Outlawing TikTok may not impede journalists, but U.S. and India bans could set a risky precedent
“Allison, can Trump ban TikTok?” Dave Jorgenson, The Washington Post’s self-described “TikTok Guy” asks in an August 3 video on the app. His colleague Allison Michaels responds: “The answer is yes, but how he can do it is kind of complicated…” It would be a typical exchange between journalists, but for the surreal setup: Jorgenson is standing over a birdbath, asking…
Nicaraguan journalist David Quintana faces criminal slander suit
Managua, August 19, 2020 — Authorities in Nicaragua should drop the criminal slander proceedings against journalist David Quintana, and the country should reform its speech laws, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On July 10, Managua residents Nelson Vázquez Oporta and Junieth Dávila Cruz filed a criminal slander suit against Quintana, director of the…
‘We’re scared shitless out here’: Four reporters on covering the federal response to Portland protests
“This was civic combat, but without live fire.” That’s how freelance photographer John Rudoff described the situation in Portland, Oregon, the Pacific Northwest city where demonstrations in support of Black Lives Matter and against police brutality are now in their 13th week. Portland’s protests received global attention when they took a violent turn in July as…
Colombian journalist José Abelardo Liz killed during military attack on Indigenous group
Bogotá, Colombia, August 18, 2020 — Colombian authorities must swiftly and transparently investigate the killing of Indigenous radio journalist José Abelardo Liz, determine if members of the military were responsible, and bring his killers to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On August 13, Liz was shot and killed during a two-day military…
Charges remain against journalists arrested during George Floyd protests
Washington, D.C., August 17, 2020 – Nearly three months after the height of national Black Lives Matter protests, at least six journalists are still facing charges stemming from their coverage, according to research by the Committee to Protect Journalists and its partner site, the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker. CPJ today called on state and municipal…
Soldiers shoot at journalist in Colombia, threaten reporters covering coca protests
Bogotá, August 17, 2020 – Colombian authorities must undertake a thorough and transparent investigation into violence against journalists Fernando Osorio and Edilson Álvarez, and ensure those responsible are brought to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On August 8, soldiers chased Osorio, a photographer for the local news cooperative Voces del Guayabero, which…
Colombian court orders authorities to compensate journalist Claudia Julieta Duque for years of harassment and surveillance
New York, August 13, 2020 – In response to a decision by the Administrative Tribunal of Cundinamarca finding that the Colombian state violated journalist Claudia Julieta Duque’s rights and ordering multiple government entities to compensate her, the Committee to Protect Journalists issued the following statement: “The Cundinamarca Administrative Tribunal’s ruling is a necessary and overdue…
Nicaraguan journalist Kalúa Salazar faces criminal slander suit over corruption reporting
Managua, August 13, 2020 – Nicaraguan authorities should drop the criminal slander charges against journalist Kalúa Salazar, and ensure media outlets can report freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On August 10, three employees of the mayor’s office in El Rama, in southeastern Nicaragua, filed a criminal slander suit against Salazar, the editor-in-chief…
Cartoonist Xavier ‘Bonil’ Bonilla threatened by son of former Ecuadorian president
Bogotá, Colombia, August 13, 2020 – Ecuadorian authorities must swiftly and thoroughly investigate the threat to cartoonist Xavier Bonilla, ensure he has adequate protection, and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On August 6, Jacobo Bucaram Pulley, the son of former President Abdalá Bucaram Ortiz, tweeted a threatening message…
Tech platforms struggle to label state-controlled media
Twitter announced last week that it would start labeling some accounts run by media outlets and their top editors as “state-affiliated,” a descriptor intended to improve transparency about the source of information being shared on the platform. Since disinformation became a flash point in the debate over content moderation on social media, distinguishing propaganda from…