CPJ’s Web site blocked in Olympic press centers
New York, August 12, 2008–The Committee to Protect Journalists’ Web site, www.cpj.org, is blocked in the Main Press Center and at least one other Olympic press venue, according to a number of foreign journalists there. CPJ calls on the Chinese authorities to provide the free Internet access they promised foreign reporters when they were awarded…
Dutch cameraman killed, reporter wounded in Georgia
New York, August 12, 2008–Stan Storimans, a cameraman with Netherlands-based television channel RTL Nieuws, was killed today during bombing in the central Georgian city of Gori. His colleague, reporter Jeroen Akkermans, suffered shrapnel wounds to his leg and was hospitalized in a Tbilisi clinic, Jaspir Teijsse, a spokesman for RTL Nieuws, told CPJ Storimans was…
Philippine impunity crisis deepens with two murders
Last week, two Philippine radio broadcasters were killed, gunned down in broad daylight on busy city streets. The murders, only four days apart, highlighted the continuing vulnerability of journalists here and the government’s inability to protect them. The broadcasters were shot in separate, unrelated incidents. But the killings were eerily similar to other journalist slayings…
News Wrap for 8/12/08
The conflict in Georgia is making headlines this morning with The Georgian Times Web site running a news brief on press casualties that quotes our alert from yesterday. RFE/RL also has a story online that quotes our coverage of the death of three journalists and the disappearance of two others in South Ossetia. The Web…
Olympics: This site is banned in China
Is this Web site, www.cpj.org, blocked in China? The answer is yes, although there are a few holes in the firewall. Being blocked means that China is not following through on its pledge of complete media freedom for the Games. It also means we are being heard by the government and our criticisms are hitting…
Mexican journalists vs. security forces
While organized criminals and drug traffickers account for the bulk of attacks against Mexican journalists, CPJ has documented an increasing number of assaults committed by security forces. Just last week, this reality was brought into sharp focus with the accusation by a reporter that he had been roughed up by the military.
Olympics-China Media Watch: Violence far from Nest
Major news coverage in China and elsewhere is naturally devoted to the Games themselves. Two Chinese weightlifters and the Chinese men’s synchronized divers won gold medals today. Yesterday’s news of 17 synchronized attacks with homemade explosives in the western region of Xinjiang received little coverage in or out of China. The exception once again was Caijing, a financial news…
Still no word, five years after editor disappeared
New York, August 11, 2008—The Committee to Protect Journalists is dismayed by the failure of the Egyptian authorities to shed light on the disappearance of a prominent journalist, five years ago today, in one of the most secure districts in Cairo. Reda Helal, a senior editor at Egypt’s leading state-owned daily Al-Ahram, mysteriously vanished on…
Journalist dies of gunshot wounds in the Philippines
New York, August 11, 2008–The Committee to Protect Journalists mourns the death of radio commentator Dennis Cuesta, who died in a General Santos City hospital on Saturday after gunmen shot him near his office on August 4. Local press freedom groups told CPJ that they believe his murder was related to his work.
Two killed, several injured or missing in South Ossetia
New York, August 11, 2008–Two journalists were reported killed, at least eight were injured, and two have gone missing since fighting erupted between Georgian, Russian, and local forces in the disputed region of South Ossetia. No press-related casualties have been immediately reported in the conflict in another breakaway Georgian region, Abkhazia.