Chinese TV producer suspended for crash reportage
New York, August 2, 2011–The suspension of a state television producer for his coverage of last week’s fatal train crash sends a disturbing message to Chinese media outlets, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Information authorities intensified media restrictions at the end of last week in an effort to restrain the unusually probing media treatment of the July…
CPJ Impact
News from the Committee to Protect Journalists, July 2011 Still struggling for a free Cuban press As Cuba implements economic reforms and prepares to introduce high-speed Internet, freedom of expression continues to be met with a policy of repression that stifles the free flow of information, according to a new report by CPJ. The report…
The highs and lows of investigative reporting in China
Veteran investigative journalist Wang Keqin has always been positive about his chosen career, characterizing media restrictions in China as a cycle with ups and downs. In an interview for CPJ’s October 2010 special report “In China, a debate on press rights,” he told CPJ that “there was a big fall-off in reporting freedom in 2008…
Chinese censorship fans rumors on Jiang Zemin
Sina’s Twitter-like microblog platform Weibo blocked searches for “death,” “river” and “301 Hospital” on Wednesday, according to The Wall Street Journal website. The company was responding to what Reuters reported was the service’s most-discussed topic yesterday–the rumored demise of former President Jiang Zemin, whose surname, Jiang, means “river,” and who may or may not have…
Amid jail releases, Chinese journalist’s sentence extended
New York, June 23, 2011–Authorities in Shandong should overturn a second prison sentence handed down to freelance journalist Qi Chonghuai just days before the end of his term, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Two of three Chinese journalists scheduled for release this month are out of jail. Artist Ai Weiwei was unexpectedly freed…
Uighur refugee extradited by Kazakhstan, held in China
Kazakhstan authorities have extradited Uighur schoolteacher Arshidin Israil to China, where officials have described him without elaboration as a “major terror suspect,” according to Reuters and other news accounts. Israil and his supporters believe the detention comes in reprisal for reporting he contributed to Radio Free Asia concerning the July 2009 riots in Xinjiang Uighur…
Public health still risky topic for Chinese journalists
Public health reporting is improving in China, but not fast enough. A new Human Rights Watch report on child lead poisoning in Chinese cities documents harassment of local journalists trying to cover the problem. “Journalists who reported on the lead poisoning in three of the four locations told Human Rights Watch that police had followed…
Rising anger amid accusations about who killed Shahzad
Just a few pointers to the angry discussion that is going on among Pakistan’s journalists about the killing of Saleem Shahzad. The Inter Services Intelligence Directorate (ISI) seems to have emerged as the prime target of accusation, but it has rejected claims of any involvement.In an Associated Press of Pakistan article Tuesday slugged “Salim Shahzad…
In China, journalist sanctioned while activist disappears
New York, May 23, 2011–The recent sidelining of an outspoken journalist in Guangzhou and the disappearance on Friday of a Beijing lawyer and activist known for his blog writings are the latest signs of China’s deteriorating press freedom, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.