About Us
The Rory Peck Trust is dedicated to the support, safety and welfare of freelance newsgatherers around the world.
The Rory Peck Trust provides practical and financial support to freelance journalists and their families worldwide, assisting in times of crisis and helping them to work more safely and professionally. We do this through assistance funds, our training fund, and online resources, as well as our annual Awards, which uniquely celebrate the work of freelance journalists.
We believe that freelancers play an important and integral role within newsgathering and see the Trust’s role in protecting and supporting them as a practical and significant contribution to independent journalism and the free flow of information.
The Rory Peck Trust was set up in 1995 in memory of freelance cameraman Rory Peck, who was killed in Moscow in 1993. The Trust is totally independent and relies on contributions from corporations, trusts, foundations and individuals to carry out its work.
Who was Rory Peck?
Rory Peck was one of the most skillful and respected freelance cameramen of his generation, who captured some of the most enduring news images of the late twentieth century.
Rory covered the first Gulf War, wars in Bosnia and Afghanistan and the many armed conflicts that followed the dissolution of the Soviet Union, where he moved with his wife Juliet and their four children after covering the coup against Gorbachev.
He was one of a growing number of camera operators who worked independently, supplying footage to a range of organisations, including the BBC and ARD. He was also a founder partner of Frontline Television News, a London-based co-operative of freelance cameramen, which he set up with Vaughan Smith, Peter Jouvenal and Nicholas Della Casa in 1989.
Rory was killed in Moscow in 1993 while on the job. He had been filming a vicious gun battle outside the Ostankino television station during Russia’s October coup and was caught in crossfire. After his death, Rory was awarded the Order for Personal Courage by then-President Boris Yeltsin.
The Rory Peck Trust was set up in memory of Rory in 1995 by Juliet and a group of close friends to provide support for the families of freelance camera operators. The Trust has since grown into an international organisation that supports all freelance newsgatherers.
Origins of the Trust
In September 2005, Juliet Crawley Peck, Rory’s widow, wrote the following piece about Rory, life after his death and her decision to set up the Trust. Juliet died on 10 January 2007.
“Rory and I always did everything in a hurry. We married within days of starting an affair so that he could go to Baghdad for the First Gulf War and I could return to Peshawar. Our decision to move to Moscow was made when we were there by chance the weekend of the coup against Gorbachev.
I soon gave up my own work so that we could work together, running from one conflict to another, one country to another continent. It was life on the run, stimulating and happy with never a moment to think of implications and consequences. The consequences of these decisions became startlingly clear after Rory was killed during the revolt against Yeltsin in October 1993. Overnight the family income dried up.
The BBC generously took over the repatriation of Rory’s body and helped move my family back from Moscow, but they had no legal responsibility to give further financial support. Although on the afternoon of Rory’s death we had been called up by the German television station ARD and asked specifically to film in the city centre, they too had no obligation to assist further than a very limited package. We had always known that they did not have insurance for us, and as independents working in war zones it was impossible for us to finance our own insurance.
To compound the problem, within days of Rory’s death I was diagnosed with cancer of the tear duct and had to stay in England for treatment for the next year. Life slowed down.
Unable to work and with rapidly dwindling resources, I turned to various charities and Trusts specifically established for journalists and their families. We fell between every stool: not belonging to the right union; not having the right training, not working for the right organisation, not having ticked the right box. Thankfully friends and family came to our assistance, but it made me wonder how others managed.
I spoke with friends of wanting to establish an Award in Rory’s memory, to raise the profile of the work of freelance cameramen and their vital contribution to newsgathering. The discussions developed, and with the vital help of John Gunston and Tira Shubart, and a cheque from Lady Lothian, an idea merged into a reality.
To my delight, there is now not only the internationally recognised Rory Peck Awards, but we are also able to give substantial help to families around the world, who may have never heard of Rory, but money raised in his name can help them in their myriad needs.
This surely is a memorial worth his name, hastily conceived, but built on a sure foundation.”
About Us
Who We Are
Our work is guided and strengthened by our immediate and wider team, all championing independent journalism and helping us safeguard truth, integrity and public interest reporting.
About Us
Our History
The Rory Peck Trust was established over 30 years ago to help freelance journalists and their families. Discover more about our milestones and achievements over the years.
1995
The Rory Peck Trust is established in memory of freelance cameraman Rory Peck, who was killed in Moscow in 1993.
1996
Sony becomes the headline sponsor of the Rory Peck Awards. It remains a notable partner today.
1997
A pilot scheme to make safety training and insurance affordable and accessible for freelancers is launched.
1997/1998
The first assistance grants of £3,500 each are made to the families of Labib Ibrahim, killed in Egypt, and Olivier Quemener, killed in Algeria.
