First step toward better safety for freelancers

News agencies, press freedom organizations, and advocacy groups came together this month to address mounting concerns over the hiring and safety of freelance journalists. While dangers to freelancers have always been present, last year international journalists made up nearly a quarter of journalists killed, about double the proportion CPJ has documented in recent years. The murders of freelancers James Foley, Steven Sotloff, and Kenji Goto by the militant group Islamic State prompted an unprecedented collaboration between stakeholders. CPJ is proud to have helped draft guidelines for a global standard that will protect freelancers whom outlets are increasingly dependent on for stories, especially from hostile environments.

By Courtney C. Radsch/CPJ Advocacy Director

After a series of high-level meetings to discuss press freedom concerns with Egyptian officials in Cairo this week, it was heartening to hear that journalists Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Baher Mohamed had been granted bail after more than 400 days in prison.

New York, February 11, 2015--The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Egyptian authorities to drop the charges against imprisoned Al-Jazeera journalists Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Baher Mohamed, whose retrial is scheduled to begin on Thursday. A court said it had ordered the retrial because of lack of evidence leading to their conviction of "conspiring with the Muslim Brotherhood," which the government has declared a terrorist organization, according to news reports. In June 2014, Fahmy was sentenced to seven years and Mohamed to 10 years.

February 1, 2015--Al-Jazeera journalist Peter Greste, who was serving a seven-year prison sentence in Egypt for "conspiring with the Muslim Brotherhood," was deported today, according to Egypt's state-run news agency. Greste, who is Australian, was arrested in December 2013 with his colleagues Mohamed Fadel Fahmy and Baher Mohamed.

By Jessica Jerreat/CPJ Senior Editor

Protests against the French satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo were held in Afghanistan, Pakistan, the Middle East and parts of Africa over the weekend, as crowds demonstrated against the magazine's portrayal of the Prophet Muhammad, according to news reports.

New York, January 26, 2015--The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the harassment and detention of journalists in Egypt on Sunday during mass demonstrations to mark the fourth anniversary of the uprising that ousted President Hosni Mubarak in 2011.

By Samantha Libby/CPJ Advocacy Officer

In 2014, at least 60 journalists and 11 media workers were killed in relation to their work, according to CPJ research. Local and international journalists died covering conflicts, including in Syria, Iraq, and Ukraine, while many others were murdered reporting on corruption and organized crime in their own countries.

Here, CPJ remembers some of the journalists who gave their lives to bring us this year's headlines.

More than 200 journalists are imprisoned for their work for the third consecutive year, reflecting a global surge in authoritarianism. China is the world’s worst jailer of journalists in 2014. A CPJ special report by Shazdeh Omari

CPJ and See Media release new documentary, 'Under Threat'

New York, November 6, 2014--As Egypt prepares to elect a new parliament, the government continues to crack down on the press, forcing independent and critical voices into silence, exile, or prison. These threats are explored in a short documentary, "Under Threat," by the Committee to Protect Journalists and Egyptian production company See Media, released today in Washington, D.C.

On November 6, CPJ and See Media released a new documentary film, “Under Threat,” that highlights the perils of working for Egyptian media across the political spectrum and examines the media environment under President al-Sisi ahead of Egypt’s parliamentary vote.

CPJ has documented an unprecedented number of anti-press abuses, including six journalists killed and dozens detained since the military took over in July 2013. While most of the journalists have been released, Egypt is still holding at least 11 journalists behind bars, three of whom are affiliated with Al-Jazeera.

We want to hear from you. Tell us what you think and we will help convey your message to the world, so that al-Sisi's government doesn't get the last word on Egypt.

What can a press freedom organization such as CPJ do to help incarcerated journalists inside Egypt? How can we achieve justice for the journalists who have been killed? What can Egyptian journalists do to support their colleagues?

Please tag CPJ's twitter handle, @cpjmena, and include the hashtag #EgyptLastWord.

For more on Egypt, click here.