Chinese journalist held for reporting on Wuhan COVID outbreak wishes he’d done more
When reports of a novel respiratory virus spreading through Wuhan began to surface in early 2020, a few independent video journalists rushed to the city. Among them was Li Zehua, a former journalist for state broadcaster CCTV, who goes by the name Kcriss Li. Giving the slip to officials chasing down reporters who challenged the…
Indian authorities prevent Pulitzer-winning Kashmiri journalist Sanna Irshad Mattoo from flying abroad
New Delhi, October 18, 2022 – Indian authorities should allow Kashmiri photojournalist Sanna Irshad Mattoo to travel abroad freely and collect her Pulitzer Prize in New York, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. On Monday evening, immigration officials at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi stopped Mattoo, who was flying to New…
Chinese reporter Zhang Weihan recounts police harassment, detention in Tangshan
Taipei, June 21, 2022 – Chinese authorities should thoroughly investigate the alleged police attack on journalist Zhang Weihan and ensure that the press can work freely and without fear of harassment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Tuesday. Zhang said in a video that on June 12, police in the northeastern city of Tangshan detained…
Hungarian government bypasses court order allowing journalists to report from public hospitals
Berlin, February 11, 2022 — Hungarian authorities should not grant state media preferential access to public facilities, and should ensure that independent news outlets can cover the COVID-19 pandemic freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. On February 4, the Hungarian government’s executive branch issued a decree empowering the Operational Corps, the government pandemic…
Opinion: The dilemma facing journalists covering the Beijing Olympics
I don’t envy journalists from around the world who are entering China to cover the Beijing Olympics, held February 4 to 20. Perhaps never in history have the rules of the road for covering the games been so murky and the potential dangers so great for journalists who step over an as-yet-undefined red line that…
China finds new ways to intimidate foreign press, FCCC survey finds
On January 31, 2022, the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China (FCCC) released findings from its annual member survey about press conditions in the country. The report, “Locked Down or Kicked Out,” found that 99% of foreign correspondents said China’s reporting conditions did not meet what they considered “international standards.” The survey also documented ways Chinese…
Digital and Physical Safety: Reporting during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2022
Throughout the pandemic journalists have played a crucial role informing the public about the risks of COVID-19. The global situation continues to evolve, and many countries are increasing or relaxing travel restrictions and safety measures as coronavirus variants of concern are identified, and as the COVID-19 vaccination program gathers pace. Basic COVID-19 mitigation Consider getting…
India state assembly elections 2022: Journalist safety guide
PDF: English,ਪੰਜਾਬੀ, हिन्दी India is scheduled to hold legislative assembly elections in the states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand, and Manipur in February and March 2022. Media workers covering any of these elections should be aware of the potential risk of physical attack, intimidation, and harassment; online bullying; arrest and detention; and government restrictions…
Journalists at the Beijing Winter Olympics may test China’s tolerance for critical coverage
Can China and the International Olympic Committee maintain a “bubble” of total press freedom inside China’s vast sea of repression? That’s the question facing thousands of journalists as they arrive in the coming weeks to cover the Beijing Winter Olympics, which kick off on February 4. (CPJ’s safety advisory for those attending addresses coronavirus restrictions…