2013
Censorship and threat of violence hang over Sri Lanka’s press
As the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting in Sri Lanka approaches, the government’s anti-media policies remain a pressing topic. Asia Program Coordinator, Bob Dietz, spoke to the Financial Times about the current status of press freedom in Sri Lanka.Read the full story here.
Killing of French Journalists Reverberates in France and Mali
Ghislaine Dupont and Claude Verlon, both of the French government-funded Radio France Internationale, were the first journalists to be killed in Mali in relation to their work since CPJ started compiling detailed records on journalist deaths in 1992. CPJ issued an alert and Frank Smyth, the CPJ Senior Adviser for Journalist Security, wrote a blog.Deputy Director,…
Training can help journalists survive captivity
Two murdered journalists for the Africa service of Radio France Internationale, Ghislaine Dupont, 51, and Claude Verlon, 58, might have had a chance. They were abducted on November 2 in Kidal in northern Mali, but the vehicle their captors were driving suddenly broke down, according to news reports.
Honoring courage and defying repression
CPJ’s 2013 International Press Freedom AwardsNew York, November 6, 2013 — Four outstanding journalists who have endured and defied media repression in Ecuador, Egypt, Turkey, and Vietnam will be honored with the Committee to Protect Journalists’ 2013 International Press Freedom Awards, an annual recognition of courageous journalism. All have faced recrimination for their work, including…
African media leaders must address Ethiopia’s repression
New York, November 5, 2013–As media leaders and officials of regional institutions gather in Addis Ababa this week for the African Media Leaders Forum (AMLF), the Committee to Protect Journalists calls on the participants to ensure that press freedom is squarely on the agenda.
Just the fear of draconian press laws is enough
Few in Kenya’s media could comprehend how a media bill, considered the most repressive in Kenya’s 50-year history, could sail so easily through Parliament last week. Fittingly, Parliament passed the Kenya Information and Communications Amendment Bill on Halloween. It is awaiting President Uhuru Kenyatta’s signature following a 14- day deliberation period.
Ethiopia arrests 2 journalists from independent paper
New York, November 5, 2013–Ethiopian police have arrested without charge two editors of the leading independent Amharic weekly Ethio-Mihdar, according to local journalists. Police in the town of Legetafo, northeast of the capital Addis Ababa, on Monday arrested Getachew Worku in connection a story published in October alleging corruption in the town administration, according to Muluken…
CHOGM leaders should urge media freedom in Sri Lanka
Dear Commonwealth Heads of Government: The Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) was set up more than 40 years ago with the aim of working together toward shared goals of democracy, freedom, peace, and the rule of law. In the past, formal meetings and private retreats at the summit have served as a platform for member states to discuss issues that affect all nations, such as apartheid in South Africa and the electoral dispute in Zimbabwe.