CPJ joins calls for humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war
The Israel-Gaza conflict continues to exact a devastating toll on civilians—including journalists. More than 4,000 people have died on both sides since October 7, including hundreds killed in the October 17 hospital blast in Gaza, and the conflict has widened to neighboring Lebanon.
Attacks, arrests, threats, censorship: The high risks of reporting during the Israel-Gaza war
Since the Israel-Gaza war began on October 7, 2023, journalists and news outlets across the region have faced a hostile environment that has made reporting on the war exceptionally challenging. In addition to documenting the growing tally of journalists killed and injured, CPJ’s research has found multiple kinds of incidents of journalists being targeted while…
Pegasus spyware found on exiled Russian journalist’s phone
An investigation revealed that the phone of Galina Timchenko, an exiled Russian journalist who heads independent news website Meduza, was infected by NSO Group’s Pegasus surveillance spyware while she was in Germany earlier this year. The infection took place shortly after Russia designated Meduza as an “undesirable” organization – a measure that banned the outlet from operating on Russian territory.
CPJ calls on military in Gabon to ensure press freedom and journalists’ safety following coup
Dakar, August 30, 2023—Following the military coup in Gabon that removed President Ali Bongo from power on Wednesday, August 30, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “The new military authorities in Gabon must prioritize journalists’ ability to report on matters of public interest and avoid replicating the constraints and intimidation faced by…
CPJ Insider: July 2023 edition
CPJ travels to Poland and Georgia to meet with exiled journalists and demand release of Nika Gvaramia ahead of pardon CPJ’s Emergencies team was on the ground in Warsaw, Poland, and Tbilisi, Georgia, in June meeting with exiled journalists and calling for the immediate release of journalist Nika Gvaramia, the only Georgian journalist on CPJ’s…
Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora sentenced to 6 years in prison
After more than a year on trial, José Rubén Zamora, president of Guatemalan newspaper elPeriódico, was convicted of money laundering and acquitted on blackmail and influence peddling charges on Wednesday. He was sentenced to a six-year prison term and a fine. Zamora has been in pretrial detention since July 29, 2022, and has also been…
CPJ welcomes new board chair, Jacob Weisberg
CPJ announced today that Jacob Weisberg has been elected chair of its board of directors. His term will run from 2023 to 2026, and he will succeed Kathleen Carroll, who has been a member of the CPJ board since 2008 and chair since 2017. “When it comes to defending journalists and press freedom, CPJ has…
Joint statement by the Media Freedom Coalition – Consultative Network: More must be done to defend journalists and media freedom
Tallinn, Estonia, February 10, 2022 — The Media Freedom Coalition – Consultative Network[1], a group of 22 organizations representing civil society, press freedom and media development groups and journalists worldwide, calls on the Media Freedom Coalition to take stronger and more concrete actions to defend media freedom and the safety of journalists worldwide. Media freedom has…
Unidentified men attack crews with Georgian public broadcaster Pirveli Arkhi
New York, May 19, 2021 – Georgian authorities should swiftly and thoroughly investigate recent attacks on employees of the Pirveli Arkhi public broadcaster and ensure that the perpetrators are held accountable, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On May 17, unidentified men attacked and verbally harassed film crews working with the broadcaster in the…
Record number of journalists jailed worldwide
Editor’s note: In 2019, CPJ published a new database of attacks on the press. Numbers for each subsequent prison census are liable to adjust yearly as CPJ learns of arrests, releases, or deaths in prison. For the most recent data, see cpj.org/data/imprisoned/. The number of journalists jailed globally because of their work hit a new high in 2020…