A year after James Foley and Steven Sotloff murders, more awareness of risks
Journalists who regularly cover violence are considered a hard-boiled bunch. But a year ago this month, even the toughest were crying. There was no emotional body armor to deflect the horror of the beheading videos of freelancers James Foley, Steven Sotloff, and other Westerners held hostage in Syria by the self-styled Islamic State, also known…
Outlets banned in Bahrain and Syria over allegations of false news
New York, August 7, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities in Bahrain and the Kurdish-run territory of Syria to rescind two separate decisions this week to suspend the operations of three news outlets that fill a critical journalistic space in their respective areas. The three outlets have been accused of spreading false news…
Rory Peck Trust and Committee to Protect Journalists release Syria Media Safety Resource
London, August 5, 2015-A new safety resource for Syrian journalists seeks to help those working in or near the country to better protect themselves amid unprecedented threats and a lack of security information in Arabic. The Rory Peck Trust, in collaboration with the Committee to Protect Journalists and a coalition of international journalist assistance organisations,…
How Islamic State uses killings to try to spread fear among media
The militant group Islamic State may be trying to push Syria back into the dark ages, but it is fighting a very modern war. From slick propaganda videos to online surveillance and wide restrictions on Internet use, the Islamic State is trying to control media output and stamp down on dissent.
Al-Jazeera cameraman killed in shelling in Syria
Beirut, June 26, 2015–An Al-Jazeera cameraman was killed today while covering clashes between regime forces and rebels in the southern Syrian province of Daraa, the pan-Arab broadcaster reported. Mohammed al-Asfar is the second Al-Jazeera journalist to be killed in the province since December.
Exiled: When the most dangerous place for journalists is your country
Syrian journalists have been harassed or imprisoned by the Assad regime as well as threatened or attacked by militant groups such as Islamic State. Ultimately, dozens have been forced to flee into exile. These are four of their stories. A Committee to Protect Journalists special report by Nicole Schilit
Syria tops survey of journalists fleeing into exile
CPJ releases annual report on exiled journalists to commemorate World Refugee Day New York, June 17, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists has helped more journalists fleeing into exile from Syria than any other country in the past five years, according to a report released today. Over that period, Syria and Ethiopia surpassed Iran as the…
Exiled: When the most dangerous place for journalists is your country
CPJ to release report on exiled journalists to commemorate World Refugee Day New York, June 11, 2015–The Committee to Protect Journalists will release its annual report on journalists forced into exile on June 17, 2015, to mark World Refugee Day on June 20. The report, headlined “Exiled: When the most dangerous place for journalists is…
Drawing the line: Cartoonists under threat
On January 7, two gunmen burst into the offices of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo, killing eight journalists and bringing into focus the risks cartoonists face. But with the ability of their work to transcend borders and languages, and to simplify complex political situations, the threats faced by cartoonists around the world—who are being imprisoned,…