CPJ concerned by India Law Commission’s recommendation to expand sedition law
New Delhi, June 8, 2023–The Indian government must repeal the country’s sedition law and reject recommendations from the Law Commission to retain and expand the legislation, as it would impinge on press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On May 24, the commission, which advises the Indian government on legal reforms, recommended retaining…
Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes new board chair
New York, June 8, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) today announced that Jacob Weisberg has been elected chair of its board of directors. The board voted yesterday for Weisberg, whose term will run from 2023 to 2026, to succeed Kathleen Carroll, who has been a member of the CPJ board since 2008 and chair…
South African court’s gag on amaBhungane raises fears for investigative journalism, sources
New York, June 7, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists on Wednesday expressed concern that a South African high court judge’s temporary injunction, if made final, against the amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, a nonprofit investigative outlet, could imperil the country’s investigative journalism, journalists’ confidential sources, and whistleblowers. In April, amaBhungane published a series of articles…
Mahoney: The lingering legacy of China’s COVID-19 censorship
One time she drew flowers on a letter to her ailing mother from her Chinese prison cell. Another time it was pictures of penguins. The drawings were a good sign. Zhang Zhan, the journalist jailed for her COVID-19 reporting from Wuhan, is maybe doing better. The 39-year-old Shanghai lawyer-turned social media reporter was one of…
Russian soldiers detain former journalist Iryna Levchenko in southeastern Ukraine
Paris, June 2, 2023 – Russian authorities should immediately release Iryna Levchenko and stop detaining current and former members of the press in occupied areas of Ukraine, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. In early May, Russian forces detained Levchenko and her husband, Oleksandr, in the Russian-occupied city of Melitopol, in southeast Ukraine, according…
CPJ Insider: June 2023 edition
CPJ celebrates World Press Freedom Day For the first time in its 30-year history, World Press Freedom Day was held in New York with journalists, diplomats, and advocates from across the world convening for discussions and activities. CPJ, which is headquartered in New York, hosted a number of events on May 3 and throughout the…
Texas journalists continue to seek answers on the Uvalde school shooting — and to grieve
When a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at the Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, on May 24, 2022, journalists rushed to the scene. One year later, CPJ went to Uvalde and spoke with those journalists, for whom covering the shooting was deeply personal. The journalists played a pivotal role in helping families…
DRC enacts press law and digital code that criminalize journalism
New York, May 23, 2023—DRC authorities should swiftly reform the country’s new press law and digital code to ensure journalism is not criminalized and the media can work without undue restrictions or fear of prosecution, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. In April, Congolese authorities enacted new laws governing the press and online activity,…
Chilean journalist Victor Herrero fined in criminal defamation case
Bogotá, May 23, 2023—Chilean authorities should not contest journalist Victor Herrero’s appeal of his recent criminal defamation conviction and should reform the country’s laws to decriminalize speech, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Monday, May 22, a criminal court in the capital city of Santiago sentenced Herrero, editor of the independent news website…
World Health Organization denies entry to 2 Taiwanese journalists
Taipei, May 23, 2023—The World Health Organization should ensure that all journalists can freely cover the organization’s annual gathering and should not allow the press accreditation process to be used as a political tool, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Monday, May 22, United Nations officials pulled reporters Judy Tseng and Tien Hsi-ju…