News

October 03, 2025 - USA -  A jury in Kentucky has found Ohio journalist Lucas Griffith guilty of “failure to disperse” following his arrest while reporting on a protest against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) actions. At the time of his arrest, Griffith was working as an intern with the Ohio weekly CityBeat. He and a colleague, Madeline Fening, had crossed into Kentucky to document a protest on the Roebling Bridge. The pair was initially charged with multiple offenses, including disorderly conduct, obstructing a highway, and failure to disperse. Both were also charged with...

October 03, 2025 - Russia -  In Nizhny Novgorod, Margarita Murakhtaeva, daughter of the late independent journalist Irina Slavina, was detained by police as she tried to lay flowers at the site where her mother died. Slavina, who ran the independent outlet Koza Press, died on October 2, 2020, after setting herself on fire outside the regional police headquarters. Her act was widely seen as a protest against state pressure and repression. According to Murakhtaeva, she approached the police building intending to place flowers quietly, but was immediately confronted by officers who demanded her documents...

October 03, 2025 - Palestine -  Amid the Israel-Gaza war, commentary and advocacy have converged on a chilling diagnosis: Gaza is turning into a graveyard for journalism. In a recent opinion piece for The Guardian, Anthony Bellanger, General Secretary of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), argues that repeated killings of reporters in Gaza amount not only to war’s collateral damage—but to an existential attack on truth itself. He asserts that “killing journalists is killing the truth,” and calls for unrelenting pressure to protect media workers in conflict zones. The IFJ’s own blog has echoed...

October 03, 2025 - USA -  Investigators in Colorado have launched a review of the death of journalist and author Hunter S. Thompson, whose 2005 passing was previously ruled a suicide. The review was requested by Anita Thompson, his widow, who conveyed growing doubts about the original findings. While authorities emphasize they have found no new evidence indicating foul play, the Colorado Bureau of Investigation (CBI) is re-examining the case at the behest of the Pitkin County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Michael Buglione has framed the review as an effort to bring clarity, saying the move responds...

October 03, 2025 - Pakistan -  Since early 2025, Pakistan’s amended Prevention of Electronic Crimes Act (PECA) has been used to target journalists and suppress online dissent, with at least nine reporters and multiple YouTube channels facing legal action or censorship. Under the revised law, authorities have brought lawsuits against media figures, often alleging cybercrimes or defamation, and in some cases have blocked or shuttered digital outlets. Some of the affected YouTube channels belonged to independent journalists covering social justice, human rights, and governance issues. Despite this escalating clampdown, the Pakistani Parliament moved in September 2025...

October 03, 2025 - USA - In early October 2025, Mario Guevara, a Spanish-language journalist based in Atlanta, was deported to El Salvador after spending over 100 days in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody. His case has drawn sharp criticism from press freedom groups, who argue the deportation represents retaliation for his reporting rather than a straightforward immigration enforcement action. Guevara was initially arrested on June 14 while livestreaming a protest near Atlanta. Local charges—obstruction, unlawful assembly, and improperly entering a roadway—were later dropped. Despite the dismissal, ICE placed a detainer and transferred him...

October 03, 2025 - Pakistan -  During protests over the situation in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, law enforcement officers on October 2, 2025, forcefully entered Islamabad’s National Press Club (NPC), physically assaulting journalists and damaging media equipment. Eyewitnesses and video footage reveal uniformed police wielding batons as they burst into the press club’s cafeteria, dragging individuals out and attacking those filming or attempting to intervene. Several photographers and staff members of the press club sustained injuries; some had their cameras or phones smashed or confiscated. Journalist associations reacted strongly. The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) reported...

October 02, 2025 - Pakistan -  During the 60th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) in Geneva, Baloch journalist and activist Bilal Baloch delivered a striking critique of Pakistan’s human rights record, revealing widespread abuses in Balochistan. He described a climate of enforced disappearances, pervasive censorship, and daily attacks meant to silence dissent. Addressing global delegates, Baloch alleged that Pakistani security forces have largely abdicated control in the region, leaving a power vacuum where militant groups and intelligence networks dictate enforcement. He asserted that state agencies target critics and journalists to maintain...

October 02, 2025 - Palestine - Novara Media journalist Kieran Andrieu reports being seized by Israeli forces while aboard the Adara, a Spanish-flagged boat carrying food, baby formula, and medicine toward Gaza. Andrieu says the vessel was in international waters when Israeli commandos intercepted it, in what he describes as an illegal abduction. Andrieu’s account places numerous elected officials and aid workers on board, emphasizing the mission’s peaceful nature and humanitarian purpose. He asserts he was detained without provocation after sailing into waters where Israeli naval forces have previously acted with impunity. In a companion...

October 02, 2025 - Palestine - During a recent emergency session in Strasbourg, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) issued a strong resolution condemning the escalating humanitarian crisis in Gaza and urging Israel to immediately cease targeting journalists and civilians. PACE’s adopted resolution emphasized that deliberately attacking civilians or civilian infrastructure cannot be defended under the guise of military necessity, and represents grave breaches of international humanitarian law. The assembly called for an “immediate, permanent and unconditional ceasefire,” as well as the prompt release of all hostages held in Gaza. A key...

