CPJ’s 2020 International Press Freedom Awards
CPJ’s 30th annual International Press Freedom Awards and benefit dinner will honor courageous journalists from around the world on Thursday, November 19, 2020, in New York City. Thursday, November 19, 2020 6:30 p.m. Reception 7:45 p.m. Dinner Grand Hyatt New York 109 East 42nd Street New York Black Tie For more information, call Buckley Hall…
Russian journalists attacked while covering vote that would keep Putin in power
Since June 21, Russian authorities have attacked, arrested, or harassed at least five journalists in the lead-up to Wednesday’s plebiscite on amendments to the country’s constitution. If the referendum passes, President Vladimir Putin would be able to stay in power through 2036. Early voting on the measure began on June 25. Separately, in neighboring Belarus,…
Majid Motalebzadeh arrested, charged with cybercrimes for economic reporting
Washington, D.C., June 29, 2020 – Iranian authorities should immediately drop charges against Majid Motalebzadeh, editor and reporter at the state-run Sedaye Eslahat newspaper, and release him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 20, Motalebzadeh appeared before the Cyber Crimes Court in Tehran after being summoned by the country’s Cyber Police Unit,…
U.S. continues tit-for-tat media visa war with China
Following the U.S. State Department’s decision to classify four more Chinese media organizations as “foreign missions” on Monday, CPJ called on the two countries to resolve their differences in negotiations. The organizations join five other Chinese state-funded news agencies that were reclassified as “foreign missions” by the U.S. government in February, a designation typically used…
Turkish courts to resume journalists’ trials after COVID-19 freeze
Istanbul, June 23, 2020 – Turkey should stop prosecuting journalists and ensure that necessary safety measures are taken for trials held during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On June 16, Justice Minister Abdülhamit Gül wrote on Twitter that trials would resume in the country, following a three-month suspension due to…
At least 280 press freedom violations reported during U.S. protests
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, of which CPJ is a founding partner, is investigating reports of at least 280 press freedom violations nationwide. The incidents, tracked since May 26, took place as journalists covered protests over the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police in Minneapolis. The reported violations include 45 arrests or…
Amid COVID-19, the prognosis for press freedom is dim. Here are 10 symptoms to track
By Katherine Jacobsen The COVID-19 pandemic has sent public health officials scrambling, the global economy into shock, and governments everywhere into crisis. It has also reshaped the way journalists work, not least because many authorities in many countries have cited the contagion as a reason to crack down on the news media. Certain dangers will…
#KeepItOn, Burundi!
Burundian authorities blocked social media access during the country’s presidential elections on Wednesday, despite the calls from CPJ and 30 partner organizations to #KeepItOn. Burundi’s media landscape has been deteriorating, with the recent detention of four journalists and bans on the BBC and Voice of America. Jorge Miguel Armenta Ávalos, a Mexican journalist who had…
Protesters storm Baghdad office of Saudi broadcaster MBC
New York, May 19, 2020 — Iraq authorities should conduct a transparent and speedy investigation into the ransacking of the Baghdad office of the Saudi broadcaster MBC and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.