At risk: An entire generation of Afghan reporters
With the Taliban in power, the situation for journalists in Afghanistan has become even more dire. Militants searched the homes of at least four journalists and news agency employees, and a journalist seeking safety told CPJ she worries she may not be alive by the time help comes. PBS NewsHour correspondent Jane Ferguson described the…
As US pulls out of Afghanistan, journalists fear for their lives
In Afghanistan, as violence escalates against the backdrop of the ongoing U.S. military withdrawal, suspected Taliban militants killed an Afghan journalist and kidnapped another, and Taliban fighters shot at a car carrying two Afghan journalists. CPJ continues to call on the U.S. to act to save Afghan journalists’ lives. “Over the past 20 years, independent…
US must expedite visas for Afghan journalists
As journalists, media workers, and their families face increased risk in Afghanistan following the U.S. pullout, CPJ welcomes the priority inclusion of Afghans who are or were employed in Afghanistan with U.S.-based media outlets in the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program, and calls on the Biden administration to ensure the program is inclusive and accelerated. “Given…
Pegasus spyware revelations are ‘a wake-up call for security on the internet’
Following recent revelations that journalists around the world were potential targets of NSO Group’s Pegasus spyware, the chief executive of WhatsApp, Will Cathcart, spoke to CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. “This should be a wake-up call for security on the internet,” Cathcart said. This week CPJ also joined more than 150 human rights groups and…
Journalists identified as possible targets of Pegasus spyware
The Pegasus Project, a consortium of investigative reporters, revealed this week that at least 180 journalists are possible targets of Pegasus spyware, which is produced by the Israeli company NSO Group and marketed to governments around the world. “This report shows how governments and companies must act now to stop the abuse of this spyware…
Iranian nationals indicted in attempt to kidnap US-based journalist
This week, U.S. prosecutors indicted five Iranian nationals for allegedly surveilling and planning to kidnap Brooklyn-based journalist Masih Alinejad. The indictment “shows that Iranian intelligence agents will stop at nothing to silence independent members of the press, even those abroad,” said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour. Iranian agents have previously…
Dutch crime reporter Peter R. de Vries fights for survival after being shot
In Amsterdam, an unidentified attacker fired five shots at independent investigative journalist Peter R. de Vries. The shooter fled the scene, and the journalist is hospitalized in critical condition. De Vries has covered numerous high-profile criminal investigations, and received death threats in 2019. Dutch authorities arrested two suspects in the case: a 35-year-old Polish national…
Ethiopian journalist Abebe Bayu abducted and assaulted
Last week, unidentified men in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa abducted Ethio Forumjournalist Abebe Bayu at gunpoint, drove him to the city’s outskirts, and warned him to cease criticizing the government. They then seized both of his cell phones and fled the scene. Three days later, Ethio Forum announced on Facebook that it was…
A devastating loss for press freedom in Hong Kong
In recognition of his sustained commitment to press freedom, CPJ will honor Jimmy Lai, the imprisoned founder of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaperand the paper’s parent company, Next Digital, with the 2021 Gwen Ifill Press Freedom Award. However, in deeply troubling developments, the Chinese government has ramped up its efforts to stomp out critical…
The high cost paid by journalists in exile
Journalists forced to flee their countries face many challenges, including physical attacks and threats to family members they left behind. In some cases, they are pushed out of their professions completely. In a new feature released ahead of World Refugee Day, CPJ examines the risks facing journalists in exile, with recommendations on how nations, the…