CPJ, RSF, Foley Foundation urge US government to designate Shelly Kittleson hostage, mobilize all resources to secure safe, swift release
CPJ, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), and the Foley Foundation sent a joint letter to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on April 3 urging the U.S. government to secure the immediate, safe release of American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was abducted in the Iraqi capital of Baghdad on March 31. The nonpartisan, nonprofit organizations asked…
M23 rebels detain DRC journalist Espoir Mbata over WhatsApp post
Kinshasa, April 1, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for the release of Congolese community radio director Espoir Mbata, who was detained by M23 rebels on Sunday over his WhatsApp post about their potential withdrawal from an eastern town. “Working conditions have becoming increasingly hazardous for journalists in the eastern Democratic Republic of the…
CPJ endorses updated reporter privacy protection bill against unreasonable government searches and seizures
The Committee to Protect Journalists has endorsed an updated reporter privacy protection bill that would strengthen and modernize journalist protections against unreasonable government searches and seizures in connection with their reporting. Introduced in the U.S. Congress by Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Becca Balint on March 27 as S.4268 and H.R. 8093, the Privacy Protection…
CPJ welcomes Kyrgyzstan’s release of journalist Makhabat Tajibek kyzy, calls for charges to be dropped
New York, March 23, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Kyrgyz journalist Makhabat Tajibek kyzy’s release from prison and calls on authorities to drop all charges against her. In 2024, Tajibek kyzy, the director of anti-corruption investigative outlets Temirov Live and Ait Ait Dese, was convicted on charges of calling for mass unrest and sentenced to six…
CPJ welcomes ruling on Pentagon access in favor of the New York Times
Washington, D.C., March 20, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists is heartened by a United States District Court decision on Friday in the case of New York Times v. Pentagon, in which the judge decided in favor of the newspaper, and calls on the Pentagon to heed the court’s decision and abandon last year’s changes to…
In unprecedented overreach, FCC allows merger consolidating local media ownership
Washington, D.C., March 20, 2026—A decision by the US broadcast regulator to approve the merger of Tegna and Nexstar broadcasting companies — in clear violation of its own norms and regulations — is a concerning sign of government sponsored media concentration in the United States, the Committee to Protect Journalists warned on Friday. The Federal…
CPJ welcomes Nashville reporter Estefany Rodríguez’s release from ICE custody
Washington, D.C., March 20, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of Nashville Noticias reporter Estefany Rodríguez from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and calls on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to stop detaining journalists as a tactic to halt or discourage their reporting. Rodríguez was released Thursday evening from…
CPJ joins legal effort to support detained journalist Estefany Rodríguez
The Committee to Protect Journalists joined a proposed amicus brief supporting detained journalist Estefany Rodríguez’s habeas corpus petition in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee on Monday. The proposed brief was filed by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) and joined by press freedom groups National Association…
CPJ urges clarity on DHS secretary nominee Markwayne Mullin’s press freedom views
Washington, D.C., March 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists urges lawmakers to ask Sen. Markwayne Mullin about protecting media freedom in the United States in advance of a full Senate confirmation vote on his nomination for Department of Homeland Security (DHS) secretary given the progressively active role the department has taken in suppressing freedom of…