"Reporters Without Borders monitors abuse of journalists and freedom of the press around the world-a job increasing in difficulty. Since its creation in 1985, Reporters Without Borders (RWB) has become one of the largest international NGOs dedicated to defending press freedom and advocating for the safety of journalists. In 2009, RWB noted significant increase in cases of journalists forced into exile, a statistic it incorporated for the first time into its annual report. Its researchers were able to identify that at least 157 reporters were forced to leave their home country. RWB's round-the-clock Assistance Desk provides financial and equipment support for media organizations operating in volatile regions, where violence goes unrecorded and little or no access to news and information accentuates the risk of grave human rights violations. Although exile sometimes becomes the safest solution for endangered journalists, it is also one of the most complicated and difficult. Visa applications are time-consuming and a confusing bureaucratic process." (Abstract)