The death of Christophe Deloire on 8 June left Reporters Without Borders (RSF) in shock. He had been leading the organisation since 2012, so it was necessary to react quickly and work together to choose a new director. On Wednesday, the organisation announced that journalist and film historian Thibaut Bruttin, formerly the organisation’s number two, had been appointed to take over the reins.
Journalist and RSF president Pierre Haski announced in a statement: “We are convinced that Thibaut Bruttin is the ideal person to lead RSF in this new phase of its development in a difficult international context in terms of the right to information.”
Validated unanimously
Thibaut Bruttin, 37, a graduate of Sciences Po Paris, joined Reporters Without Borders in 2014 and was then head of sponsorship development after working for four years at the Louvre Museum. Gradually, he took on various missions and occupied an increasingly important place within the organization. He left the organization in 2018 before returning a year later.
Since March, he has been acting as interim general manager of the NGO alongside Élodie Truchon, Director of Resources and Development. On Tuesday, July 9, the NGO’s board of directors announced that it had unanimously approved his candidacy. A choice explained by Pierre Haski for whom “Thibaut’s experience and historical commitment to the organization will be valuable assets.”
Following this appointment, Mr. Bruttin spoke: “With the entire team, I am determined to pursue the strategy outlined by Christophe for free, independent and pluralist journalism, throughout the world.”
RSF, freedom of the press and the right to inform
Launched in 1985 in France by four journalists, RSF has become over the decades a spearhead of press freedom and the right to inform throughout the world.
The NGO is present on all continents, through offices in a dozen cities and correspondents in some 130 countries. It detects and denounces restrictions on freedom of information and helps imprisoned or threatened journalists: legal assistance, loan of bulletproof vests, pressure on States and institutions, etc.
Since 2002, the Paris-based NGO has published an annual report on the abuses committed against journalists in 180 countries. This “world press freedom ranking” is a reference for many media outlets and several international institutions.