Syria / Middle East & North Africa

  
A Syrian pilot shot down and taken prisoner is interviewed by Al-Jazeera on October 17. (YouTube)

Humanitarian law, ethics, and journalism in Syria

A small number of journalists reporting from Syria have recently interviewed prisoners of war under highly coercive circumstances. In doing so, they have ignored the protections that are due to prisoners under international humanitarian law, or IHL.

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The Baba Amr district of Homs in March 2011. (AFP/Shaam News Network)

Preparation helps freelancers survive, thrive

When the story is so important but the risks are so high, journalists must keep safety at the forefront of their thinking. That’s especially true for freelancers who often do not have the support of a large news organization. Preparation, peer networking, and smart planning can help improve the odds of not only surviving hostile…

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CPJ

Talking international law and conflict journalists

What is the humanitarian function of journalism in wartime? How does international humanitarian law protect journalists? Why is impunity the most important challenge facing journalists working in conflict zones?

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In Syria, Al-Jazeera reporter killed in Daraa

New York, January 18, 2013–An Al-Jazeera reporter was killed by a sniper in the city of Daraa today, the station reported, the second journalist fatality in Syria in as many days.

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Yves Debay (AFP/Emmanuel Vivenot)

Military correspondent Yves Debay killed in Aleppo

New York, January 18, 2013–An international journalist was killed by a sniper while covering fighting in Aleppo in Syria on Thursday, according to local and international press reports. The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on all sides of the conflict to stop targeting journalists and allow them to report freely within the country.Debay, a Belgian-born…

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Audio slideshow: A look at missing journalist James Foley

James Foley, a U.S. freelance journalist, was abducted in Syria in November. His colleague and friend Nicole Tung, a freelance photographer, spoke to CPJ about her experience working and traveling with Foley. A petition appealing for Foley’s release can be signed here.

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Foley reporting in Benghazi, Libya. (AP/GlobalPost)

Family of seized U.S. reporter seeks his release in Syria

New York, January 2, 2013–The family of U.S. freelance journalist James Foley today publicized the reporter’s abduction in Syria on November 22. The family, which had previously asked that the kidnapping not be disclosed, launched a public campaign to seek his release. 

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CPJ welcomes release of NBC’s Engel

New York, December 18, 2012–The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes the release of NBC correspondent Richard Engel and three crew members on Monday following five days of captivity in Syria.

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Journalist deaths spike in 2012 due to Syria, Somalia

Syrian violence contributed to a sharp rise in the number of journalists killed for their work in 2012, as did a series of murders in Somalia. The dead include a record proportion of journalists who worked online. A CPJ special report

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Video: Risk, reward, and loss in Syria

Syrian leaders tried to impose a media blackout on the country’s civil war. They failed. As CPJ’s Dahlia El-Zein reports, foreign journalists responded by smuggling themselves into the country, while Syrians picked up cameras and uploaded videos online. They all did so at extreme risk. (4:13) Read CPJ’s special report on journalists killed in Syria…

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