Eight days in Hong Kong: Laura Poitras on documenting Snowden for ‘Citizenfour’
The world premiere of Laura Poitras’s highly anticipated documentary “CITIZENFOUR” at the New York Film Festival occurred with the appropriate amount of intrigue for a film about last year’s dramatic revelations of the National Security Agency’s surveillance programs. The press and premiere screenings were clocked to begin simultaneously on Friday so no breaking news could…
Undercover in Vietnam: Room for debate frees up but bloggers remain imprisoned
In the final part of CPJ’s “Undercover in Vietnam” series on press freedom in Vietnam, Southeast Asia Representative Shawn Crispin reveals how prominent blogger Nguyen Van Hai remains behind bars for his critical writing despite the margin for debate opening. The series concludes with recommendations for the Vietnamese government and international bodies. Incarcerated for the…
Undercover in Vietnam: Reporters become martyrs for their paper’s cause
In the second of CPJ’s four-part “Undercover in Vietnam” series on press freedom in Vietnam, CPJ Southeast Asia Representative Shawn Crispin reveals the persecution faced by Redemptorist News journalists, who have been jailed, harassed, and had their passports revoked for reporting on human rights. In part three, due to be published Monday, Crispin interviews a…
Undercover in Vietnam: Bloggers play risky game of cat-and-mouse to report
In the first of a four-part “Undercover in Vietnam” series on press freedom in Vietnam, CPJ Southeast Asia Representative Shawn Crispin explores the risks bloggers take so they can cover news events and protests. Under near-constant surveillance and with the threat of arbitrary detention hanging over them, the desire for an independent press drives Vietnam’s…
Journalists investigating deaths of Russian soldiers are threatened and attacked
Journalists investigating the deaths of Russian soldiers that news reports claimed were killed during Russia’s alleged involvement in Ukraine’s conflict have been targeted in a series of attacks since late August, according to a press freedom group. Russia has denied that its soldiers were involved in the conflict, but journalists who spoke to the Committee…
Iran’s press record needs scrutiny at U.N. General Assembly
New York, September 9, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists is dismayed that dozens of journalists remain imprisoned in Iran more than a year after the inauguration of President Hassan Rouhani, who has pledged to seek more constructive engagement with the international community. CPJ calls on attendees of this month’s U.N. General Assembly to urge Rouhani…
Mission Journal: Attacks on journalists in Ukraine lead to information vacuum
“There are no [independent] Ukrainian journalists left in Donetsk,” said Aleksei Matsuka, chief editor of the regional news website Novosti Donbassa (News of Donbass). “They have fled the region since pro-Russia separatists started targeting and kidnapping reporters,” Matsuka told CPJ during our brief meeting in Kiev.
Thai editor held for four days, accused of violating martial law
Thanapol Eawsakul, editor and founder of Fah Diew Gahn (Same Sky) news magazine, a tri-monthly Thai-language publication, was arrested on July 5, 2014, in a Bangkok café, according to news reports. He was held on a seven-day detention order, the maximum period allowable without a trial under martial law, and released on July 9, 2014.
TSA policy change could compound security concerns for journalists in transit
On Sunday, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration announced a new policy requiring that travelers to the United States turn on their devices at the request of airport security personnel. Devices that cannot be powered on will be barred from the aircraft, and passengers in possession of such devices may also be subjected to additional screening.…
News from the Committee to Protect Journalists, June 2014
CPJ releases annual exile report In the run-up to World Refugee Day on June 20, CPJ brought the human toll of exile to the fore in its annual special report on exiled journalists. The report found that Syria, Ethiopia, and Eritrea are responsible for the most cases of journalists who flee. The report spotlights the…