internet blackouts

New York, December 21, 2023 – Since October 7, at least 68 journalists have lost their lives in the Israel-Gaza war. In more than three decades of documenting journalist fatalities, the Committee to Protect Journalists has never seen violence of such intensity. This devastating toll and related anti-press aggression and restrictions severely impact the ability…

Update: Communications in Gaza were partially restored over the weekend after a limited amount of fuel was allowed into the region to power generators. Journalists are still reporting to CPJ that they are having difficulty with communications. New York, November 16, 2023—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is highly alarmed by widespread reports of a communications blackout…

In January, Ukrainian photojournalist Anton Skyba rushed to the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine to report on a town near the front line, Chasiv Yar. He came prepared. In a phone call with CPJ, he ticked off the items in his suitcase: personal protective equipment, including a helmet and an individual first aid kit with a chest patch “for…

On Wednesday, CPJ welcomed the European Commission’s “decisive” move to pass an initiative addressing the abuse of SLAPPs (strategic lawsuits against public participation). CPJ has long advocated for the EU to address SLAPPs, which are abusive lawsuits filed by powerful officials, businesspeople, or corporations against individuals, including critical journalists or news outlets, to restrict or…

As world leaders scramble to stave off a Russian invasion of Ukraine, Ukraine’s press corps also prepare for possible war. Journalists in the country spoke to CPJ about the current dangers they face, including risk of arrests and kidnapping while covering Donbass and Crimea, and their fears of communication blackouts and internet shutdowns if tensions…

In Mexico, the killing of camera operator and video editor Roberto Toledo in Zitácuaro, a town 80 miles west of Mexico City, marks the fourth media worker killed in the country in less than a month in 2022. CPJ Latin America and the Caribbean Program Coordinator Natalie Southwick discussed the climate for journalists in Mexico…

Brussels, July 8, 2021 – In preparation for the Council of the European Union’s July 12 discussion on Ethiopia, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “As the Council of the European Union seeks to address the unravelling humanitarian crisis in the conflict-affected Tigray region, it should also focus on how the Ethiopian…

Ethiopia is scheduled to hold general elections later this year amid heightened tensions across the country. Military conflict broke out in the Tigray region in November 2020, and is ongoing; over the past year, several other regions have witnessed significant levels of violence and fatalities as a result of protests and inter-ethnic clashes, according to…

Can the key to ending news blackouts in isolated areas of Colombia come from inside a shipping container? The Bogotá-based Foundation for Press Freedom (FLIP) thinks so. In an experiment to turn community activists into reporters in regions that lack local news outlets, FLIP has converted a shipping container into a roving journalism classroom. For…

This year, journalists worldwide faced attacks, arrests, and censorship. In September, we released our annual 10 Most Censored list, highlighting the range of online and offline techniques used to censor journalism and restrict press freedom. Meanwhile, protests in over two dozen countries posed risks to members of the press. Journalists faced threats while covering civil…