News outlets express solidarity with journalists in Gaza

At a November 19 funeral, Palestinians mourn local journalists Hassouneh Salim and Sari Mansour, killed in an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza on November 18. (Photo: Reuters/Stringer)

New York, February 29, 2024—Leaders of more than 100 news organizations across the world, including the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters, have joined an open letter (full text below) affirming their solidarity with journalists reporting in Gaza.

The letter, coordinated by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) with the support of the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), demonstrates strong and unified support for colleagues reporting from Gaza in the deadliest conflict for journalists ever documented by CPJ.

“For nearly five months, journalists and media workers in Gaza – overwhelmingly, the sole source of on-the-ground reporting from within the Palestinian territory – have been working in unprecedented conditions,” the letter reads. “…These journalists – on whom the international news media and the international community rely for information about the situation inside Gaza – continue to report despite grave personal risk.”

The letter goes on to remind the international community that journalists are civilians and authorities must protect journalists as noncombatants according to international law. 

A total of at least 95 journalists have been killed in the Israel-Gaza war; the majority of them (90) were Palestinians killed by the Israeli military.  

The signatories include outlets from Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, India, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

About the Committee to Protect Journalists

The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide. We defend the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.

Read the full letter below

Open letter on journalists in Gaza 

We, the undersigned, stand united with Palestinian journalists in their call for safety, protection, and the freedom to report.

For nearly five months, journalists and media workers in Gaza – overwhelmingly, the sole source of on-the-ground reporting from within the Palestinian territory – have been working in unprecedented conditions: at least 89 have been killed in the war, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, more journalists than have ever been killed in a single country over an entire year.

These journalists – on whom the international news media and the international community rely  for information about the situation inside Gaza – continue to report despite grave personal risk. They continue despite the loss of family, friends, and colleagues, the destruction of homes and offices, constant displacement, communications blackouts, and shortages of food and fuel.  

Journalists are civilians and Israeli authorities must protect journalists as noncombatants according to international law. Those responsible for any violations of that longstanding protection should be held accountable. Attacks on journalists are also attacks on truth. We commit to championing the safety of journalists in Gaza, which is fundamental for the protection of press freedom everywhere.

