Freelance journalists risk lives and livelihoods amid COVID-19 pandemic
Johannesburg-based freelance journalist Yeshiel Panchia was on his way to cover a story about a local developer who had found a way to keep his wage laborers employed during South Africa’s coronavirus lockdown by letting them live on the construction site so that they didn’t have to leave “home” in contravention of strict rules.
Hungarian journalist Csaba Lukács on covering COVID-19 amid attacks on independent media
In 2018, a group of conservative journalists opposed to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and his right-wing government launched Magyar Hang, an independent weekly magazine. Since then, government officials and their supporters have repeatedly harassed employees of the magazine, calling them “traitors” for opposing Orbán, accusing them of spreading fake news, and threatening them with…
Journalist Soltan Achilova on covering COVID-19 in Turkmenistan, one of the few countries with 0 confirmed cases
Soltan Achilova is a freelance photojournalist based in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan, who covers social issues for independent foreign-based media outlets including Khronika Turkmenistana.
Unidentified shooters attack office of Kocaeli Ses newspaper in Turkey
Istanbul, April 20, 2020 — Turkish authorities should conduct a swift and transparent investigation into the shooting attack on the Kocaeli Ses newspaper, hold those responsible to account, and ensure the safety of the paper’s staff, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.