A news crew crossing into Syria walks for three nights, legs aching and lungs burning, edging past army checkpoints to cover a war the government wants to obscure. A Liberian reporter dares to expose a dangerous ritual even as menacing strangers deliver death threats to her office. In central Mexico, a drug cartel’s vicious takeover of police and government agencies is so complete that it threatens to silence the press. And in China, authorities jail a filmmaker who poses a simple question to ethnic Tibetans: Does the state really represent you? Through data and analysis, CPJ experts detail press conditions and document new dangers in every corner of the world.
Attacks on the Press in 2012 Global Landing Page » Africa Regional Page » Americas Regional Page » Asia Regional Page » Europe Regional Page » Middle East & North Africa Regional Page »
Slideshow: The Year in Photos
The Law
Governments exploit national security laws to punish critical journalists.
Security
No amount of security training can make up for a lack of professional solidarity.
Journalists in Prison
Governments use charges of terrorism, other anti-state offenses to silence critical voices.
Journalists Killed
The dead include a record proportion of journalists who worked online.
Nations at Risk
From conflict-ridden Syria to aspiring world leader Brazil, 10 nations on a downslope.
Censorship
The right to news and opinion is enshrined in international law. It’s not enough.
Technology
Your cellphone allows authorities to locate you and uncover your sources.
Religion
Editors think twice, reporters do not dig deeply, columnists choose words carefully.
Awardees
Who is allowed to talk? What are they allowed to say? Award winners seek the answers.
Journalists Missing
Police never bothered to look for cartoonist Prageeth Eknelygoda. It’s not unusual.
Deaths in 2012 by Type
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46% | Murder |
36% | Crossfire/Combat |
17% | Dangerous Assignment |
Imprisoned Year by Year
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