Eight press freedom threats to watch ahead of Nicaragua’s presidential elections
On November 7, Nicaraguans are set to go to the polls to vote for president, the culmination of a campaign that has included the detention of opposition candidates, the banning of civil society organizations, and continued suppression of the country’s independent press. Nicaragua’s press freedom environment sharply deteriorated in 2018, when journalists covering protests against…
Sudanese military forces arrest state television manager, pro-military protesters assault journalists amid unrest
New York, October 26, 2021 – Sudanese military authorities must immediately release journalist Maher Abugoukh, cease raiding media outlets, investigate pro-military protesters’ attacks on journalists, and ensure that telecommunications function in the wake of yesterday’s military coup in which military chief Abdel Fattah al-Burhan deposed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok and dissolved the government, the Committee to…
CPJ calls on Sudanese military to respect press freedom and journalists’ safety as coup unfolds
New York, October 25, 2021 – The Committee to Protect Journalists is watching the press freedom environment in Sudan with grave concern as it works to get independent confirmation of news reports of military raids on media outlets and internet and telecommunications outages after the country’s military seized power in a coup earlier today. The…
Kazakh outlet HOLA News reports website blocks after Pandora Papers coverage
Stockholm, October 20, 2021 – The Committee to Protect Journalists expressed concern today about apparent blocking of Kazakh independent news website HOLA News after reporting on the Pandora Papers offshore leaks. The website was widely inaccessible for 10 days after they published the coverage, and only became functional again after it was removed. A statement…
Turkey’s government sends a bleak message on press freedom
CPJ’s recent press freedom mission in Turkey got off to a disappointing start. International organizations led by the International Press Institute, and including Reporters Without Borders, Human Rights Watch, and Osservatorio Balcani Caucaso Transeuropa, a think tank focused on seven European countries, gathered in Ankara and Istanbul to discuss our concerns about possible updates to…
China to ban private investment in the nation’s news industry
Taipei, October 14, 2021 – Chinese authorities must drop plans to ban private funding of the news media, and allow news organizations to operate freely, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 8, the National Development and Reform Commission, a ministerial-level department overseeing China’s economic and social development policies, released its “2021 Negative…
Croatian court injunction blocks news website H-alter from reporting on public childcare clinic
Berlin, October 8, 2021 — Croatian authorities should lift the gag order on the news website H-alter, and ensure that court actions do not silence the press, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On September 21, the Zagreb Municipal Civil Court, the capital, issued an injunction to H-alter, barring the outlet from reporting on…
Tunisian authorities arrest Zaytouna TV host Amer Ayad, confiscate channel’s equipment
New York, October 7, 2021 – Tunisian authorities must immediately and unconditionally release journalist Amer Ayad, drop all charges against him, and allow ZaytounaTV to resume its work, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. On October 3, Tunisian police arrested Ayad, a talk show host for privately owned channel Zaytouna TV, at his home…
Journalists’ profiles must be restored on LinkedIn’s China site, CPJ says
Washington, D.C., October 6, 2021 — LinkedIn should immediately restore journalists’ blocked profiles in China, be transparent about the process that leads to profile takedowns, and ensure that the company does not facilitate the global export of Chinese censorship of reporters, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. LinkedIn blocked the profiles of several U.S….
Polish parliament to vote on media bill targeting broadcaster TVN24
Berlin, September 15, 2021 — Polish lawmakers should reject an amendment to the country’s broadcast media law that threatens the independence of commercial television broadcaster TVN24, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The draft amendment, which CPJ reviewed, would change Article 35 of the Broadcasting Act to restrict broadcast licenses solely to companies that…