Reporters Without Borders
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is a Paris-based international nonprofit founded in 1985 that defends press freedom globally through a 149-country correspondent network, the annual World Press Freedom Index, real-time abuse tracking, journalist grants, and policy advocacy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1985
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Reporters Without Borders does
Reporters Without Borders (RSF; legally Reporters sans frontières) is a Paris-headquartered, French-registered nonprofit founded in 1985 that defends press freedom and the right to information worldwide. It maintains a correspondent network in 149 countries and serves three constituencies: journalists facing threats, imprisonment, or violence; governments and international bodies it lobbies for stronger legal protections; and the general public it mobilizes through campaigns, petitions, and donations. Its flagship outputs are the annual World Press Freedom Index covering 180 countries and a real-time Barometer tracking journalists killed and detained, both built on expert surveys and field reporting rather than automated systems.
RSF's product surface consists of publications and tools rather than commercial software. Core offerings include the World Press Freedom Index, the Barometer, the Propaganda Monitor, the Information & Democracy initiative (anchored by a Commission and a Partnership signed by 43 governments), the Collateral Freedom censorship-circumvention project, the Protect Journalists program distributing approximately 300 grants per year for legal fees, medical costs, and equipment, the Journalism Trust Initiative for media standards, the Digital Security Lab, the Svoboda satellite broadcasting project, regional Press Freedom Centers, and the Spinoza research project. Technology plays a supporting role: there is no proprietary AI/ML stack, and the Digital Security Lab focuses on tooling and guidance rather than model development.
RSF's revenue model is nonprofit donation-driven, with no disclosed pricing or commercial contracts. Funding comes from individual donations, membership fees, and institutional grants, supplemented by photo book sales through its online store. Distribution is digital-first via rsf.org, email, and a multilingual social media presence (English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian, Persian, Turkish). RSF USA, an affiliated 501(c)(3), handles US fundraising. Governance is led by Secretary-General Christophe Deloire and Director of Publication Thibaut Bruttin, with Pierre Haski as President.
Reporters Without Borders firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Reporters Without Borders
- Legal name
- Reporters sans frontières
- Website
- https://rsf.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1985
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is a Paris-based international nonprofit founded in 1985 that defends press freedom globally through a 149-country correspondent network, the annual World Press Freedom Index, real-time abuse tracking, journalist grants, and policy advocacy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Reporters Without Borders industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Press Freedom Advocacy
- NAICS
- Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418)
- SIC
- Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations (MPAJADAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Media Relations & Press Office Services (BPAFADAF)
Keywords
Where Reporters Without Borders is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Reporters Without Borders business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Membership: RSF relies primarily on public donations and membership fees to fund its operations. The organization maintains donor relations and accepts one-time and recurring donations through its website.
- Photo Book Sales: RSF operates an online store selling photography books, with all profits supporting the organization's press freedom activities.
- Grants to Journalists: RSF provides approximately 300 grants per year to journalists in need, helping them pay legal fees, medical expenses, professional equipment, or supporting families of imprisoned journalists.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Reporters Without Borders product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Reporters Without Borders is a nonprofit advocacy organization that defends press freedom worldwide through monitoring, advocacy, and direct assistance to journalists. It publishes the annual World Press Freedom Index ranking 180 countries, maintains a real-time Barometer of journalist abuses, operates initiatives including Collateral Freedom (censorship circumvention), Protect Journalists (grants and assistance), Journalism Trust Initiative (standards), Digital Security Lab, and Svoboda Satellite. The organization funds these programs via donations, membership, grants, and proceeds from photography book sales.
Product overview
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) is a non-profit international advocacy organization focused on defending press freedom globally. The organization operates as a unified advocacy platform rather than a commercial product company, offering monitoring tools (World Press Freedom Index, Barometer), research publications (Reports), and specialized initiatives including censorship circumvention (Collateral Freedom), journalist protection (Protect Journalists program with ~300 annual grants), media standards (Journalism Trust Initiative), digital security research (Digital Security Lab), satellite broadcasting (Svoboda Satellite), and regional Press Freedom Centers. These programs work together to document abuses, provide assistance to journalists, and advocate for press freedom worldwide through a network operating in 149 countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- World Press Freedom Index Annual global ranking of press freedom covering 180 countries, evaluating political, economic, legal, social, and security indicators through expert surveys.
- Barometer Real-time tracker documenting abuses against journalists worldwide, including killings, detentions, and attacks.
- Protect Journalists Program providing practical support including approximately 300 grants annually to journalists in need for legal fees, medical expenses, or professional equipment, and to families of journalists in prison.
- Information and Democracy Global initiative creating safeguards for the online information and communication domain, involving 43 governments through the Partnership for Information and Democracy.
- Collateral Freedom Project using mirror sites and DNS workarounds to circumvent censorship of news websites in authoritarian countries.
- Journalism Trust Initiative Initiative promoting trustworthy journalism through standards and best practices for media outlets.
- Digital Security Lab Research initiative focused on digital security issues affecting journalists and media organizations, and on developing tools and guidance to protect them.
- Svoboda Satellite Satellite-based broadcasting initiative to deliver news to regions with restricted media access.
- Press Freedom Centers Regional centers providing localized support and advocacy for press freedom in specific geographic areas.
- Propaganda Monitor Project monitoring and analyzing propaganda activities, particularly Kremlin propaganda geopolitics.
