Features & Analysis

  

Press freedom in the news 9/9/08

The San Francisco-based Web site Indy Media has posted another article about the arrests of journalists at the GOP Convention last week, with specific attention paid to the case of Democracy Now! reporter Amy Goodman. CPJ reported on the arrest of Goodman and other journalists covering the RNC last week, and posted videos of the…

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Sri Lankan journalist charged with terrorism

A couple of weeks ago we reported on Sri Lankan journalist J.S. Tissainayagam, who was detained by Terrorist Investigation Division forces in March. At first glance, his arrest seemed related to a Tamil news site he edits. But local journalists tell us the site was innocuous and as the months passed, no charges were forthcoming.…

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Press freedom in the news 9/8/08

In the news today, Reuters is covering the provisional weekend release of American filmmaker Andrew Berends in Nigeria. Berends was arrested on espionage charges by the Nigerian military along with his translator Samuel George on August 31. VOA News and The Lower Hudson News are also running stories about his release.

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Clinton seeks release of American in Nigeria

On the heels of a similar letter sent by Sen Charles Schumer (D-NY) yesterday, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-NY) has sent one today to U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice about journalist Andrew Berends, who is being held by Nigerian authorities. The letter does not mention Samuel George, Berends’ translator, but George is also in police…

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Press freedom in the news 9/5/08

The Washington-based Web site One World is running a piece about CPJ’s and other rights groups’ condemnation of the arrest of journalists in St. Paul during the Republican National Convention. The article quotes CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon, who expressed his concern that “police in St. Paul prevented journalists from covering a breaking story.” Also…

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Press freedom in the news 9/4/08

Killings and attacks on journalists in the North Caucasus region of Russia continues to be in the news today, with Philadelphia-based newspaper The Bulletin running a story about the violence. Web site Reclaim the Media has reporting about the arrests of various journalists covering the RNC, and mentions our coverage. The Huffington Post also had…

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Schumer pushes for release of journalist in Nigeria

Freelance American journalist Andrew Berends and his translator, Nigerian Samuel George have been in the custody of Nigerian State Security Services in Port Harcourt since they were arrested on August 31. Berends, an award-winning filmmaker, legally entered Nigeria in April to complete a documentary called “Delta Boys” about the region’s oil conflict. Sen. Charles Schumer…

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Putin and the tiger

This Monday, the fourth anniversary of the Beslan school hostage crisis, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin sedated a Siberian tiger to save–or so legend has it–a state television crew. As survivors of the Beslan tragedy gathered at the graveyard outside the North Ossetian town to mourn the more than 330 victims–mostly children–killed in the massacre,…

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Frank Smyth on arrests at GOP convention

CPJ’s Washington Representative Frank Smyth has a posting on The Hill Blog today about the recent arrests of journalists covering protests around the Republican National Convention in Minneapolis. Read our alert on the incidents here, and click here to watch video footage of the arrests posted yesterday.Read Smyth’s post at The Hill Blog.

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Press freedom in the news 9/3/08

The news of the arrest American filmmaker Andrew Berends in Nigeria is the focus of stories in The New York Times and the African Press Agency this morning. According  to CPJ’s research, Berends and his Nigerian translator, Samuel Geroge, were both arrested by Nigerian authorities on August 31.  Violence in Russia continues to be in…

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