press freedom

Yahia Kalash, the head of the journalists union, holds a candle during a vigil on May 24 for the recent victims of an EgyptAir crash. Kalash and two other board members of the journalists union are facing trial on allegations they published false news and

World News

In Egypt's Broad Crackdown, Prominent Journalists Are Now Facing Trial

12:28pm June 02, 2016

by Leila Fadel

The journalists union has battled the government for decades. But journalists say the current period is the worst they can recall, with three top members of the union facing trial on Saturday.

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At a 2015 press conference with President Obama in Addis Ababa, Ethiopian Prime Minister Hailemariam Desalegn asked the foreign press corps to "help our journalists to increase their capacity."

World News

Freed From Prison, Ethiopian Bloggers Still Can't Leave The Country

4:04pm May 31, 2016

by Gregory Warner

Just before President Obama's visit to Ethiopia last year, jailed bloggers and journalists were suddenly released from prison — a welcome gesture of openness. But their freedom goes only so far.

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Russia and China were among the 10 countries voting against the press freedom group's application for U.N. credentials. But South Africa indicated on Friday that it would reverse its "no" vote.

U.N. Panel Blocks Accreditation Bid By Committee To Protect Journalists

5:14pm May 29, 2016

by Michele Kelemen

The Committee to Protect Journalists confronted a "Kafka-esque" process — put off for years, then blocked by countries including China, which it calls the biggest jailer of journalists in the world.

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks with members of the press after his annual call-in show in Moscow on April 14.

World News

For Journalists In Russia, 'No One Really Knows What Is Allowed'

4:52pm April 26, 2016

by Corey Flintoff

Media companies in Russia aren't sure how far they can go without risking government reprisals. But even in such an uncertain climate, many independent news outlets have resisted censoring themselves.

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U.S. Ranks 41st In Press Freedom Index Thanks To 'War On Whistleblowers'

5:39pm April 20, 2016

by Laura Wagner

The report, created by Reporters Without Borders, also slams the treatment of journalists covering the 2016 presidential race and #BlackLivesMatter protests.

A plainclothes police officer kicks a demonstrator as Turkish anti-riot police disperse supporters in front of the headquarters of the Turkish daily Zaman newspaper in Istanbul on March 5. Turkish authorities seized the headquarters in a midnight raid.

World News

Amid Crackdown In Turkey, Dissatisfaction With President Erdogan Grows

8:32pm March 21, 2016

by Peter Kenyon

A Turkish columnist once hailed the country's leader as a champion of democracy. Now he joins many Turks in gloom and disappointment over the country's course.

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World News

Turkish Courts Assign New Management To Opposition Newspaper

4:56pm March 04, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

A court in Istanbul has ordered the Zaman newspaper, one of the few remaining opposition media outlets, to replace its leadership with court appointees.

S.C. State Rep. Mike Pitts, seen during last summer's debate over removing the Confederate battle flag from the State House grounds, has introduced a bill called the South Carolina Responsible Journalism Registry Law.

National

Journalist-Registration Bill Is Modeled On Gun Law, S.C. Lawmaker Says

3:07pm January 20, 2016

by Bill Chappell

Criminal background checks and assurances that a person "is competent to be a journalist" are among the requirements put forth by State Rep. Mike Pitts in South Carolina's Legislature.

Mexican Photojournalist Found Dead In Country's Capital

7:05pm August 02, 2015

by Eyder Peralta

After facing threats, Rubén Espinosa fled to Mexico City seeking refuge. He was found dead along with four other people at an apartment in the capital, which had in the past been seen as a safe-haven.

Al-Jazeera English journalists Mohammed Fahmy, left, Baher Mohamed, center, and Peter Greste, right, appeared in a cage during their trial on terrorism-related charges in Cairo in March 2014. The journalists denied all charges. Greste, an Australian, was

World News

Seeking Control Over Narrative, Egypt Puts Growing Pressure On Journalists

9:38am July 13, 2015

by Leila Fadel

It's not easy being a journalist in Egypt. The government sometimes tries to control the words reporters use, and new legislation could carry fines or jail time for contradicting the state.

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