- Reports Investigative reports and publications produced by RSF's regional offices documenting press freedom violations.
- Spinoza Project Research project focused on press freedom and journalist protection.
Quantifiable outcome
- 470 journalists and media workers currently detained worldwide (as of June 2026)
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Reporters Without Borders
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Reporters Without Borders technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Reporters Without Borders partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and flagship.
- Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, Observatoire Kisal, International Federation for Human RightsmajorFive international human rights organizations including RSF jointly called on Burkina Faso to release journalist Atiana Serge Oulon, who was forcibly disappeared two years ago. RSF conducted an exclusive investigation revealing secret detention by state security forces.
- TRIAL InternationalmajorRSF and TRIAL International jointly filed complaints against Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman for complicity in torture and enforced disappearance related to the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. A French investigating judge was appointed to lead a formal inquiry.
- Google (Android)coreRSF partnered with Google and Amnesty International to develop Intrusion Logging, a new Android security feature designed to help high-risk users such as journalists and human rights activists detect potential spyware attacks. The feature is part of Android's Advanced Protection Mode and stores encrypted logs in users' Google cloud accounts.
- Amnesty InternationalcoreAmnesty International collaborated with RSF and Google to develop the Intrusion Logging Android security feature to protect journalists and human rights activists from spyware and forensic tool attacks.
- Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)majorRSF and CPJ jointly warned that Iran is using an 83-day internet blackout to hide press crackdowns, coordinating advocacy to draw international attention to the situation.
- Information and Democracy CommissionflagshipRSF created the Information and Democracy Commission in 2018, bringing together 25 members including Maria Ressa to develop democratic safeguards for the online information domain. The Commission produced the Declaration on Information and Democracy signed by 43 governments, and the Forum on Information and Democracy published 250 recommendations to combat infodemics.
- European Broadcasting Union (EBU)majorRSF and the EBU jointly released an open letter urging the European Union to ensure effective access to reliable information for all citizens. The organizations also called for strengthening the Democracy Shield ahead of EU elections.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Reporters Without Borders competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Committee to Protect Journalists: Direct peer in journalist safety and press freedom advocacy. CPJ maintains parallel global monitoring, issues rapid-response alerts, and jointly coordinates advocacy with RSF (e.g., Iran internet blackout warning).
- Amnesty International: Global human rights NGO with overlapping journalist protection mandate and a co-development partnership with RSF on Android's Intrusion Logging security feature.
- Human Rights Watch: International human rights organization with overlapping advocacy, country reporting, and joint campaigns with RSF (e.g., Burkina Faso journalist disappearance appeal).
- International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH): Paris-headquartered federation of human rights NGOs that co-signed joint advocacy actions with RSF, sharing a similar Paris-based, French-anchored operational model.
- Article 19: International freedom of expression organization focused on defending and promoting Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights — a direct thematic peer to RSF's mandate.
- Index on Censorship: UK-based organization promoting freedom of expression, tracking press freedom violations, and producing an annual index — comparable in scope and mission to RSF.
- PEN International: Global literary and free expression network that defends writers and journalists at risk — overlapping constituency (journalists/writers) and similar advocacy-led NGO model.
Emerging players
- Internews: International media development NGO supporting independent media worldwide — overlaps with RSF's media sustainability and journalist support programs but focuses more on capacity building than advocacy.
Broad incumbents
- European Broadcasting Union (EBU): Alliance of public service broadcasters that partnered with RSF on EU information-access advocacy. Operates in adjacent media-freedom space as a much larger incumbent organization.
- Transparency International: Berlin-headquartered global anti-corruption NGO with similar advocacy-NGO model, annual country index, and global correspondent network — comparable in scale, governance, and funding structure.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Reporters Without Borders social profiles
Digital presenceReporters Without Borders financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Reporters Without Borders leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Reporters Without Borders subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Reporters Without Borders funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
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Reporters Without Borders M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Reporters Without Borders
What does Reporters Without Borders do?
Reporters Without Borders is a nonprofit advocacy organization that defends press freedom worldwide through monitoring, advocacy, and direct assistance to journalists. It publishes the annual World Press Freedom Index ranking 180 countries, maintains a real-time Barometer of journalist abuses, operates initiatives including Collateral Freedom (censorship circumvention), Protect Journalists (grants and assistance), Journalism Trust Initiative (standards), Digital Security Lab, and Svoboda Satellite. The organization funds these programs via donations, membership, grants, and proceeds from photography book sales.
Is Reporters Without Borders a public or private company?
Reporters Without Borders is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Reporters Without Borders founded?
Reporters Without Borders was founded in 1985. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Reporters Without Borders based?
Reporters Without Borders is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Reporters Without Borders make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Donations and Membership is the primary driver. The others are photo Book Sales and grants to Journalists.
Who are Reporters Without Borders's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Committee to Protect Journalists, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH), Article 19, Index on Censorship and PEN International. Internews is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are European Broadcasting Union (EBU) and Transparency International.
Does Reporters Without Borders have an API?
No public API is recorded for Reporters Without Borders.
What industry is Reporters Without Borders in?
Reporters Without Borders's product category is Press Freedom Advocacy. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJADAF, Investigative & Nonprofit News Organizations, with a secondary code of BPAFADAF, Media Relations & Press Office Services. Its NAICS code is 5418 and its SIC code is 2741.