New York, October 10, 2007—The Committee to Protect Journalists is concerned about the press freedom implications of proposed Australian legislation that would give the federal police commissioner powers to unilaterally block Internet content that he or she “has reason to believe … is crime or terrorist related.” The Communications Legislation Amendment (Crime or Terrorism Related…
New York, October 13, 2005 – The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned by contempt of court charges filed against two reporters for the Melbourne-based Herald Sun who refused to divulge the source for a report on government plans to cut war veteran benefits. Gerard McManus and Michael Harvey could face jail if convicted.…
The U.S. government took aggressive measures in 2002 to shield some of its activities from press scrutiny. These steps not only reduced access for U.S. reporters but had a global ripple effect, with autocratic leaders citing U.S. government actions to justify repressive policies.
New York, October 25, 2002—The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the recent attack on journalist Hedley Thomas and his family at their home in Brisbane, on the east coast of Australia. Thomas is a reporter with the Courier-Mail, a national daily. At about 10:30 p.m. on October 23, an unidentified gunman fired four shots…
[Click here for full list of documented cases] At its most fundamental level, the job of a journalist is to bear witness. In 1999, journalists in Sierra Leone witnessed rebels’ atrocities against civilians in the streets of Freetown. In the Balkans, journalists watched ethnic Albanians fleeing the deadly menace of Serbian police and paramilitaries. In…
In the run-up to August’s United Nations-sponsored vote on East Timor’s future status, political instability in the territory has escalated dramatically, prompting fears of a full-scale civil war. This grim backdrop is darkened further by the scarcity of independent news and information reaching East Timor’s citizens as they choose whether to accept Indonesia’s offer of…
Journalists in Jakarta estimate that 1,000 new publications have sprung up throughout the country since Suharto was forced from office a year ago. While some of them are supported by one or another of the 48 political parties vying in the June 7 elections, many others profess independence and seek readers rather than partisan victories.…