2011

  

Chinese journalist who probed cooking oil scandal is killed

New York, September 20, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns Saturday’s fatal stabbing of a TV journalist and calls on Chinese authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into possible journalism-related motives.

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In Burma, transition neglects press freedom

The articles by the AP, AFP, and Democratic Voice of Burma are just a few examples of the world wide attention the CPJ’s special report on the highly restricted state of press freedom in Burma.  Despite promises of reform from the newly elected civilian government, the press in Burma remains one of the most heavily…

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Children march with signs protesting the Protection of Information Bill. (Right2Know)

South Africa’s ruling ANC pulls secrecy bill

New York, September 20, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists is relieved by Monday’s decision by the parliamentary majority of South Africa’s ruling party to withdraw a controversial bill from consideration pending further consultation with public interest groups over its contentious clauses.

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Ecuadoran appeals court upholds libel conviction

New York, September 20, 2011–The Committee to Protect Journalists is dismayed by an Ecuadoran appeals court ruling today upholding a criminal libel conviction against four El Universo newspaper managers in a case brought by President Rafael Correa. 

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Video: Yemeni cameraman films himself being wounded

New video from The Telegraph shows Yemeni journalist Hassan al-Wadhaf’s footage of being hit in the face by sniper fire during protests in Sana’a. Al-Wadhaf, who is in critical condition, works for the Arabic Media Agency.

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Iran arrests six documentary filmmakers

New York, September 19, 2011–Iranian authorities have arrested six independent filmmakers on vague accusations that they engaged in a foreign conspiracy in connection with a critical new documentary about Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, according to news accounts. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the arrests and calls for the journalists’ immediate release.

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Cameraman critically wounded by gunfire in Yemen

New York, September 19, 2011–Yemeni journalist Hassan al-Wadhaf, a cameraman for the Arabic Media Agency, is in critical condition after being hit in the face by sniper fire while covering protests today in Sana’a, a colleague told CPJ.

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Motive unclear, but murders become rallying point

The brutal, September 1 murders of two women from the world of mass communications drew international headlines as the latest attack against the Mexican news media. But the sensational case–the two were found strangled in a park in the heart of Mexico City–illustrates the complexities of determining motives amid the pervasive violence afflicting Mexico. Since…

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In Ethiopia case, a response to WikiLeaks

Last week, we learned that Ethiopian journalist Argaw Ashine was facing possible arrest and needed to flee the country. During a 10-day period in September, he had been summoned three times by Ethiopian authorities and questioned about a reference to him in a cable sent by the U.S. Embassy in October 2009 and made public…

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Ten years after the author reported the government's shutdown of the private press, Eritrea continues to imprison journalists swept up in the crackdown. Among them is Dawit Isaac, a Swedish-Eritrean national whose case has drawn wide attention. (Petra Jankov Picha)

When Eritrea shut down the independent press

It was September 18, 2001. As usual, I had to do my shift as a news reader on Eritrea’s national government-controlled radio station Dimtsi Hafash. It was just minutes before 6:30 a.m. I was almost ready with all of the Tigrinya news material given to me for broadcasting and was waiting for the on-air sign…

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