Covering COVID-19 as a housing reporter in New York City
For Sadef Ali Kully, a housing and land use reporter for the nonprofit news outlet City Limits, meeting with sources in-person was an integral part of covering her beat in New York City. However, with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, Kully has needed to rethink how to perform the basics of her job.
‘Like visiting hell’: How an Italian journalist is reporting on COVID-19 from the frontlines
CPJ Europe Correspondent Attila Mong spoke with Stefania Battistini, a reporter for Italian public broadcaster RAI, about her experience covering the coronavirus outbreak in northern Italy, one of the hardest-hit regions in the world. Battistini compared the experience to reporting in a warzone. “The enemy is everywhere and you don’t know how to defend yourself,”…
#FreeThePress 2020
#FreeThePress Amid the unprecedented public health threat posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, more than 190 groups joined together to urge world leaders to immediately and unconditionally release all journalists imprisoned for their work. For journalists in jail, freedom has never been more urgent Thousands of people joined the call, with 11,337 signatures on…
Trust deficit: Guatemala’s new president must overcome skepticism to improve press freedom
With a new president in office, Guatemala has the opportunity to reverse years of declining press freedom after the country’s journalists endured obstruction, legal harassment, orchestrated online attacks, and threats of violence. To win back trust, the administration will need to make a strong commitment to transparency and provide enough resources to combat impunity in…
COVID-19 reporting curtailed as China revokes press credentials of US reporters at 3 outlets
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday that U.S. citizens working as journalists at The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post whose press credentials expire in 2020 would be required to surrender those credentials within 10 days, effectively forcing them to leave the country. The decision will impact…
U.S. imposes visa limits on 5 Chinese state media outlets
The U.S. Department of State said in a statement on Monday that it would limit the number of visas available for Chinese journalists working at five designated media organizations. The outlets — Xinhua, CGTN, China Radio, China Daily, and The People’s Daily — will be limited to 100 visas in total. The announcement follows China’s…
China expels 3 Wall Street Journal journalists
Chinese authorities on Wednesday revoked the press credentials of Wall Street Journal journalists Josh Chin, Chao Deng, and Philip Wen in retaliation for a headline in the paper’s opinion section, and ordered them to leave the country within five days. China’s expulsion of the journalists “makes the country appear less like a confident rising power…
NYC police arrest and charge photojournalist
In New York City, police arrested photojournalist Amr Alfiky on Tuesday as he filmed an arrest underway on the street. Police held Alfiky in custody for about 3.5 hours and confiscated his press credentials. He was released after being charged with disorderly conduct. An NYPD spokesman told New York Daily News that Alfiky did not…
Malaysian reporter charged for commentary on Coronavirus
In Malaysia this week, the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate’s Court filed three charges against journalist Wan Noor Hayati Wan Alias relating to posts on her public Facebook account about the coronavirus health emergency. Hayati was charged under Section 505(b) of the country’s penal code, a criminal provision banning statements intended to cause “fear or alarm to…