1999/2000
RPT administers a bursary scheme for freelancers to attend safety training. In May 2000, it becomes the Training Fund and in its first year provides 62 grants to freelancers.
2001
The Sony Impact Award for Current Affairs launches at the annual Rory Peck Awards, and is awarded to Palestinian freelancer Talal Abu Rahma.
2002
The RPT funds IFJ’s Safety Training Workshop for Afghan Journalists, enabling freelancers to take part. Organised by AKE Ltd, the course also provides affordable insurance for freelance journalists.
2003
The Sigrid Rausing Trust offers a major grant to extend RPT’s geographical scope, which helps expand the Trust’s network of contacts and increase international awareness of its activities.
2006
The Trust is co-founder of the Journalists in Distress (JID) network, a group of organisations around the world that provide support to journalists whose lives or careers are threatened because of their work.
2007
The Trust launches the Martin Adler Prize at the annual Awards, honouring a local freelance journalist or field producer whose work has made a significant contribution to newsgathering.
2008
Open Society Institute funds the Trust to carry out a two-year programme for freelancers in Mexico, which culminates in the Freelancers in Mexico report.
2012
RPT partners with Fundación para la Libertad de Prensa in Colombia to help local journalists set up a unique online initiative – an income-generating digital news platform enabling displaced freelance journalists to resume work in the capital.
2012
RPT partners with CERIGUA in Guatemala to provide safety and skills training for at-risk freelancers, with sessions covering risk assessment, good practice and law, to make them aware of their rights.
2013
The Trust supports the Media Council of Kenya to create a hotline for freelancers to provide advice and practical safety tips. Later, RPT develops the East Africa Journalist in Distress Group and an East Africa Journalists in Exile online resource.
2013
The Trust launches online resources for freelance journalists, covering safety and security, training, digital security, insurance and funding.
2014
Working with local partners, the Trust funds medical trauma training for freelancers in Iraqi Kurdistan and a professional skills workshop in London for Iranian freelancers in exile.
2014
UNDEF supports a project to improve safety for independent journalists in Libya, implemented by RPT with local Libyan partners. It trains freelance journalists in tradecraft and safety skills.
2015
The Trust is involved in the creation of the ACOS Alliance, an unprecedented coalition of news organisations, freelance journalist associations and press freedom NGOs working together to champion safe and responsible journalistic practices.
2016
RPT becomes a member of the Ethical Journalism Network, an alliance of media professionals and organisations aiming to strengthen journalism around the world.
2017
The Trust becomes a partner of the Council of Europe’s Platform for the Protection of Journalism and Safety of Journalists. This digital tool aims to improve the protection of journalists through an alert system that highlights attacks against journalists and holds governments accountable.
2017
RPT launches a two-year project to support independent journalism in Ukraine, funded by UNDEF and run in partnership with the Institute of Mass Information. The project culminates in a freelancers forum on safety issues in Ukraine and digital resources.
2018
In partnership with Dart Centre Europe, the second phase of the Ukraine project sees the launch of a bilingual online resource in Ukranian and Russian for freelance journalists.
2019
The Trust contributes the first-ever section on freelance journalists in the Council of Europe platform’s first Annual Report, picked up by press outlets around the world.
2019
The FCO consults with the Trust for its Global Media Freedom Campaign. RPT curates a Freelancers Hub at the first Global Conference for Media Freedom, hosted jointly by the UK & Canadian governments in London.
2019
RPT partners with the Justice for Journalists Foundation on a safety training course for Russian-speaking media professionals from Russia, Kazakhstan, Moldova, Belarus, Armenia and Uzbekistan at Human Rights House Tbilisi.
2019
Supported by the Taiwan Foundation for Democracy and ACOS Alliance, RPT delivers a training initiative covering personal safety, first aid, legal issues and digital security for Cambodian freelance journalists.
2020
RPT creates a COVID-19 Hardship Fund in response to the coronavirus pandemic, for freelance journalists directly affected by the crisis. The Fund is re-opened in October with support from CPJ after overwhelming demand.
2021
Supported by UNESCO, RPT launches a Legal Fund to help ensure that freelance journalists can access legal assistance, even when they are unable to afford a lawyer or trial costs.
2021
Launch of the Resilience Programme in partnership with Meta, to support freelance journalists with free trauma & resilience workshops delivered by Dart Centre Europe, as well as a fund to help cover the cost of therapy.
May 2023
With help from the Google News Initiative, RPT launches a Risk & Safety Helpdesk on World Press Freedom Day to support the safety of frontline journalists.
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Careers
Founded in 1995, the Trust has become a cornerstone of media freedom and is one of the only organisations in the world dedicated exclusively to supporting freelance journalists.
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