As ruling party fans spew online abuse, Pakistan’s female journalists call for government action
On August 16, Ramsha Jahangir should have been celebrating a journalistic triumph, the release of a long, deeply reported cover story for the weekend magazine of Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper on the government’s social media strategy and image-building. Instead, she spent the day watching in horror as a torrent of abuse filled her social media feeds. Eventually, she went offline. …
Indian journalist attacked and newspaper threatened in Tripura state following chief minister’s criticism of press
New Delhi, September 16, 2020 – Authorities in India’s Tripura state should drop any legal threats against publications there, thoroughly investigate attacks on journalists, and guarantee press freedom in the state, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On September 11, state Chief Minister Biplab Deb, a member of India’s ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, condemned…
Journalist Jobert Bercasio shot and killed in the Philippines
Bangkok, September 15, 2020 – Philippine authorities should conduct a swift and thorough investigation into the killing of journalist Jobert Bercasio and bring those responsible to justice, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. At about 8 p.m. yesterday, two unidentified assailants on a motorcycle shot and killed Bercasio, a reporter and commentator at the privately…
Physical Safety: Covering wildfires
Wildfires are becoming more frequent across the world and increasing in both severity and extent, according to Science Brief, a website that reviews peer-reviewed scientific studies on various topics, including climate change. Media workers covering any wildfire should be aware of the dynamic nature of such a disaster, and how a rapidly evolving situation on…
Chinese authorities detain, assault Los Angeles Times bureau chief, force her out of region
In early September 2020, police in Hohhot city, in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, detained Los Angeles Times Beijing Bureau Chief Alice Su for more than four hours and released her without charge, according to an account in her newspaper and an Associated Press report. Su wrote the account in the Los Angeles Times without…
Australia’s journalist union on Facebook, Google, and who should pay for news
Facebook threatened to prevent Australian users and publishers from posting news on its platform last week, raising questions about who benefits when people share journalism on social media—and who has the power to stop them. The company was responding to drafts of a news media bargaining code and related legislation published on July 31 by…
Australian journalists flee China; government restricts visas for foreign reporters
Taipei, September 8, 2020 – Chinese authorities should end their intimidation of international journalists and let all media operate freely and without fear of reprisal, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. Yesterday, Bill Birtles, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Beijing correspondent, and Mike Smith, Shanghai correspondent for the Australian Financial Review, left China for Australia…
Pakistani journalists receive death threats after reporting called ‘fake news’ in TV program
Washington, D.C., September 1, 2020 — Pakistani authorities should investigate threats made to journalists Ahmad Noorani and Gul Bukhari and hold the perpetrators to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On August 27, Noorani, a co-founder and reporter at the independent investigative news website FactFocus, published an article that used pubic records to…
China detains state-run CGTN anchor and Australian citizen Cheng Lei
Washington, D.C., August 31, 2020 – Chinese authorities have detained Cheng Lei, an anchor for the state-run, English-language China Global Television Network (CGTN) and an Australian citizen, according to news reports and a statement from Australia’s Foreign Ministry. The statement, issued today, said that the Australian government received word of Cheng’s detention on August 14….