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U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine hold a briefing amid the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., U.S., March 19, 2026. REUTERS/Evan Vucci TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

CPJ welcomes ruling on Pentagon access in favor of the New York Times 

Washington, D.C., March 20, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists is heartened by a United States District Court decision on Friday in the case of New York Times v. Pentagon, in which the judge decided in favor of the newspaper, and calls on the Pentagon to heed the court’s decision and abandon last year’s changes to…

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Photo: Courtesy of José Vinces.

Ecuadorian journalist shot after receiving reported false news tip 

Bogotá, March 20, 2026—Ecuadorian authorities must swiftly and comprehensively investigate the shooting of journalist José Vinces Oviedo in the southern city of Huaquillas and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. “We urge authorities to swiftly and credibly investigate the shooting of journalist José Vinces Oviedo in Huaquillas, determine whether the attack…

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A new banner depicting U.S. President Donald Trump is put up on the Department of Justice building in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 20, 2026. REUTERS/Ken Cedeno

In unprecedented overreach, FCC allows merger consolidating local media ownership

Washington, D.C., March 20, 2026—A decision by the US broadcast regulator to approve the merger of Tegna and Nexstar broadcasting companies — in clear violation of its own norms and regulations — is a concerning sign of government sponsored media concentration in the United States, the Committee to Protect Journalists warned on Friday. The Federal…

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Screenshot: Fox Nashville

CPJ welcomes Nashville reporter Estefany Rodríguez’s release from ICE custody 

Washington, D.C., March 20, 2026 — The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of Nashville Noticias reporter Estefany Rodríguez from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and calls on the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to stop detaining journalists as a tactic to halt or discourage their reporting. Rodríguez was released Thursday evening from…

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The Witness reporter Shorné Bennie (left) and photographer Moeketsi Mamane.

South African journalist threatened, assaulted, robbed by municipal workers

Lusaka, March 20, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on South African authorities to act swiftly on a criminal case of assault, robbery, intimidation, and malicious damage to the property of two journalists covering a protest in eastern KwaZulu-Natal province for The Witness newspaper. The police have not made any arrests, The Witness’ news editor…

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Journalist Irfan Mehraj has been detained for three years in a case that reflects a pattern of persecution of journalists and activists in Jammu and Kashmir. (Photo: Sofi Ahsan)

CPJ, partners call for release of Kashmiri journalist Irfan Mehraj after 3 years in detention

The Committee to Protect Journalists has joined 32 civil society organizations in a statement calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Kashmiri journalist Irfan Mehraj, who marked three years in arbitrary pre-trial detention on March 20. In the joint statement, the organizations said Mehraj’s detention reflects a pattern of persecution of journalists and human…

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Frenchie Mae Cumpio has been held in prison for more than five years.

CPJ, partners call for Frenchie Mae Cumpio’s release ahead of court ruling on conviction

The Committee to Protect Journalists joined a coalition of international and local press freedom organizations on Thursday in calling for the immediate release of Frenchie Mae Cumpio ahead of a court ruling on whether to grant a review of her bogus conviction for “financing terrorism.” On March 23, the judge in Cumpio’s case is scheduled…

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Belarusian journalist Katsiaryna Andreyeva released after serving over 5 years in prison

New York, March 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of Belarusian journalist Katsiaryna Andreyeva, who was among 250 prisoners freed on Thursday as part of a deal in which the United States agreed to ease sanctions against ​the Belarusian financial sector, and remove all remaining U.S. sanctions on potash exports. On the same day, U.S. Special Envoy John Coale met in Minsk, the capital,…

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Ugandan journalists cover the announcement of presidential results in January.

Uganda declares criminal defamation unconstitutional, strikes down cybercrime law

Kampala, March 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Tuesday’s ruling by the Constitutional Court of Uganda to declare criminal defamation unconstitutional, the latest African court to abolish the crime in recent years. In a consolidated judgment, in response to three petitions filed by rights groups in 2022, the court also nullified the Computer Misuse…

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Screenshot: Fox Nashville

CPJ joins legal effort to support detained journalist Estefany Rodríguez

The Committee to Protect Journalists joined a proposed amicus brief supporting detained journalist Estefany Rodríguez’s habeas corpus petition in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee on Monday.  The proposed brief was filed by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) and joined by press freedom groups National Association…

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