Evaporated
Syria is currently the most dangerous country in the world for journalists. Vanity Fair used the cases of missing journalists James Foley and Tim Rice to highlight the dangers journalists face trying to cover the conflict. CPJ research is cited throughout the story. Read the full story here.
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.
Syrian journalist Amer Matar on facing his torturer in court
Syrian journalist Amer Matar was regularly blindfolded, handcuffed, and beaten with cables, whips, and fists during the eight months he was held in a Syrian prison. When a German court sentenced one of his torturers – Syrian army colonel Anwar Raslan – to life in prison earlier this month, Matar finally felt that at least…
‘I tried to kill myself slowly through hunger strikes’ – Chinese journalist opens up about imprisonment, alleged torture
In a rare interview, Tianwang 64 journalist Wang Jing told CPJ about her alleged torture at the hands of Chinese authorities during her nearly five-year imprisonment for “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” She is now seeking asylum in the United States. China is the world’s worst jailer of journalists and authorities continue to harass journalists…
Ten years after the Arab Spring, the region’s media faces grave threats. Here are the top press freedom trends
In early February 2011, Alaa Abdelfattah was in Egypt’s Tahrir Square, documenting and participating in the nascent pro-democracy uprising that would topple the government and transform the country and the region. Today, he is in prison on anti-state and false news charges, which his family believes are partly retaliatory for his work. Abdelfattah is one of…
Restoring U.S. Press Freedom Leadership
A proposal to the incoming Biden administration from the Committee to Protect Journalists November 17, 2020 Introduction The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide. Founded in 1981, we defend the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal. CPJ and our partners…
John Cantlie
Unidentified gunmen kidnapped John Cantlie, a British freelance photojournalist who contributed to The Sunday Times and The Sunday Telegraph, along with U.S. freelance photojournalist James Foley when they were traveling in the northwestern Syrian province of Idlib toward the border with Turkey on November 22, 2012, according to news reports. According to an October 2014 New York…
Kenji Goto
On January 31, 2015, the militant group Islamic State released a video purporting to show the beheading of Japanese journalist Kenji Goto, according to news reports. Japanese authorities said the footage appeared to be authentic, and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe vowed to “make the terrorists pay,” according to reports. A member of the militant group,…
Steven Sotloff
On September 2, 2014, the militant group Islamic State released a video that purported to show the beheading of freelance journalist Steven Sotloff, who held joint American and Israeli citizenship. The following day, U.S. President Barack Obama confirmed the video was authentic. Sotloff was the second American murdered by Islamic State in a span of…