Read and delete: How Weibo’s censors tackle dissent and free speech
The Chinese microblogging site Weibo has a huge following, with around 100 million users posting every day. For those living in China, one of CPJ’s 10 most censored countries, the social network offers the chance to discuss and share news that is often blocked in mainstream outlets.
CPJ newsletter: August 2015
Demanding justice and security for journalists in Mexico CPJ staff were shocked and saddened by the murder of photographer Rubén Espinosa, who was found dead in an apartment in Mexico City along with four women. The victims were shot in the head. Espinosa had fled the state of Veracruz in June and sought refuge in…
#FreeThePress: Gao Yu
Press Uncuffed #FreeThePress Spotlight Medium: Internet Charge: Anti-State Imprisoned: August 24, 2014 Gao Yu China 582 days in prison RELEASED Gao Yu was released on November 26, 2015 on medical parole after her sentence was reduced from seven to five years on appeal, according to news reports. Gao, a reporter and columnist, was detained by…
Two U.S. journalists charged months after being arrested in Ferguson
New York, August 11, 2015–Two U.S. journalists have been charged in Missouri with trespassing and interfering with a police officer nearly a year after they were detained by police in the city of Ferguson, according to news reports. Wesley Lowery, a reporter for The Washington Post, and Ryan J. Reilly, a reporter for the Huffington…
In Cameroon, press struggles with financial and official constraints
On March 16, Cameroon’s Minister of Communication, Issa Tchiroma Bakari, denounced French online news outlet Le Monde as unprofessional at a press conference after it reported on allegations that President Paul Biya was in hospital in Geneva. The incident is symbolic of the growing problem in Cameroon, which has a growing but poorly funded independent…
CPJ calls on authorities to explain no-fly zone in Ferguson
New York, November 3, 2014–The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by a news report that law enforcement authorities in Ferguson, Missouri, sought a no-fly zone during unrest in August with the intent of blocking access for the press.
Jon Stewart, Maziar Bahari, and #FreeIranPress
CPJ joined with the PEN American Center and the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran on Wednesday night to host a film screening and panel discussion on the deterioration of press freedom in Iran. Moderated by political satirist Jon Stewart, the panel featured Iranian journalist Maziar Bahari and CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon. CPJ and…
Pre-election crackdown on Iranian media intensifies
New York, May 8, 2013–At least 40 Iranian journalists were behind bars on April 15, 2013, as authorities intensified a crackdown on the independent media ahead of the June presidential elections, a new report by the Committee to Protect Journalists has found. According to the analysis, Iran is the second leading jailer of journalists in…