2018

  
A Turkish flag waves over the Bosphorus strait as Fatih Sultan Mehmet Bridge is seen in the background, on July 22, 2018, in Istanbul. (AFP/Ozan Kose)

Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of September 10, 2018

Turkey detains Austrian writer Austrian citizen Max Zirngast, a contributor to several magazines and a student of political science, according to the OSCE, was detained by anti-terrorism police in Ankara, Turkey’s capital, on September 11, Deutsche Welle reported. Deutsche Welle quoted a tweet of German magazine re:volt–one of his employers–as saying that Zirngast was taken…

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Sweden's Prime Minister Stefan Löfven, pictured in Brussels in December 2017. CPJ is joining calls for Sweden to ensure human rights are upheld in EU negotiations on surveillance equipment exports. (AFP/Emmanuel Dunand)

CPJ joins call for Sweden to uphold human rights in EU regulation on surveillance equipment exports

The Committee to Protect Journalists wrote to Annika Ben David, Sweden’s ambassador-at-large for human rights, as part of a coalition of eight other civil society organizations.

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Members of the European Parliament take part in a vote in Strasbourg, France, on September 12, 2018. EU lawmakers voted in favor of a resolution to trigger Article 7 of the Treaty of the European Union against Hungary for breaching EU values. (AP Photo/Jean-Francois Badias)

CPJ calls on EU to keep up pressure on Hungary amid press freedom concerns

Brussels, September 12, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists today welcomed the vote by members of the European Parliament in favor of a resolution against Hungary for breaching EU values, and called on the bloc to keep up pressure on Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s government.

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Drop in journalist killings in Pakistan masks decline in press freedom

CPJ report finds military pressures media to self-censor Washington D.C., September 12, 2018–Pakistan’s press is under pressure as the country’s powerful military quietly but effectively encourages self-censorship, the Committee to Protect Journalists found in its report, “Acts of Intimidation: In Pakistan, journalists’ fear and censorship grow even as fatal violence declines.” The report will be…

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A Thai policeman stands inside the Foreign Correspondents' Club of Thailand on September 10, 2018, during a forum to discuss alleged human rights abuses by the military junta in Myanmar. The discussion was shut down by the Thai authorities. (AP Photo/Tassanee Vejpongsa)

Thai authorities shut down foreign press club event on Myanmar

Bangkok, September 11, 2018–Thai authorities on Monday shut down a panel discussion at Bangkok’s Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand, marking the sixth such event the country’s ruling military junta has canceled since seizing power in a May 2014 coup.

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A Snap banner covers the facade of the New York Stock Exchange in March 2017. The social media company's transparency report shows it received and complied with three government takedown requests for the Al-Jazeera Discover channel. (AFP/Bryan R. Smith)

Undiscoverable: How Al-Jazeera’s Snapchat channel disappeared from three Gulf nations

Search for “Al-Jazeera” on Snapchat, and the first result that comes up is a ubiquitous publisher channel in the app’s famed vertical layout. That is, unless you are in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), or Bahrain. Users in these counties are instead offered a list of stores and restaurants that bear a similar…

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CPJ produces safety kit for journalists

New York, September 10, 2018–The Committee to Protect Journalists today released a Safety Kit to promote greater journalist safety. The kit, produced by CPJ’s Emergencies Response Team, includes safety notes to help journalists prepare for assignments, first aid videos, an updated Journalist Security Guide, and an expanded resource center.

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Artwork: Jack Forbes

Physical and digital safety: Civil disorder

Reporting on crowd violence or mobs can be dangerous, and every year journalists are injured covering such stories.

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Artwork: Jack Forbes

Basic preparedness: Risk assessment

Decisions journalists make in the field have direct bearing on their safety and that of others. The risks inherent in covering war, political unrest, and crime can never be eliminated, but careful planning and risk assessment can mitigate the dangers.

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Artwork: Jack Forbes

Physical safety: Terrorist attacks

The dynamics of a terrorist attack are fluid and threats can materialize quickly–from explosions and gunmen to knife attacks, vehicular attacks, or sieges.

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2018