Pentagon questions profiling of reporters in Afghanistan
No doubt Stars and Stripes is a Pentagon-authorized newspaper. But no one should doubt the daily’s editorial independence from the Defense Department. This week Stars and Stripes beat the rest of the press pack in breaking a story that not only made Defense Department officials uncomfortable, but that compelled veteran Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman to…
Press freedom slips in Zambia
In Zambia, the coming week will mark the anniversary of the untimely death of President Levy Patrick Mwanawasa. The late president had championed press freedom with his commitments to reform, and, with his passing, the Zambian media lost an ally. Worse, the media freedoms gained in recent years are now slipping.
Cacho, a top Mexican reporter, describes a life under threat
A month ago I sat next to a cop, turned on my computer, and opened my blog. The threats were there: “My dear lydia cacho get ready to be found soon with your throat slit, your pretty head will be left outside your apartment if you think you are so brave bye.”
Pro-Chávez militant arrested in Globovisión attack
At noon on Tuesday, Venezuelan authorities arrested pro-government activist Lina Ron and took her to Caracas’ military intelligence headquarters, according to an official statement by the Venezuelan Minister of Interior and Justice Tarek El Aissami. Ron, a founding and very public member of the far-left political party Union Patriótica Venezolana (UPV), appeared in footage of…
Pro-government militants attack Venezuela’s Globovisión
New York, August 3, 2009–A group of more than 30 armed pro-government militants riding motorcycles stormed the premises of private broadcaster Globovisión today and set off tear gas, local press reports said. The Committee to Protect Journalists condemned the attack and called on authorities to provide Globovisión and its staff members the necessary protection to…
As media arrests mount, Iran solidifies a dishonor
New York, July 22, 2009–The Committee to Protect Journalists has confirmed the detentions of another four journalists in Iran. CPJ research shows the continuing arrests have solidified Iran’s dishonorable standing as the world’s leading jailer of journalists.
Walter Cronkite’s press freedom legacy
Walter Cronkite had such a profound impact in so many ways that one might overlook an important part of his legacy–his long efforts on behalf of international press freedom and his advocacy on behalf of local journalists around the world. Cronkite was a vital participant in the launch of the Committee to Protect Journalists 28…
Media harassed in Brazzaville after disputed election
New York, July 17, 2009–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by the harassment of international journalists covering this week’s disputed presidential elections in Republic of Congo.On Wednesday, police smashed the camera of videographer Marlène Rabaud of France 24 while she was filming the dispersal of an opposition demonstration in the capital, Brazzaville, according to…
Thai distributors block The Economist over article
New York, July 16, 2009–Distributors blocked the July 4-10 edition of The Economist from entering Thailand for an article that covered the mounting threat of lese majeste complaints to the country’s Internet freedom and freedom of expression, according to a local distributor and international news reports.
Venezuelan journalists leave Honduras after harassment
New York, July 13, 2009–A group of Venezuelan journalists with the regional television network Telesur and the state-owned station Venezolana de Televisión (VTV) left Honduras on Sunday after being detained and harassed in the capital, Tegucigalpa. The Committee to Protect Journalists reiterated its call on the interim Honduran government to respect freedom of expression by…