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More than 70 media and civil society organizations have signed an open letter on July 11 urging Israel to give journalists independent access to Gaza.
The organizations—which include the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, BBC, CNN, The Guardian, The New York Times, and The Washington Post—point out that no independent media access to Gaza has been permitted since the start of the war, increasing the pressure on domestic journalists, and creating a space for mis- and disinformation to flourish.
“More than 100 journalists have been killed since the start of the war and those who remain are working in conditions of extreme deprivation. The result is that information from Gaza is becoming harder and harder to obtain and that the reporting which does get through is subject to repeated questions over its veracity,” the organizations say in the letter, which was coordinated by the Committee to Protect Journalists. The letter comes ahead of a planned visit by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to the United States.
–Full coverage of the Israel-Gaza war
The Committee to Protect Journalists has announced that its 2024 International Press Freedom Awards will be hosted in New York City by comedian John Oliver, host of Last Week Tonight with John Oliver, and chaired by Jessica E. Lessin, founder and CEO of the tech-focused publication The Information.
“I’m delighted to join the Committee to Protect Journalists on the biggest night for press freedom, to champion journalists during harrowing times for democracy, as they are threatened or taken for granted,” said Oliver.
Now in its 34th year, CPJ’s annual awards and benefit dinner will celebrate four courageous journalists around the world on November 21 along with the winner of the annual Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award in recognition of extraordinary commitment to media freedom..
See CPJ’s 2023 IPFA winners here.
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