Filming the Authorities: Know Your Rights

Recording the police, the military, or immigration agents like the US Homeland Security agency ICE is often essential to holding power to account, but it can also expose journalists to arrest, equipment seizure, or prosecution. In this free, one-hour workshop, followed by a 15-minute Q-&-A period, Media Defence lawyer Marta Cabrera will explain what reporters’ rights are when filming authorities, where the legal red lines usually fall, and what practical steps journalists can take before, during, and after filming to protect themselves and their footage.

The session builds on GIJN and Media Defence’s upcoming guide: How Journalists Can Film and Document State Violence While Minimizing Legal Risk.

If you’re facing legal threats because of your journalism, Media Defence can help fund your legal strategy or connect you with a lawyer. Find out more at mediadefence.org and sign up for their monthly newsletter to hear about new resources, training, and opportunities.

Date: Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2026

Time: 9:30 am EST / 3:30 pm CET (What time is it in my city?)

Duration: One hour, followed by a 15-minute Q-&-A session.

Register for the training.

Speaker’s Bio: Marta Cabrera joined Media Defence as a lawyer in 2025. She worked for several years as an associate lawyer at the Spanish law firm Garrigues. After specializing in International Human Rights Law, she spent over a decade as a jurist at the European Court of Human Rights and as a senior lawyer at the Inter-American Court of Human Rights. She has also worked as a consultant for the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.She holds a law degree from the University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (Spain). She has a Master’s in Business Law from the Garrigues Study Center and an LLM in International Human Rights Law and International Criminal Justice from Utrecht University (the Netherlands), as well as postgraduate studies in Gender from the National University of Distance Education (UNED – Spain).

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GIJN Academy provides free trainings, webinars, and workshops to investigative journalists around the world with special attention to those from repressive regimes and marginalized communities. Your support helps us keep training opportunities like this one free and accessible to everyone.