Hungarian journalists fear Orbán will use election win to tighten grip on independent media
As Hungary’s right-wing Prime Minister Viktor Orbán celebrated his landslide election win on Sunday with jubilant jibes at the European Union’s “bureaucrats in Brussels” and international media, the country’s independent journalists braced themselves for an even harsher media climate during his Fidesz party’s unprecedented fourth consecutive term in office. Orbán has systematically eroded Hungary’s independent…
CPJ calls on Sri Lankan government to respect press freedom amid nationwide state of emergency
New York, April 4, 2022 – The government of Sri Lanka should respect press freedom, ensure unrestricted access to social media and communication platforms, and allow the media to work freely and independently during a nationwide state of emergency, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Monday. On Friday, April 1, the Sri Lankan government declared…
Lithuanian documentarian Mantas Kvedaravičius killed in Ukraine
Berlin, April 4, 2022— In response to reports that Lithuanian documentary filmmaker Mantas Kvedaravičius was killed in the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement, calling for those responsible to face justice: “We extend our deep condolences to the friends and family of Mantas Kvedaravičius, who was killed…
CPJ ‘deeply saddened’ by death of Ukrainian photojournalist Maks Levin
Paris, April 2, 2022 — In response to news reports that Ukrainian photojournalist Maks Levin, who had been missing since March 13, was found dead, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement calling for accountability: “We are deeply saddened by the news of photojournalist Maks Levin’s death in Ukraine while he was reporting…
Guatemalan journalist Carlos Choc faces criminal charges after covering protest
Guatemala City, April 1, 2022 — Guatemalan authorities should immediately drop criminal charges against journalist Carlos Ernesto Choc, a correspondent for local news outlet Prensa Comunitaria, and stop using the country’s justice system to harass and silence the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On January 14, a criminal court judge in Puerto…
Indian journalist Rana Ayyub on facing death threats and a money laundering probe
Rana Ayyub, is one of India’s most high-profile investigative journalists, with a Washington Post column, a Substack newsletter, a popular Twitter presence with an audience of 1.5 million, as well as a controversial 2016 book alleging that government officials were implicated in the 2002 riots that killed Muslims in Gujarat. But in recent months Indian…
CPJ Insider: April 2022 edition
CPJ on Ukraine: How the situation for journalists has changed One month ago, we spoke with Gulnoza Said, CPJ’s Europe and Central Asia program coordinator, about what to expect for journalists as Russia invaded Ukraine. Now, after a month of fighting, Said speaks on how the situation has changed for journalists covering the war–and what…
Attacks on journalists covering Russian invasion of Ukraine continue
More than one month since Russia invaded Ukraine, journalists continue to face grave risks while covering the war. This week, reporters have been shot, injured, and detained, and others remain missing. In Russia, authorities have detained and harassed journalists for their reporting, and the Novaya Gazeta newspaper – one of the last bastions of Russia’s…
Journalist Safety and Emergencies
CPJ provides short-term, emergency support to working journalists and media workers following an incident related to their journalistic work. Support includes financial and non-financial assistance. CPJ can provide: Non-financial assistance can include letters of support, referrals to partner organizations, information about fellowship and residency opportunities, referrals to mental health specialists, and physical and digital safety…
At least 2 Ukrainian journalists injured by Russian shelling; 1 journalist held in Donetsk
Paris, March 29, 2022 – Russian authorities should stop detaining Ukrainian journalists covering the war and ensure that they can report safely and without fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On March 25, Russian forces shelled a civilian convoy in the northern region of Chernihiv, injuring Andriy Tsaplienko, a reporter with…