According to the organisers, jhr works to have an enduring impact without creating dependency. Before any programmes begins, jhr consults with local media organisations to determine their needs and wants. Laid out over a five-year time-line, all programmes are handed over to local partners before they are completed.

According to jhr, all their programmes promote Rights Media. This is the process of writing, collecting, editing, producing, and distributing media to create societal dialogue on human rights issues. Rights Media mainstreams human rights content into everyday news stories. For instance, a newspaper could create a section specifically on children's rights, or it could encourage its sports, business, or even entertainment reporters to cover human rights angles hidden within their stories.

While each programme is tailored to fit the country's specific needs, jhr has developed an essential framework to guide programmes. This includes the following strategies:

• Daily on-the-job training: jhr trainers are placed at local media outlets, working in partnership with local journalists to produce stories on locally relevant human rights, governance, and social justice issues.
• Informal workshops: jhr trainers offer bi-monthly informal workshops tailored to the specific needs of the media outlet they are working at.
• Formal workshops: jhr trainers work in partnership with local experts to offer free monthly workshops.
• Student workshops: jhr trainers offer workshops to students during the school year. The workshops are designed to compliment the curriculum, build on what the students are learning in the classroom, and ensure that the next generation of journalists understand the power of Rights Media.
• Community radio training: A combination of daily on-the-job training and informal workshops. Training with community radio stations lasts 1-2 weeks, based on the needs of the station.
• Human Rights Reporting Network: jhr work in partnership with the local media community to develop and launch local networks who are interested in Rights Media. These networks assist media practitioners to share expertise, resources, and contacts. /li>
• Train the Trainers: Local journalists, human rights and social justice activists are trained to be local Rights Media resource persons to ensure ongoing guidance and support to the local media community.

In addition to the seven main activities, jhr has three programmes designed to provide further support to those who excel at Rights Media.

• Small Grants: Locally run media and human rights/social justice organisations are invited to submit proposals for small projects they would like to run in the field of media development and/or human rights and social justice. jhr approves a certain number of projects and offers ongoing guidance and mentorship to the successful organisations.
• Journalism Fellowships: jhr offers a limited number of fellowships each year to local journalists.
• Human Rights Reporting Awards: jhr partners with local organisations to offer awards to those media outlets that have excelled in the human rights aspect of Rights Media.

The jhr website houses stories produced through the jhr programmes. jhr also hosts an e-listserve to allow members to discuss issues related to human rights and the media in Africa.

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According to jhr, since 2002 the organisation has worked with over 2000 journalists across 16 African countries. The training they receive - in human rights, good governance, journalism ethics, story structure, interview skills, and technical skills "make them much better journalists."