Reporter denied access to Florida governor’s briefing on COVID-19
Washington, D.C., March 30, 2020 — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis should allow reporters to safely cover his news briefings, and not penalize journalists who seek to follow public health guidance on social distancing, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
All journalists jailed globally must be freed amid COVID-19 pandemic
CPJ launches #FreeThePress campaign New York, March 30, 2020 –The Committee to Protect Journalists today launched the #FreeThePress campaign to call for the unconditional release of all jailed journalists to ensure their safety during the COVID-19 pandemic.
New Guatemalan president must work hard to improve press freedom
Conditions for journalists fundamentally unsound just as coronavirus hits New York, March 27, 2020 —Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei has an opportunity to reverse a longstanding trend of obstruction, legal harassment, orchestrated online attacks, and threats of violence against the press, but it will take an unwavering commitment to overcome the failures of past administrations, the…
Philippines COVID-19 state of emergency includes prison time for spreading ‘false news’
Bangkok, March 27, 2020 — The Philippine Congress should repeal a recently enacted regulation that imposes criminal penalties for spreading ‘false news’ about the coronavirus pandemic, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Journalist Adnan Rashidi tortured, robbed in Iraqi Kurdistan
New York, March 26, 2020 — Authorities in Iraqi Kurdistan should conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the torture and robbery of journalist Adnan Rashidi and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Q&A: RAI journalist Stefania Battistini on covering Italy’s coronavirus outbreak
Stefania Battistini, an experienced reporter for Italian public broadcaster RAI, has covered terrorist attacks, earthquakes, and Syria’s civil war for the channel’s news program. Now, she is confronting the biggest challenge of her career: the coronavirus pandemic that is ravaging Lombardy, northern Italy, one of the hardest-hit regions in the world. Battistini, who is based…
Iraqi security forces seize journalist’s belongings for allegedly violating COVID-19 curfew
On March 24, 2020, Iraqi National Security Forces officers stopped Azad Shakur, a reporter for the Iraqi Kurdish broadcaster Gali Kurdistan, and seized his belongings for allegedly violating a lockdown imposed to restrict the spread of the COVID-19 virus, according to Shakur, who spoke to CPJ in a phone interview, and a report by the…