Journalists in Argentina’s Formosa province detained, harassed, and blocked from reporting
Since April 2020, authorities in Argentina’s northeastern Formosa province have harassed journalists covering the regional government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including through intimidation, brief detentions, and smear campaigns, according to journalists who spoke to CPJ, a statement by the Forum of Argentinian Journalism (FOPEA), a local free expression organization, and news reports. On April…
Attacks on the Press in 2020
Attacks on the Press in 2020 Introduction Imprisonments Killings Explore 2020 Attacks on the Press Introduction Imprisonments Killings Explore Twitter Facebook Slider Amid a global pandemic and widespread political upheaval, a record number of journalists were imprisoned worldwide in 2020, and the number singled out for murder in reprisal for their work more than doubled…
Trinidad and Tobago High Court rules police raid on newspaper violated constitutional right of press freedom
On January 13, 2021, the Trinidad and Tobago High Court found that a police raid on the headquarters of the Daily Express newspaper the previous March was unconstitutional and infringed on the outlet’s right to press freedom, according to media reports and the court ruling. On March 11, 2020, a team of seven police officers…
Nigerian journalist Benjamin Anaja beaten, detained by security forces
On February 3, 2021, in Ikeja, the capital of Nigeria’s southwestern Lagos state, nine officers from the state Environmental Sanitation Corps assaulted and detained Benjamin Anaja, a reporter with the privately owned The Guild news website, according to the journalist, who spoke to CPJ in a phone interview, and a statement by the International Press…
Journalists in Myanmar fear imminent press crackdown
In Myanmar, reporters fear a more targeted media clampdown is imminent, Aung Zaw, founder and editor-in-chief of the staunchly independent The Irrawaddy and a 2014 recipient of CPJ’s International Press Freedom Award, told CPJ. Since the coup earlier this month, police have shot a journalist with a rubber bullet at a protest and the military…
Access to social media, TV restricted in Myanmar as democracy is upended
Myanmar’s military seized power from the elected government February 1, obstructing news stations, temporarily shuttering phone and internet access, and later restricting access to social media platforms. “Social media and communication platforms are crucial for journalists to report the news as democracy is upended,” said Shawn Crispin, CPJ’s senior Southeast Asia representative, urging officials to…
Former Mexican governor arrested for role in abuse of journalist Lydia Cacho
Mexico City, February 4, 2020 – Mexican authorities should thoroughly investigate Mario Marín for his alleged connection to the physical abuse in custody of journalist Lydia Cacho, and ensure that all the perpetrators of that crime are held to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, federal authorities announced that they had arrested…
Lebanese columnist, Hezbollah critic Lokman Slim shot and killed
New York, February 4, 2021 – Lebanese authorities must conduct a thorough investigation into the killing of political commentator Lokman Slim, determine if he was targeted for his journalism, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday evening, at about 8:30 p.m., Slim went missing after leaving the home…
CPJ Insider: February 2021 edition
CPJ in 2020 In US, threats to journalists persist after transition of power For months, CPJ’s Emergencies team has been issuing safety advice for journalists covering the U.S. election and election-related protests. When on January 6 pro-Trump supporters stormed the Capitol in Washington, we immediately published a statement urging all people to respect the work…
Ten years after Arab Spring, journalism more dangerous and deadly in region
Ten years after the Arab Spring, journalists in the Middle East and North Africa confront grave threats while trying to report the news. The historic upheaval has had profound and wide-ranging consequences for press freedom, as authorities and non-state actors use both novel and traditional means to suppress reporting and target individual journalists—including imprisonment, online…