2011
Australian journalist attacked by assailants in Benghazi
New York, August 22, 2011–Tracey Shelton, a freelance Australian journalist, was brutally attacked in her hotel room in Benghazi, Libya, on August 11, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Two armed men wearing military fatigues broke into Shelton’s room at the Africa Hotel, tied her up, beat her, and attempted to kidnap her. The…
Pakistan news crew attacked at midday in central Peshawar
New York, August 22, 2011–A midday attack on three Khyber TV personnel in central Peshawar underscores the vulnerability of Pakistan journalists as the country’s security situation grows more precarious, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Chinese journalists punished for citing historian
New York, August 19, 2011–The demotion of a magazine president and suspension of an editor for an interview deemed critical of a Communist Party legend are the latest punitive steps taken by authorities against mainstream journalists in China, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Left for dead in Haiti: How CPJ helped one journalist
Ten years ago I joined the staff of the Committee to Protect Journalists to launch the Journalist Assistance program, an initiative, as CPJ board member Gene Roberts describes, developed to establish a standing direct response mechanism for journalists facing threats and attacks. When I left the position in 2009, many people asked me what case…
CPJ mourns death of Australian journalists
New York, August 19, 2011–The deaths of correspondent Paul Lockyer, cameraman John Bean, and pilot Gary Ticehurst of the Australian public broadcaster ABC are a tragic loss, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The three died in a helicopter crash on Thursday while filming in southern Australia.
Threats against Pakistani journalists: A reality check
In a blog entry on August 5, “Quantifying the threat to journalists in Pakistan,” CPJ’s Sheryl Mendez and I tried to measure what seems to be a rising number of threats aimed at journalists in Pakistan. We wrote about how the problem is rapidly growing as Pakistan’s security situation worsens and the civilian government appears…
Evacuating Somali reporters who face unrelenting violence
Somalia was among the world’s deadliest countries for journalists in 2009, the year I began working with CPJ’s Journalist Assistance program. On June 7, two gunmen shot Mukhtar Mohamed Hirabe and Ahmed Omar Hashi, the director and news editor of the country’s leading independent station, Radio Shabelle. Hirabe died at the scene. Hashi barely survived…
UK must not undermine news media
Dear Prime Minister Cameron: The Committee to Protect Journalists is gravely concerned about the steps to curb recent riots in the United Kingdom that are under consideration by your government. These measures would set alarming precedents that hinder press freedom and the free flow of information.
Israel extends Al-Jazeera journalist’s detention
New York, August 17, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by Israel’s continued detention of Al-Jazeera journalist Samer Allawi, who has been held without charge for eight days.”Israeli authorities must publicly explain and provide evidence as to why they continue to hold Samer Allawi,” said Mohamed Abdel Dayem, CPJ’s Middle East and North Africa…