I. DEFINITION AND GOALS

1.1 Definition and goals

The Global Forum for Media Development (GFMD) is an international network of journalism support, media freedom, and media development organisations set up to promote, support and highlight the importance of free, independent, pluralistic and viable media and (public interest) journalism in the pursuit of democracy, human rights and sustainable development.

The GFMD network develops and promotes policies, programmes, strategies and opportunities for the work of the journalism and media support sector to enhance journalism as a public good through undertaking and enabling: long-term, sustained engagement; collective action by its members; visibility and access to policymakers; capacity building and other long-term benefits and added value for its members, their partners and the media sector overall.

GFMD is registered as AIBSL in Brussels, Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium.

1.2 Scope of work

For purposes of this Constitution, references to the “journalism and media support sector”, whether that refers to GFMD activities, membership criteria or anything else, shall be understood as encompassing the following types of media development, media freedom and journalism support actions and other actions which are closely related to them:

Fostering media sustainability and independence, and providing other forms of support to the media and journalism, whether directly or indirectly, including through policy development and advocacy;

Building a strong organisational support network for journalists, media workers and media outlets, comprising both professional associations and other civil society organisations and focusing on a range of areas such as advocacy, workers’ rights and monitoring;

Support for an official enabling environment for freedom of expression and media freedom including law and policy reform, capacity building for multiple stakeholders, systems for implementation of relevant laws and policies, strong and independent institutions to underpin media freedom, and a robust infrastructure to support independent journalism and pluralistic media;

The provision of professional capacity building for media outlets, journalists and media workers and supporting institutions which provide these capacity building services, whether directly or indirectly;

For purposes of this Constitution, references to the “journalism and media sector” shall be understood as encompassing news media and journalistic organisations.