Discredited, threatened, attacked: challenges of covering South Africa’s election in the digital age
In the lead up to South Africa’s elections in May, the Electoral Commission of South Africa accredited CPJ Africa Program Coordinator Angela Quintal as an international observer, monitoring press freedom. Quintal found that unlike 1994–when she covered the violence of the country’s first democratic elections–journalists in 2019 cited online harassment and threats as the biggest…
Tajik authorities revoke press accreditation of RFE/RL reporter Barotali Nazarov
Washington, D.C., July 1, 2019 — Tajikistan authorities should immediately reinstate video journalist Barotali Nazarov’s press accreditation and cease using accreditations as a means of censorship, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.
Moroccan independent journalists describe climate of pervasive surveillance, harassment
In March 2015, Hicham Mansouri emailed an anti-malware company, suspicious of possible signs that someone was able to access his device remotely, without permission. He remembers exchanging a few messages with the software company, but the correspondence was interrupted after a few days, when around 10 police officers in civilian clothes arrived at his home…
Indian government drops advertisements from major newspaper groups in apparent retaliation for coverage
New York, June 28, 2019 — The Indian government has cut off advertisements to three major newspaper groups–The Times Group, ABP Group, and The Hindu–in apparent retaliation for their critical news coverage, according to news reports.
CPJ welcomes resolution demanding investigation into Daphne Caruana Galizia killing
CPJ joined other press freedom and freedom of expression organizations today in welcoming a resolution condemning the lack of progress in determining responsibility for the October 16, 2017, car bomb killing of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Turkey Crackdown Chronicle: Week of June 23, 2019
‘Insult’ trial for Free Journalists Initiative spokesperson Hakkı Boltan, a spokesperson for the Free Journalists Initiative (ÖGİ), is due to stand trial in Diyarbakır on charges of “insulting the president” and “insulting a public servant because of their duty,” the news website Gazete Karınca reported. The charges are related to Boltan’s public statements about President…
Indian journalist G. Muthuvel attacked, threatened after reporting on police officer
New Delhi, June 27, 2019 — Police in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu must promptly investigate and prosecute those behind the attack on journalist G. Muthuvel and protect him from further attacks, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.