This week, journalists covering COVID-19 have been arrested in Venezuela and Niger, and assaulted by police in India. In Thailand, a state of emergency was declared on Thursday to contain the virus, which gives the government more control over the press. Last week, Hamas-controlled security forces assaulted a journalist covering a COVID-19 protest, and authorities…
The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced on Tuesday that U.S. citizens working as journalists at The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, and The Washington Post whose press credentials expire in 2020 would be required to surrender those credentials within 10 days, effectively forcing them to leave the country. The decision will impact…
Dear Friend, In many countries, the first victim of the coronavirus pandemic has been the truth. Standing up for the public’s right to accurate information and defending the journalists who provide it is core to CPJ’s mission. So, in the past few weeks we, along with partner organizations, have been at the forefront of reporting…
CPJ Emergencies has updated its safety advisory for journalists covering the coronavirus pandemic. The advisory includes information on pre-assignment preparations, travel planning, avoiding infection, and post-assignment considerations. Sign up to receive further updates and safety advisories from CPJ Emergencies here. The report is also available in Español, فارسی, and العربية CPJ Digital Manger Ahmed Zidan…
The U.S. Department of State said in a statement on Monday that it would limit the number of visas available for Chinese journalists working at five designated media organizations. The outlets — Xinhua, CGTN, China Radio, China Daily, and The People’s Daily — will be limited to 100 visas in total. The announcement follows China’s…
Demonstrators and police in India have attacked journalists covering protests across the country following the introduction of the Citizenship Amendment Act in December 2019. Some media workers have reported that they have been asked about their religious identity and others have been forced to delete pictures and videos from their phones. Journalists covering the protests…
Chinese authorities on Wednesday revoked the press credentials of Wall Street Journal journalists Josh Chin, Chao Deng, and Philip Wen in retaliation for a headline in the paper’s opinion section, and ordered them to leave the country within five days. China’s expulsion of the journalists “makes the country appear less like a confident rising power…
In New York City, police arrested photojournalist Amr Alfiky on Tuesday as he filmed an arrest underway on the street. Police held Alfiky in custody for about 3.5 hours and confiscated his press credentials. He was released after being charged with disorderly conduct. An NYPD spokesman told New York Daily News that Alfiky did not…
In Malaysia this week, the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate’s Court filed three charges against journalist Wan Noor Hayati Wan Alias relating to posts on her public Facebook account about the coronavirus health emergency. Hayati was charged under Section 505(b) of the country’s penal code, a criminal provision banning statements intended to cause “fear or alarm to…
On Wednesday, CPJ sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling on him to support press freedom following a January 24 incident in which Pompeo berated NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelley. Three days after the incident, the State Department barred another NPR reporter from traveling aboard Pompeo’s plane on a State Department…