Signatories 

  1. Kim Godwin, President, ABC NEWS
  2. Phil Chetwynd, Global News Director, Agence France-Presse
  3. Hossam Kanafani, Editor-in-Chief, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed
  4. Sami Al-Haj, Director, Al Jazeera Center for Public Liberties and Human Rights, Al Jazeera Media Network
  5. Sasmito, President, Alliance of Independent Journalists, Indonesia
  6. Nora Younis, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Al-Manassa, Egypt
  7. Alaa al Ghatrevy, Editor-in-Chief, Al Masry Al Youm, Egypt
  8. Elsy Moufarrej, Coordinator, Alternative Press Syndicate, Lebanon
  9. Ghassan Hajjar, Managing Editor, An-Nahar, Lebanon
  10. Rawan Damen, Director General, ARIJ (Arab Reporters for Investigative Journalism)
  11. Stefano Corradino, Director, Articolo21, Italy
  12. Shiro Nakamura, President, The Asahi Shimbun, Japan
  13. Nicole Dungca, President, Asian American Journalists Association, United States
  14. Julie Pace, Executive Editor, Associated Press
  15. Simon Spanswick, Chief Executive, Association for International Broadcasting
  16. Nancy Prager-Kamel, Chairperson, Association of Foreign Press Correspondents, United States 
  17. Mohamed Shoair, Editor-in-Chief, Bab Masr website (Wlad al Balad Institution), Egypt
  18. Sam Jahan, Convener, Bangladeshi Journalists in International Media
  19. Deborah Turness, CEO, BBC News
  20. Hikmet Adal, Editor, Bianet, Turkey
  21. Ronalyn V. Olea, Editor-in-Chief, Bulatlat, Philippines
  22. Rozina Breen, Editor-in-Chief and CEO, The Bureau of Investigative Journalism
  23. Ingrid Ciprián-Matthews, President, CBS News 
  24. Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO, CNN Worldwide
  25. Daoud Kuttab, Director General, Community Media Network, Jordan
  26. Carlos Eduardo Huertas, Founder and Director, CONNECTAS
  27. Branko Brkic, Editor-in-Chief, Daily Maverick, South Africa
  28. Alia Ibrahim, Co-founder and CEO, Daraj, Lebanon
  29. Jakub Patočka, Editor-in-Chief, Denik Referendum
  30. Dirk Kurbjuweit, Editor-in-Chief, Der Spiegel, Germany
  31. Barbara Junge, Editor-in-Chief, Die Tageszeitung, Germany
  32. Ulrike Winkelmann, Editor-in-Chief, Die Tageszeitung, Germany
  33. Khaled Elbalshy, President, Egyptian Journalists Syndicate 
  34. Mohamed Saad Abdel Hafiz, Egyptian Journalists Syndicate / Managing Editor, Al-Shorouk, Egypt
  35. Carlos Dada, Director, El Faro
  36. Jazmín Acuña, Editor-in-Chief, El Surtidor, Paraguay
  37. Ricardo Gutiérrez, General Secretary, European Federation of Journalists
  38. Patrick Mayoyo, Director Editorial Innovations, Eyewitness Africa, Kenya
  39. Roula Khalaf, Editor, Financial Times, UK
  40. Laurent Richard, Founder and Executive Director, Forbidden Stories, France
  41. Giuseppe Di Maula, Editor-in-Chief, FotosIntensi, Italy
  42. Laurie Hays, Editor-in-Chief/CEO, The Fuller Project
  43. Priti Patnaik, Founding Editor, Geneva Health Files, Switzerland
  44. Emilia Díaz-Struck, Executive Director, Global Investigative Journalism Network
  45. Andrea Crossan, Executive Director, Global Reporting Centre
  46. Katharine Viner, Editor-in-Chief, The Guardian, UK
  47. Julia Montfort, Editor-in-Chief, Guiti News, France
  48. Aluf Benn, Editor-in-Chief, Haaretz
  49. Marc Saikali, Chairperson, Ici Beyrouth and This is Beirut, Lebanon
  50. Geordie Grieg, Editor-in-Chief, The Independent, UK
  51. Elena Cosentino, Director, International News Safety Institute, UK
  52. Frane Maroević, Executive Director, International Press Institute
  53. Elisa Lees Muñoz, Executive Director, International Women’s Media Foundation
  54. Sandy Prieto-Romualdez, Chairperson, Inquirer Group of Companies, Philippines
  55. Deirdre Veldon, Managing Director, The Irish Times, Ireland
  56. Rachel Corp, Chief Executive, ITN, UK
  57. Andrew Dagnell, Editor, ITV News, UK
  58. Elizabeth Schanz, Editor-in-Chief, Grand Valley Lanthorn, United States
  59. Patrick Michel, Editor-in-Chief, Le Mauricien, Mauritius
  60. Amir Rotem, Editor-in-Chief, Local Call
  61. Terry Tang, Interim Executive Editor, Los Angeles Times
  62. RK Anand, Executive Editor, Malaysiakini, Malaysia
  63. Catherine Joppart, Communications Director, Media Diversity Institute, UK
  64. Mohammed Al-Fazari, CEO and Editor-in-Chief, Muwatin Media Network  
  65. Pamella Sittoni, Group Managing Editor, Nation Media Group, Kenya
  66. Yvette Cabrera, President, National Association of Hispanic Journalists, United States 
  67. Rebecca Blumenstein, President, Editorial, NBC News
  68. Emily Wilkins, President, National Press Club, United States
  69. Edith Chapin, SVP and Editor-in-Chief, NPR, United States
  70. Rameeza Nizami, Managing Director, Nawaiwaqt Group, Pakistan
  71. Ebele Okobi, CEO, The New Humanitarian
  72. David Remnick, Editor, The New Yorker 
  73. AG Sulzberger, Publisher, The New York Times 
  74. Ann Marie Lipinski, Curator, Nieman Foundation for Journalism, Harvard University, United States
  75. Coizta Grecko B, Director, Ojos de Perro vs. la Impunidad, Mexico
  76. Maha Al Bahnasawi, Managing Director, ONA Media Services, Egypt
  77. Martha Ramos, President, World Editors Forum / Chief Editorial Officer, Organización Editorial Mexicana, Mexico
  78. Miranda Patrucic, Editor-in-Chief, Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project
  79. Amalie Kestler, Managing Editor-in-Chief, Politiken, Denmark
  80. Hans Väre, Editor in Chief, Postimees Grupp, Estonia
  81. Musikilu Mojeed, Chief Operating Officer/Editor-in-Chief, Premium Times, Nigeria
  82. Alan Rusbridger, Editor, Prospect magazine, UK
  83. Lara Bitar, Editor-in-Chief, The Public Source, Lebanon
  84. Jon Sawyer, CEO & President, Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting
  85. Ritu Kapur, CEO, The Quint, India
  86. Marcela Turati, Co-Founder, Quinto Elemento Lab, Mexico
  87. Maria Ressa, CEO and Co-Founder, Rappler, Philippines
  88. Alessandra Galloni, Editor-in-Chief, Reuters, UK
  89. Deirdre McCarthy, Managing Director, RTÉ News & Current Affairs, Ireland
  90. Ayman Mhanna, Executive Director, Samir Kassir Foundation, Lebanon
  91. Alejandro Páez Varela, CEO, SinEmbargo, Mexico
  92. Kamal Siriwardana, Editor-in-Chief, SMN24Media, Sri Lanka
  93. Maryan Seylac, Executive Director, Somali Media Women Association, Somalia
  94. Nwabisa Makunga, Editor-in-Chief, The Sowetan, South Africa
  95. Ramsey G. Tesdell, CEO, Sowt Media, Jordan
  96. Esther Ng, Chief Content Officer, Star Media Group Berhad, Malaysia
  97. Wolfgang Krach, Editor in Chief, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany
  98. Wafaa Haidar, Director, Tele Liban, Lebanon 
  99. Wahyu Dhyatmika, CEO, Tempo Digital, Indonesia 
  100. Anne Marie Owens, Editor-in-Chief, Toronto Star, Canada
  101. Lyas Hallas, Co-founder and CEO, Twala, Algeria
  102. Quynh-Vi Tran, Editor-in-Chief, The Vietnamese Magazine, Vietnam
  103. Fernando Belzunce, Editorial Director, Vocento, Spain
  104. Assaad Maroun, Chairperson and General Manager, Voice of Lebanon
  105. Sally Buzbee, Executive Editor, The Washington Post
  106. Vincent Peyrègne, CEO, World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)
  107. Ghousoon Bisharat, Editor-in-Chief, +972 Magazine
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