When police patrol protests in military gear, journalists face a hostile reporting environment
When St. Louis Post-Dispatch photographer David Carson was covering protests against police violence in Ferguson, Missouri in 2014, he said other reporters often asked him what it was like to get teargassed night after night. These days, he told CPJ, he rarely gets asked that question: “Now all of my journalist friends have been teargassed.” Tear gassings, rubber…
Turkey convicts 5 journalists under national security law
Istanbul, September 10, 2020 – Turkish authorities must not contest recently convicted journalists’ appeals on national security cases, and cease jailing members of the press for covering sensitive topics, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, the 34th Istanbul Court of Serious Crimes convicted Odatv chief editor Barış Pehlivan, and reporter Hülya Kılınç, Yeniçağ…
Ethiopian authorities re-arrest journalists and media worker released on bail
Nairobi, September 10, 2020 – Ethiopian authorities must stop abusing judicial processes to hold journalists and media workers in prolonged pre-trial detention without charge, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On September 8, seven plainclothes security personnel in Addis Ababa, the capital, arrested reporter Belay Menaye, news anchor Mulugeta Anberbir, and camera operator Misganaw…
Guide to legal rights in the U.S.
The following advice and recommendations are intended to give the reader a high-level understanding of the rights of a journalist when confronted by law enforcement officers while covering a protest or other political event. Given that these incidents often quickly escalate and that some – both protestors and police – do not always conform to legal…
Kosovo journalist Ermal Panduri receives death threats following criticism of president
Berlin, September 10, 2020 — Kosovo authorities should conduct a quick and thorough investigation into the threats sent to journalist Ermal Panduri and ensure his safety, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Since September 8, dozens of Facebook users have sent threatening messages to Panduri, managing director of the privately owned Kosovo TV station…
At least 6 Iraq-based journalists with Dijlah TV resign, go into hiding following threats
New York, September 10, 2020 — Iraqi authorities must investigate the threats against employees of Dijlah TV and do their utmost to ensure they can work freely and without fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Since August 28, at least six reporters and camera operators working in Iraq for the Jordan-based…
Appeals court overturns murder convictions in 1999 killing of Serbian journalist Slavko Ćuruvija
New York, September 9, 2020 – The Belgrade Appeals Court announced on September 7 that it had overturned the convictions of four former Serbian State Security officers involved in the 1999 killing of journalist Slavko Ćuruvija, according to news reports. “CPJ is troubled and disappointed by a Serbian court’s decision to overturn the convictions of…
Belarusian authorities continue to arrest, obstruct journalists covering protests
Vilnius, Lithuania, September 8, 2020 — Belarusian authorities should immediately release all journalists detained while covering nationwide protests, return their property, and drop all charges against them, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Since yesterday, authorities have ordered the detention of at least two journalists, raided a journalist’s home, and fined two freelance reporters,…
Australia’s journalist union on Facebook, Google, and who should pay for news
Facebook threatened to prevent Australian users and publishers from posting news on its platform last week, raising questions about who benefits when people share journalism on social media—and who has the power to stop them. The company was responding to drafts of a news media bargaining code and related legislation published on July 31 by…
Turkish journalist Oktay Candemir charged with ‘insulting’ deceased sultan in satirical tweet
Istanbul, September 8, 2020 – Turkish authorities should immediately return the confiscated property of journalist Oktay Candemir and drop all charges against him, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, police in the eastern city of Van arrested Candemir, a freelance journalist who writes columns for the pro-Kurdish news website Nupel, at his home,…