Statements

  
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt takes a question during a press briefing at the White House in Washington, D.C on February 25, 2025. (Photo: Reuters/Brian Snyder)

CPJ, SPJ, journalist groups call on Trump administration to restore AP access to White House  

We, the undersigned coalition of journalism and press freedom organizations, express our deep concern regarding the White House’s decision to bar Associated Press (AP) reporters from access to the Oval Office, Air Force One and other White House pool events. AP provides essential reporting that is published by thousands of outlets across the United States…

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CPJ denounces Trump administration’s actions against AP, other retaliation against media

Washington, D.C., February 14, 2025–The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the White House decision to block The Associated Press (AP) from covering official events after AP’s decision to refer to the Gulf of Mexico by its internationally known name, calling the action the latest in an alarming pattern of retaliation against a free press in…

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A relative mourns over the body of one of five Palestinian journalists killed by an Israeli airstrike in Gaza City's Al-Aqsa Hospital on December 26, 2024.

CPJ calls on EU to ensure media access and justice after Gaza ceasefire

Brussels, January 24, 2025–European Union officials and foreign ministers must seize the opportunity provided by the Gaza ceasefire at January 27’s Foreign Affairs Council meeting to ensure that a free press can prevail, the Committee to Protect Journalists said Friday. CPJ urges the EU to call for independent investigations into the deliberate targeting of journalists…

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CPJ welcomes reports of Gaza ceasefire, calls for media access and war crimes investigations

Beirut, January 15, 2025—The Committee to Protect Journalists welcomes Wednesday’s reports of a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza and calls on authorities to grant unconditional access to journalists and independent human rights experts to investigate crimes committed against the media during the 15-month long war.  “Journalists have been paying the highest price…

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A military vehicle moves in a street outside the building where the Al Jazeera office is located, in Ramallah, in the Israeli-occupied West Bank, September 22, 2024. REUTERS/Mohammed Torokman - RC2F5AA82Z43

CPJ urges Palestinian Authority to lift ban on Al Jazeera’s operations in West Bank

The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a decision by the Palestinian Authority to suspend Al Jazeera’s operations in the West Bank. “Governments resort to censoring news outlets when they have something to hide,” said CPJ CEO Jodie Ginsberg. “The Palestinian Authority should reverse its decision to suspend Al Jazeera’s operations and allow journalists to report freely without fear…

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Italian journalist Cecilia Sala was arrested by Iran on December 19, 2024, but her arrest was only made public on December 27. (Screenshot: France 24/YouTube)

CPJ, RSF, IJF call for release of Italian journalist Cecilia Sala

Editor’s note: Cecilia Sala was freed on January 8, 2025. Press freedom organizations and the organizers of the International Journalism Festival (IJF) called on Iran on Tuesday to release Italian journalist Cecilia Sala with immediate effect. Sala was arrested in Iran on December 19 and is being held in the notorious Evin prison. Iran confirmed…

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People celebrate with the Syrian opposition flag in Damascus on December 10, 2024, after Bashar al-Assad's oppressive regime was toppled and the former president fled to Russia. (Photo: AFP/Omar Haj Kadour)

CPJ calls on new Syrian leaders to protect journalist safety, hold Assad’s media persecutors to account 

As Syria transitions to a new government following the December 8 toppling of Bashar al-Assad, the Committee to Protect Journalists calls on authorities to take decisive action to ensure the safety of all journalists and hold accountable those responsible for the killing, imprisonment, and silencing of members of the media during the country’s 13-year civil…

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EU must act decisively to halt Israel’s silencing of journalists

New York, November 13, 2024—Ahead of their November 18 meeting, CPJ calls on European Union foreign ministers to suspend the EU-Israel Association Agreement in light of Israel’s unprecedented attack on press freedom and ongoing abuses of international law. The agreement sets out the EU’s legal and institutional framework for political dialogue and economic cooperation with…

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Former President Donald Trump speaks at an election night watch party at the Palm Beach Convention Center on Wednesday, Nov. 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Fla. (Photo: AP/Evan Vucci)

CPJ Board: The free press must be protected

New York, November 6, 2024 – The United States was founded with press freedom as a cornerstone of its democracy. As the country prepares for a transition of power, following the election of Donald J. Trump as the 47th president of the United States, the board of directors at the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)…

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Guatemala's José Rubén Zamora, founder of El Periodico newspaper, waits in handcuffs ahead of a court hearing in Guatemala City on August 26.

CPJ, partners demand a fair hearing for Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora

The Committee to Protect Journalist and 18 other civil society organizations called on Guatemalan authorities to respect the independence of the judiciary at an October 18 hearing over the release of Guatemalan journalist José Rubén Zamora from pre-trial detention. The statement highlights a “deeply troubling trend” of criminalizing and intimidating human rights defenders, including Judge Rodolfo…

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