Monterrey attack a reminder of reporting dangers
The aftermath of the January 6 attack on the Televisa studios in Monterrey, a city that until recently was considered one of the safest in Latin America, has generated great interest locally in how the media is protecting itself. As part of the coverage, headlines in the Mexican media this morning said that journalists reporting for the…
And then they came for Lasantha
Lasantha Wickramatunga was gunned down in his car last week on his way to work. According to colleagues, his attackers used an automatic pistol equipped with a silencer. After they smashed in one of his car windows, they repeatedly shot Lasantha at close range. Somehow he didn’t die on the spot. He died about three…
Journopalooza strikes a chord for CPJ
With an audience of 500 strong, Friday’s Journopalooza was rockin’. Held at the National Press Club, the charity concert benefited CPJ’s journalist assistance fund and the press club’s scholarship and training programs. The lineup featured musicians from The Washington Post, the Los Angeles Times, McClatchy Newspapers, the Washington Independent, and Bloomberg News, playing blues, pop,…
U.N. calls for foreign journalists to enter Gaza
The United Nations has called on Israel to open Gaza to international journalists, a vital step that CPJ sought from the Israelis earlier this week. Yesterday, the U.N.’s chief of communications and public information urged the Israeli government to “ensure immediate access for international media into Gaza.”
Working between the bombs in Gaza
Today I spoke on the telephone with Ibrahim Barzak, an Associated Press correspondent in Gaza whose home was destroyed on December 30 in an Israeli strike. He now sleeps in his office and continues to file news stories. There is no downtime; with an Israeli ban on the entry of foreign journalists into the Gaza Strip, Ibrahim…
Press freedom in the news 1/08/2009
Yesterday’s attack on Mexican TV network Televisa is making headlines in the world press today. The Washington Post has coverage of masked gunman threw a grenade at the TV station, allegedly in retaliation for reporting on drug trafficking. The article quotes CPJ’s Carlos Lauria, who said that the “attack in Monterrey is another example of how…
Journopalooza: Battle of the bands benefits CPJ
The stakes are high. Journalist-formed rock bands with names like “Suspicious Package” and “The Surge” will compete this Friday night, January 9, at the usually austere National Press Club in Washington. The question of which band will walk away as the “single undisputed champion” will be decided, according to the official Journopalooza Web site, in…
Targeting Palestinian media in Gaza
As part of their military campaign in Gaza, Israeli forces seem to be targeting Hamas-affiliated media outlets, a practice that is of concern to CPJ. The Hamas-run broadcaster Al-Aqsa television was bombed on December 28, and then on January 5, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) appear to have hit the newsweekly Al-Risala as well its…
Press freedom in the news 1/06/09
The Associated Press has coverage today of CPJ’s tally of journalists killed for their work in 2008. The final number rests at 41, with 22 cases still unconfirmed. We released a video remembering those who died in the past year, as well as an in-depth report on those killed in 2008.