Americas

The 2026 U.S. midterm elections will take place next week amid a constant drumbeat of press freedom violations, ceaseless vitriol against journalists from the Trump administration, and direct threats to the press across the United States.  Globally, elections are risky for journalists, whether reporting from polling sites or working online. Intensifying attacks against journalists in the U.S. mean newsrooms…

The Committee to Protect Journalists has joined the October 30 Coalition of human rights organizations in issuing a joint statement marking the International Day of Political Prisoners on October 30. The statement underscores the need for sustained international attention to individual political prisoners, for efforts to secure their release, and for accountability for abuses. More…

Miami, October 20, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists calls for the release of dissident Russian journalist Vladimir Driagin, who has been held under detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement for almost a year despite volunteering to be deported. In July, he was transferred to the Adams County Correctional Center in Natchez, Mississippi, but he could…

The Committee to Protect Journalists has written to Israel’s ambassador to the United States, Yechiel (Michael) Leiter, demanding a criminal investigation into October 16’s violent assault on Washington Post photographer Heidi Levine while covering the olive harvest in the occupied West Bank. Levine was assaulted by masked settlers despite wearing a clearly marked “Press” vest….

Miami, October 19, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the digital harassment and doxxing of exiled Iranian investigative journalist and cybersecurity expert Mohammad Jorjandi and his family. Living in the U.S. since 2016, Jorjandi is the founder of Webamooz, an independent outlet covering cybercrime and online financial fraud for Persian-speaking audiences, with selected investigations in…

São Paulo, October 14, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the October 12 deportation of Brazilian journalist Rogério Tomaz Jr. by Argentinian authorities at the Jorge Newbery international airport in Buenos Aires over allegations that his residential visa was no longer valid. “It is outrageous that the Argentinian government is using deportation to silence critical…

The Committee to Protect Journalists joined Reporters Without Borders and other eight press freedom organizations in a statement on how the Brazilian presidential election could affect press freedom in the country. The first round was on October 4, and the October 25 runoff will feature the current president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, and Flávio…

Mexico City, October 6, 2026—Guatemalan authorities must swiftly and credibly investigate the killing of Maya journalist Evelio Lisandro López Sánchez and determine whether he was targeted for his work, said the Committee to Protect Journalists on Tuesday. López, the founder and administrator of the local digital news outlet Huehue es Noticias, was shot dead October…

Miami, October 3, 2026—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a Havana court’s Thursday sentencing of influencer and content creator Anna Sofía Benítez, 21, and her mother, Caridad Silvente, to two years of “restricted freedom” after they were found guilty of supposedly violating a Ministry of the Interior (MININT) agent’s privacy. Outlets reported that the agent was upset…

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) joined an amicus brief authored by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press (RCFP) in support of a lawsuit filed by CNN, MS NOW, and Politico against the Trump administration for banning the outlets’ access to the White House beginning September 19. A federal judge granted a temporary restraining order…