2019
Mission Journal: One year on, Ján Kuciak murder seen as turning point by Slovak press
Black-and-white portraits of Ján Kuciak and Martina Kušnírová, set amid unlit red candles, were the first things to greet me when I entered the building housing Aktuality, the news website where Kuciak, an investigative reporter, worked until his murder on February 21, 2018. One flight up is the newsroom where Kuciak’s colleagues continue his work.
UN commission: Israeli snipers ‘intentionally shot’ Palestinian journalists in 2018, killing 2
New York, February 28, 2019 — The Israeli government must hold to account everyone responsible for killing Palestinian journalists Yaser Murtaja and Ahmed Abu Hussein in April 2018, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On February 25, 2019, a U.N. independent commission of inquiry said it “found reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli snipers…
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of February 24, 2019
RSF Turkey representative in court Erol Önderoğlu, the Turkey representative for the press freedom group Reporters Without Borders (RSF), was in court in Istanbul on February 25 alongside Şebnem Korur Fincancı, a columnist for the leftist daily Evrensel and president of the Human Rights Foundation of Turkey, and Ahmet Nesin, a writer and a columnist…
Dark side of sports journalism as fans harass female reporters online
“I say we put her email address in all the porn sites. From FSU with love,” one user wrote on 247Sports.com, a CBS message-board about college and professional sports. The FSU stands for Florida State University and the “her” is ESPN investigative journalist Paula Lavigne.
Myanmar journalists held, assaulted by mining company over news coverage
Bangkok, February 28, 2019 — The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the harassment, detention, and assault of two journalists in Myanmar on February 26 and called on the country’s authorities to thoroughly investigate the case and hold those responsible to account.
Moroccan press freedom conference in Paris shut down after disruptions, power cut
A conference on press freedom in Morocco held in Paris, France, was shut down on February 15, 2019, when the power was cut to the event after hecklers yelled at speakers and threw stink bombs, according to news reports, videos posted to social media, and witnesses who spoke with CPJ.
White House setting wrong example at Trump-Kim summit in Hanoi
Washington, D.C., February 27, 2019–The White House today barred four journalists from covering a dinner in Hanoi between President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, citing “sensitivities over shouted questions,” according to news reports. The unusual move came a day after Vietnamese officials relocated the White House press corps filing center from…
South Africa elections 2019: Journalist safety kit
South Africa, one of the media freedom beacons in sub-Saharan Africa, will hold national and provincial elections on May 8. As the country celebrates 25 years of democracy, the press in South Africa faces old and new challenges, including physical harassment and cyber bullying. The press freedom environment, including the safety of journalists, will be…
Jammu and Kashmir government pulls advertisements from two major newspapers
New Delhi, February 26, 2019–The state government of Indian-controlled Jammu and Kashmir should reinstate its advertisements in two major local newspapers or provide an acceptable explanation concerning its decision not to do so, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The administration of Governor Satya Pal Malik, who runs the state government after the local…
Venezuelan authorities must return equipment to Jorge Ramos, Univision crew
Miami, February 26, 2019–The Committee to Protect Journalists today condemned the detention yesterday of a Univision news team at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas and its expulsion today, and called on Venezuelan authorities to immediately return confiscated equipment.