Defending press freedom
When CPJ was founded in 1981, it was to defend the rights of journalists all over the world. Today, we are recognized as a leader in the global fight to protect press freedom.
CPJ advocacy helped free at least 150 imprisoned journalists in 2022 and helped secure convictions in the murders of 12 journalists. We also provided assistance to more than 520 journalists in at least 49 countries. Amid the war in Ukraine, CPJ distributed hundreds of individual first aid kits to Ukrainian journalists—lifesaving supplies to those covering the war. We disseminated at least a dozen crucial safety resources for journalists and newsrooms, and worked with partner organizations to prepare legal guides to help journalists navigate complex laws within their countries. In the photo above, journalists walk through a destroyed warehouse for storing food, after an attack from Russia in Brovary, on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, Tuesday, March 29, 2022. (AP Photo/Rodrigo Abd)
CPJ Insider: December edition
CPJ honors courageous journalists fighting repression worldwide CPJ held its 33rd annual International Press Freedom Awards (IPFA) in New York City, helping raise a record-breaking $2.8 million to protect journalists around the world. Our 2023 awardees faced government crackdowns, kidnapping, exile, and the rising criminalization of their work. They included Georgian journalist Nika Gvaramia, Indian…
CPJ Insider: November edition
‘Journalists in Gaza are facing exponential risk:’ a look at CPJ’s response to the war The world is watching in horror the unfolding events in the Israel-Gaza war. Working closely with our partners in the region, CPJ is documenting press freedom violations—with scores of journalists killed, assaulted, detained, threatened, and censored. We offer safety consultations…
CPJ Insider: October 2023 edition
Iran one year later: key trends from CPJ’s research In the year since Iranians took to the streets to protest the death of 22-year-old Mahsa Amini after she was arrested by morality police for alleged “improper” wearing of the hijab, CPJ documented the arrests of around 100 journalists swept up in a crackdown on the…
CPJ Insider: September 2023 edition
Afghanistan Two Years Later: An Analysis by CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Beh Lih Yi and Asia Researcher Waliullah Rahmani So far in 2023, CPJ has provided crucial assistance to at least 30 journalists from Afghanistan amid continued threats from the Taliban that have forced many into exile. When the Taliban took over Afghanistan in 2021,…
CPJ Insider: August 2023 edition
Ecuador on edge: A Q&A with CPJ Program Director Carlos Martínez de la Serna CPJ traveled to Quito, Ecuador, twice this year amid ongoing conversations with government officials to improve the conditions journalists are facing throughout the country. The past few years have seen increased violence against members of the press, including several journalists receiving…
CPJ Insider: July 2023 edition
CPJ travels to Poland and Georgia to meet with exiled journalists and demand release of Nika Gvaramia ahead of pardon CPJ’s Emergencies team was on the ground in Warsaw, Poland, and Tbilisi, Georgia, in June meeting with exiled journalists and calling for the immediate release of journalist Nika Gvaramia, the only Georgian journalist on CPJ’s…
CPJ Insider: June 2023 edition
CPJ celebrates World Press Freedom Day For the first time in its 30-year history, World Press Freedom Day was held in New York with journalists, diplomats, and advocates from across the world convening for discussions and activities. CPJ, which is headquartered in New York, hosted a number of events on May 3 and throughout the…
CPJ Insider: May 2023 edition
Tomorrow is World Press Freedom Day Tomorrow, Wednesday, May 3, will mark the 30th anniversary of World Press Freedom Day, a celebration of free expression and our collective right to be informed. A generous donor has pledged to match any gift until we reach our goal of $50,000.This year’s UNESCO-led press freedom web conference for…
CPJ Insider: April 2023 edition
French journalist Olivier Dubois released after nearly 2 years of captivity in Mali Olivier Dubois, a French freelancer, went missing on April 8, 2021, in the Malian region of Gao while seeking an interview with the local leader of the Al-Qaeda affiliated group Jamaa Nusrat al-Islam wal-Muslimin. His abduction was made public in a video…