The Torch is a weekly newsletter from the Committee to Protect Journalists that brings you the latest press freedom and journalist safety news from around the world. Subscribe here.
Following the U.S. State Department’s decision to classify four more Chinese media organizations as “foreign missions” on Monday, CPJ called on the two countries to resolve their differences in negotiations. The organizations join five other Chinese state-funded news agencies that were reclassified as “foreign missions” by the U.S. government in February, a designation typically used for embassies and consulates.
In India’s Uttar Pradesh state, two assailants shot and killed Shubham Mani Tripathi, a reporter with the local Hindi daily Kampu Mail. The killing came after Tripathi reported on land disputes. Three suspects were arrested in relation to the case. CPJ called on police to thoroughly investigate the killing and ensure those responsible are brought to justice.
In Egypt, family members of imprisoned journalist Alaa Abdelfattah were assaulted outside Tora Prison in Cairo, as prison authorities watched. Abdelfattah’s most-recent imprisonment dates to September 2019, when he was re-arrested just a few months after his conditional release from prison after serving a five-year sentence.
Press freedom in the time of coronavirus
- German injunction against BuzzFeed story in place since September due to COVID-19
- Since early June, at least five journalists in Iran, whose reporting included coverage of COVID-19, corruption, and May Day demonstrations, sentenced to jail
- Turkish courts to resume journalists’ trials after COVID-19 freeze
- Bangladeshi authorities investigate and detain journalists for coronavirus reporting
- Indian police launch investigation into Supriya Sharma’s COVID-19 coverage
- Two Zimbabwean journalists charged with violating coronavirus lockdown
Spotlight
Photojournalists face heightened risks, particularly when covering protests and civil unrest, as seen recently throughout the U.S. The particular threats faced by photographers are explored in a new series of CPJ videos that put #SafetyInFocus. Each video highlights a specific concern based on data gathered from over 500 photojournalists, ranging from physical threats and trauma to sexual harassment and access to insurance.
In addition to our new video series, last week, four major photo agencies and CPJ sent a letter to governors calling on them to investigate police attacks on photojournalists during protests.
Watch the videos and learn more about CPJ’s work for photographers, and join the conversation on social media using the hashtag #SafetyInFocus.
The Tow Center and ICFJ have launched a global survey to map the impacts of COVID-19 on journalism worldwide. Journalists from around the world are encouraged to share their experiences, the deadline for submissions is Friday, June 26.
What we are reading
- Conviction of journalist Maria Ressa by the Philippines highlights a global decline in press freedom — CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler, The Hill
- The journalist who was shot in cold blood — Global Initiative against Transnational Organized Crime, Mail & Guardian
- Hacked: The story behind the Israeli spyware targeting Moroccan journalists — Phineas Rueckert, Cécile Schilis-Gallego, Forbidden Stories
- African Journalism in the Eye of the Pandemic Storm — Federation of African Journalists
Beyond the pandemic
- ABS-CBN’s head of news Regina Reyes spoke to CPJ about the impact of President Duterte’s attacks on the organization
- Algerian journalist sentenced to two years in prison over Facebook posts
- Police detain journalists covering protests in Belarus, charge three
- Sierra Leone journalist detained, charged over social media posts
- Journalists in Hong Kong fear for safety as China pushes national security law through
- Argentine intelligence services surveilled journalist Hugo Alconada Mon under Macri administration.
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