Romanian journalist Emilia Șercan threatened after plagiarism exposé
Berlin, January 22, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Romanian authorities to conduct a swift and transparent investigation into the smear campaign, threats of bodily harm, and death threats targeting investigative journalist Emilia Șercan following her article on alleged plagiarism by a government minister. Șercan’s January 14 exposé on the Press One news site alleged that Romania’s minister of…
CPJ urges Media Freedom Coalition to push for press access in Gaza
New York, January 22, 2026—Ahead of a hearing by Israel’s Supreme Court on January 26, 2026, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on dozens of governments to support independent, unimpeded media access to Gaza. The 29 governments that expressed support to end the media ban are all members of the Media Freedom Coalition, a…
#FreeFrenchieMaeCumpio: NGOs condemn journalist’s conviction as blow to press freedom in the Philippines
January 22, 2026—A coalition of international and local press freedom organizations condemns the sentencing of Filipino journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio for between 12 and 18 years in prison in her terrorism financing case, denouncing it as a grave miscarriage of justice. Lawyers have moved for reconsideration of the verdict. Frenchie has meanwhile been acquitted on…
CPJ condemns ‘absurd’ prison sentence of up to 18 years for Philippine journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio
Tacloban City, January 22, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists on Thursday condemned the harsh 12- to 18-year prison sentence handed down to Philippine journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio after she was found guilty of financing terrorism, and called on authorities to immediately free her and stop targeting journalists. “This absurd verdict shows that the various pledges…
Mali bans Jeune Afrique over coverage of jihadist fuel and security crises
Dakar, January 21, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Malian authorities to reverse their ban on the distribution, circulation, and sale of the privately owned French news magazine Jeune Afrique, the latest outlet to be prohibited by the allied military governments of Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso. “One of the main, shared achievements of…
Israeli drone strike on vehicle kills 3 journalists in Gaza
Amman, January 21, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for a transparent investigation after three journalists were killed on Wednesday in an Israeli drone strike on a vehicle in central Gaza during an ongoing ceasefire. According to news reports, the three were killed while on assignment for the Egyptian Committee, which oversees Egypt’s humanitarian work…
Journalist jailings imperil a free press worldwide amid reports of life-threatening prison conditions: CPJ
China, Myanmar, and Israel lead jailers of journalists in 2025 New York, January 21, 2026 — For the fifth consecutive year, more than 300 journalists were behind bars at year-end, according to a new report released by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). China, Myanmar, and Israel were the leading jailers of journalists on the…
Ghana court issues gag order, fines reporter for requesting comment
Abuja, January 21, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls on Ghanaian authorities to protect public interest reporting after a court fined Innocent Samuel Appiah for asking a businesswoman to comment on allegations of fraud as he was investigating her activities. Justice Nana Brew ruled that freelance journalist Appiah had violated the privacy of Cynthia Adjei,…
Despite Pakistan’s promises, unsolved journalist murders remain persistent
Amsterdam, January 21, 2026—Despite Pakistan’s repeated promises to protect press freedom, justice for murdered journalists remains out of reach. An investigation by international press freedom organizations has uncovered new evidence in the killing of journalist Shan Dahar, exposing police misconduct, political inaction, and years of impunity. Given the extensive evidence unearthed, and the suspected culprits…
Indian police summon journalists in Kashmir over routine reporting
New Delhi, January 21, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists on Wednesday called for authorities in the Indian-administered territory of Jammu and Kashmir to immediately end the harassment and intimidation of journalists, after at least two Kashmir-based correspondents for national media outlets were summoned by police in connection with their reporting. “Using police powers to summon…