On October 8, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Filipino journalist Maria Ressa and Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, in recognition of their work fighting for freedom of expression. Their awards come at a time of unprecedented crackdowns on members of the press, digital surveillance, and an erosion of public trust in journalism. “This Nobel Peace Prize is a powerful recognition of their tireless work, and that of journalists all around the world. Their struggle is our struggle,” said CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon.
Just hours after the prize was announced, the Russian Ministry of Justice added eight journalists and several news outlets, including the Netherlands-based investigative outlet Bellingcat, to its list of so-called foreign agents, restricting their ability to work freely.
Global press freedom updates
- Pakistani journalist Shahid Zehri killed in car explosion
- Tunisian authorities arrest Zaytouna TV host Amer Ayad, confiscate channel’s equipment
- Tanzania police arrest cartoonist, journalists on cybercrime and illegal assembly allegations
- Bangladesh authorities detain sister of exiled journalist Kanak Sarwar. Separately, a branch of Bangladesh ruling party files a complaint against Sweden-based journalist Tasneem Khalil
- Croatian court injunction blocks news website H-alter from reporting on public childcare clinic
- CPJ calls for journalist profiles to be restored on LinkedIn’s China site
Spotlight
This week, CPJ and partner press freedom organizations are on a diplomatic mission to address the state of press freedom in Malta. The mission takes place four years after the assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia on October 16, 2017.
Despite modest progress, Malta still suffers from ongoing impunity in her case and broader failings to protect the press. The group will meet with journalists, civil society groups, and members of the government, including Prime Minister Robert Abela. They will also participate in a silent gathering in Bidnija, where the journalist was murdered, and a memorial vigil.
Next month, Caruana Galizia’s son, journalist Matthew Caruana Galizia, will deliver testimony at the Hague as a key witness at the People’s Tribunal on the Murder of Journalists, hosted by A Safer World For The Truth.
On Wednesday, October 20, CPJ Deputy Executive Director Robert Mahoney will deliver expert testimony at a hearing hosted by the U.S. Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). You can livestream the event, “In Pursuit of the Truth: Media Freedom in the OSCE Region,” at 2:30 p.m. EDT.
What we are reading
- The Nobel Peace Prize Acknowledges a Dangerous Era for Journalists — Masha Gessen, The New Yorker
- Un Nobel a la libertad de prensa — CPJ Program Director Carlos Martínez de la Serna, elDiario.es [In Spanish]
- It is time for Philippines to decriminalize libel — Lord Neuberger of Abbotsbury and Amal Clooney, Rappler