2014
Forced to flee false perceptions, ICC, and Kenyan press
EDITOR’S NOTE: February 15, 2014 marked one year since Omwa Ombara arrived in the U.S. to seek political asylum after attempts on her life in Kenya between May and December 2012. She fled her native land after being contacted by International Criminal Court (ICC) investigators probing the violence that followed the Kenyan elections in 2007-2008,…
Modi’s rise does not bode well for Indian press freedom
As India is set to hold elections next month, journalists covering Narendra Modi, India’s right-wing prime ministerial candidate, are reportedly coming under increased pressure online and in the newsroom for shedding critical light on him. Given these developments, free and independent reporting of the campaign is in doubt–as is the future climate for press freedom…
Chinese journalist Liu Jianfeng crowdsources his funding
Last July, veteran Chinese journalist Liu Jianfeng posted an announcement on the Chinese microblog Weibo, confirming his intention to become an independent investigator and writer. In a country where all media remains state-owned, Liu’s plan was a bold one. He promised to produce four to six independent, investigative stories in the coming year, and to…
One journalist released, Al-Jazeera trial begins in Egypt
New York, March 4, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release from jail of one reporter in Egypt and calls on authorities to release all other journalists held behind bars. While the release of a second journalist is pending, a trial begins on Wednesday for three imprisoned journalists affiliated with the Qatari-based broadcaster Al-Jazeera,…
Vietnamese blogger sentenced on anti-state charges
Bangkok, March 4, 2014–Vietnamese blogger Truong Duy Nhat was sentenced to prison today for online posts critical of the country’s Communist Party-led government, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the ruling and urges Vietnamese authorities to stop persecuting independent bloggers.
Independent media, journalists obstructed in Crimea
New York, March 3, 2014–Authorities in the autonomous republic of Crimea in southern Ukraine should ensure that media outlets and independent journalists are allowed to report on the political crisis in the region without being censored or harassed, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
In Pakistan, six convicted in Wali Khan Babar murder
New York, March 3, 2014–A Pakistani court on Saturday convicted six defendants for their roles in the murder of Wali Khan Babar, a Geo TV journalist who was shot dead in Karachi in January 2011, according to news reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the convictions–the first in the murder of a Pakistani journalist–but…
Kenya media, security forces soul search after Westgate
Should journalists expect support and protection from security agents when they risk their lives to report on security operations? What if their coverage could potentially expose military strategies? Why are journalists disparaged as unpatriotic when they show how security operations fail?
Kidnapped journalist in Syria is freed
Marc Marginedas, a Spanish journalist kidnapped by militants on September 4, 2013, crossed the border into Turkey on March 2, 2014, the Associated Press reported. The story references CPJ data, specifically the estimated thirty journalists still missing in Syria. Read the full story here.