Data journalists describe challenges of reporting on the true toll of COVID-19
How many people worldwide have been infected by the coronavirus, and how many have died as a result? Finding reliable information on the virus’s toll has proven such a challenging task that it is nearly impossible to answer these basic questions, five data journalists from around the world told CPJ in May and June. In…
US, UK, Interpol give Ghana phone hacking tools, raising journalist concerns on safety and confidentiality
In May 2019, senior members of Ghana’s law enforcement posed for photos with the U.S. ambassador to their country at a ceremony in the capital, Accra. Between them they held boxes and bags, gifts from the U.S. government to Ghana which, according to one of the recipients, contained Israeli phone hacking technology. That recipient was…
Voice of America visa review could put journalists at risk
New York, July 13, 2020—The Committee to Protect Journalists today expressed concern that the U.S. Agency for Global Media’s review of visas at Voice of America could endanger journalists who have worked for the international, U.S.-Congress funded news outlet. “Voice of America has brought independent news to tightly censored countries and offered journalists working in…
CPJ sends letter to U.S. Agency for Global Media head encouraging unbiased coverage
The Committee to Protect Journalists urges new U.S. Agency for Global Media head Michael Pack to ensure editorial independence and unbiased coverage at Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), and Radio Free Asia (RFA).
US intelligence community should explain document denial in Khashoggi case, CPJ lawsuit argues
The U.S. intelligence community should confirm or deny the existence of documents that may provide information on its awareness of threats to the life of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, the Committee to Protect Journalists argued in a brief submitted yesterday to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. Khashoggi, a Saudi…
Maynard Institute’s Martin G. Reynolds on challenges facing Black journalists and how US media needs to change
Martin G. Reynolds, a veteran journalist and editor, is co-executive director at the Emeryville, California-based Maynard Institute, which was established to help diversify newsrooms through training programs. A year after the Maynard Institute’s founding in 1977 — originally as the Institute for Journalism Education — people of color made up 4% of journalists nationwide, according…
Amid spike in threats to US photographers, CPJ shares resources, joins call for accountability
New York, June 17, 2020 — Photojournalists must work on the frontlines and thus face heightened risks when covering protests and civil unrest, as underscored by the recent protests in the United States and separately by CPJ Emergencies’ surveys of photographers. These concerns are highlighted in a new series of CPJ videos that put #SafetyInFocus….
Local prosecutor subpoenas Cleveland newsroom for protest material
Washington, D.C., June 15, 2020 — The Cuyahoga County prosecutor’s office in Ohio should withdraw its subpoena served to the Cleveland.com news website and The Plain Dealer newspaper, and refrain from asking reporters to turn over unpublished material, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The county prosecutor’s office, which has jurisdiction in the city…