApp / Mobile: 9810319059 | Contact by Email