China expels 3 Wall Street Journal journalists
Chinese authorities on Wednesday revoked the press credentials of Wall Street Journal journalists Josh Chin, Chao Deng, and Philip Wen in retaliation for a headline in the paper’s opinion section, and ordered them to leave the country within five days. China’s expulsion of the journalists “makes the country appear less like a confident rising power…
NYC police arrest and charge photojournalist
In New York City, police arrested photojournalist Amr Alfiky on Tuesday as he filmed an arrest underway on the street. Police held Alfiky in custody for about 3.5 hours and confiscated his press credentials. He was released after being charged with disorderly conduct. An NYPD spokesman told New York Daily News that Alfiky did not…
Malaysian reporter charged for commentary on Coronavirus
In Malaysia this week, the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate’s Court filed three charges against journalist Wan Noor Hayati Wan Alias relating to posts on her public Facebook account about the coronavirus health emergency. Hayati was charged under Section 505(b) of the country’s penal code, a criminal provision banning statements intended to cause “fear or alarm to…
CPJ urges Secretary Pompeo to respect press freedom
On Wednesday, CPJ sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo calling on him to support press freedom following a January 24 incident in which Pompeo berated NPR reporter Mary Louise Kelley. Three days after the incident, the State Department barred another NPR reporter from traveling aboard Pompeo’s plane on a State Department…
Saudi crown prince’s alleged hacking of Bezos raises serious press freedom concerns
On Thursday, CPJ joined U.N. human rights experts in calling for an investigation into the alleged Saudi hacking of Jeff Bezos, owner of The Washington Post and CEO of Amazon. Agnes Callamard, U.N. special rapporteur on summary executions and extrajudicial killings, and David Kaye, U.N. special rapporteur on freedom of expression, called the alleged hacking…
Proposed impeachment press restrictions | Two Iraqi journalists killed in protest
CPJ on Wednesday urged Senate authorities to reconsider proposed restrictions on journalists covering President Trump’s impeachment trial and to consider feedback from the Standing Committee of Correspondents. CPJ argued that increased restrictions would make it more difficult for journalists to cover a major news event and limit the public’s insight into the impeachment proceedings. In…
In wake of Soleimani’s killing, journalists at risk in Iraq
Following the U.S. airstrike that killed Iranian General Qassem Soleimani and Iraqi militia leader Abu Mahdi al-Mohandis on January 3, journalists reporting in Iraq face heightened risks. According to CPJ research, pro-Iran militias have previously targeted journalists for kidnapping. Journalists planning to cover events in Iraq can find safety advice in CPJ Emergencies’ latest advisory…
Year in review: The state of press freedom in 2019
This year, journalists worldwide faced attacks, arrests, and censorship. In September, we released our annual 10 Most Censored list, highlighting the range of online and offline techniques used to censor journalism and restrict press freedom. Meanwhile, protests in over two dozen countries posed risks to members of the press. Journalists faced threats while covering civil…
We couldn’t have done this without you: a note from CPJ’s advocacy director
Dear friend of CPJ, As the year draws to a close, we want to thank you for your support and share some of the press freedom successes of the past year. Often, positive developments are public in nature; a conviction is secured for a journalist’s murder, a draconian piece of legislation is struck down, a…
A letter from CPJ’s Washington Advocacy Manager
Dear friend of CPJ, Happy Holidays from Washington, D.C.! As we reflect on our accomplishments in 2019, we can’t help but take stock of the challenges we faced. President Trump continues to use his platform to attack the press, giving a stamp of approval to dictators and autocrats who imprison and murder journalists. Congress is…