Journalist Evan Lambert arrested, charged while covering Ohio train derailment
New York, February 9, 2023 — Law enforcement in East Palestine, Ohio, should immediately drop all charges against NewsNation correspondent Evan Lambert and thoroughly investigate why he was arrested, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. Around 5 p.m. on Wednesday, February 8, Lambert was giving a live report for cable network NewsNation about a…
Deadly year for journalists as killings rose sharply in 2022
By Jennifer Dunham/CPJ Deputy Editorial Director Published January 24, 2023 Key Takeaways | Methodology | 2022 Killed Data | Interactive Map | Video The year 2022 was deadly for members of the press. At least 67 journalists and media workers were killed during the year–the highest number since 2018 and an almost 50% increase from…
CPJ condemns November detention of WSJ reporter in Arizona
Washington, D.C., January 5, 2023—The Phoenix Police Department should conduct a thorough investigation into the November detention of Wall Street Journal reporter Dion Rabouin and ensure that members of the press are able to work without fear of harassment, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Thursday. On November 23, a police officer detained and handcuffed…
Forensic tools open new front for using phone data to prosecute journalists
On April 13, police in Russia’s Khakassiya republic arrested Mikhail Afanasyev and seized his digital devices. Afanasyev, chief editor of the online magazine Novy Fokus, was detained based on an article about riot police in southern Siberia refusing to serve in Ukraine. He faces a possible 10-year prison sentence for spreading “false” information. It’s not surprising for…
CPJ calls for Twitter to restore accounts of suspended journalists, commit to media freedom
New York, December 16, 2022—Twitter should immediately reinstate the journalists whose accounts it suspended without notice and explicitly commit to practices that defend a free and independent media, Jodie Ginsberg, president of the Committee to Protect Journalists, said in a statement Friday. Responding to news reports that Twitter had suspended the accounts of at least…
CPJ joins call urging U.S. Senate to advance the PRESS Act
The Committee to Protect Journalists Monday joined nearly 40 other press freedom and civil liberty organizations in a letter to U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, urging him to advance the PRESS Act in a 2022 end-of-year omnibus bill. The legislation would create a federal shield law that would protect journalists from being forced to…
CPJ condemns Biden administration decision that Saudi crown prince has immunity in U.S. Khashoggi lawsuit
New York, November 18, 2022 – In response to news reports that the Biden administration told a U.S. court late Thursday that Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman should be immune in a civil lawsuit over the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, CPJ issued the following statement condemning the decision: “The Biden administration’s submission that…
CPJ calls on North Carolina prosecutors to drop charges against Asheville Blade reporters
New York, November 18, 2022 – Prosecutors in Buncombe County, North Carolina, should immediately drop all charges against Asheville Blade reporters Veronica Coit and Matilda Bliss, the Committee to Protect Journalists said on Friday. Coit and Bliss were arrested while covering a homeless camp eviction in Asheville, North Carolina, on December 25, 2021, and charged…
US FBI-led investigation of Shireen Abu Akleh’s killing a welcome first step
New York, November 15, 2022—The Committee to Protect Journalists on Tuesday welcomed reports that the FBI plans to investigate the May 11 killing of Palestinian American journalist Shireen Abu Akleh as an important first step toward potentially achieving justice in her case. The U.S. Department of Justice notified the Israeli Ministry of Justice of the…