October 02, 2025 - Malaysia/Palestine - Malaysian journalist Razali Awang Abdullah, a veteran editor with Malaysia Gazette and former TV3 war correspondent, has been reported missing following Israel’s interception of the Global Sumud (Steadfastness) Flotilla, which was carrying humanitarian aid and journalists to Gaza. The flotilla, comprising ships from multiple nations, was seized by Israeli naval forces in international waters on October 1, 2025. Razali was last confirmed aboard the vessel Inana, one of the ships in the convoy, before communication abruptly ceased. His family and colleagues have been unable to reach him since. Before...

October 02, 2025 - General - Across the United States, Black journalists are disappearing from major media outlets, leaving newsrooms even more homogenous and the national conversation increasingly distorted. A wave of firings, layoffs, and silent removals has sparked alarm among press freedom advocates, who warn that these trends are erasing critical voices and perspectives from public discourse. The dismissal of Karen Attiah, formerly the only Black female opinion columnist at The Washington Post, has come to symbolize this crisis. Advocacy coalition Media 2070 condemned her firing as “a deliberate erasure of Black brilliance,” while...

October 02, 2025 - Palestine -  The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate has issued a stark warning against any assault by Israeli forces on journalists aboard a flotilla headed toward Gaza, raising alarm over potential violations of press freedom and international norms. The flotilla—often called the Global Resilience/Steadfastness Fleet—carries dozens of journalists and media professionals from around the world, who intend to document the humanitarian conditions in Gaza. The Syndicate called on UNESCO and the United Nations to intervene swiftly, providing protection to media workers and ensuring their safety. According to the statement, any storming, harassment, or...

October 02, 2025 - El Salvador -  Faced with growing government pressure, El Salvador’s Journalists Association declared it will shift its legal and administrative status outside the country. The decision follows the passage of a controversial foreign agents law in May 2025, which requires NGOs receiving foreign funds to register as foreign agents and pay a 30 % tax on those funds. Critics argue the law is designed to weaken independent institutions and muzzle dissent. The Association, established in 1936, said it did not name the new host country but announced plans earlier to close...

October 02, 2025 - USA -  Journalist Katie Daviscourt, a reporter for The Post Millennial, says she was physically assaulted during a protest outside a federal immigration facility in Portland, Oregon, leaving her with a black eye and raising new concerns about violence against members of the press. According to Daviscourt, the incident occurred when a masked protester, whom she described as affiliated with “antifa,” struck her in the face with a metal flagpole as she covered the demonstration on the night of October 1, 2025. Footage from the scene shows a chaotic environment where...

October 02, 2025 - Azerbaijan/USA -  U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, has publicly appealed for the release of Ulviyya Guliyeva (also known as Ulviyya Ali), a journalist detained in Azerbaijan in connection with the so-called “Meydan TV case.” In her letter, Shaheen pledged to elevate Ali’s case on the international stage and to work diligently toward securing her freedom: “I will raise my voice on your case wherever possible and work to secure your release.” Shaheen framed her advocacy as part of a broader commitment to supporting political...

October 02, 2025 - Turkey - Veteran Turkish journalist Fatih Altaylı, arrested in June 2025 over allegations he threatened President Erdoğan, has refused to be silenced. From his cell, Altaylı continues to shape public debate through a form of “prison journalism,” issuing commentary and engaging in political reporting via letters funneled through his legal team to his YouTube show. Though confined in the high-security Silivri (now Marmara Prison) facility, Altaylı maintains an active editorial presence. His assistant reads out his missives to a broadcast audience, and other elements of his prior show have been retooled...

October 01, 2025 - Georgia/Switzerland - Swiss photojournalist Gregor Sommer was denied entry into Georgia on September 28, 2025, forcing him to return from Tbilisi after refusing to pay two fines totalling ₾10,000 (roughly USD 3,700) for alleged road obstruction during protests. Upon arrival, Sommer says he was detained at a border checkpoint where officials confiscated his phone and denied him access to a lawyer or a clear explanation for the fines.  He has visited Georgia several times before—reportedly “six or seven” occasions—and covered protests triggered by the government’s pause on EU accession talks. The...

October 01, 2025 - Mexico -  In the first year of Claudia Sheinbaum’s presidency in Mexico, ten journalists have been murdered, prompting Reporters Without Borders (RSF) to press her to fulfill earlier pledges to protect press freedom. RSF notes that although Sheinbaum has adopted a less adversarial tone toward the media than her predecessor, such improvements remain largely symbolic. The organization emphasizes that the killings occurred between October 2024 and September 2025, with nine of them happening in just seven months—underlining the rapid escalation in danger. Before taking office, Sheinbaum had signed a pledge developed...

October 01, 2025 - Russia -  Russian authorities detained Svetlana Khustik, a freelance journalist in Krasnoyarsk, accusing her of circulating “fake” information about Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. A local court ordered she be held in custody for two months during the investigation, and she faces potential prison time under Part 2 of Article 207.3 of the Russian Criminal Code—with a maximum sentence of up to ten years. The charges are based on an interview she published in May 2023, which Russian authorities claim included false descriptions of the activities of the Russian military. According to...

October 01, 2025 - Sudan -  In El-Fasher, Darfur’s besieged capital, journalists face horrific conditions as the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) tighten their grip on the city. With the city encircled for over 16 months, media workers are simultaneously contending with starvation, targeted violence, and censorship. According to interviews conducted by CPJ, seven reporters based in El-Fasher described being deprived of food and necessities while under constant bombardment. Many spoke of how RSF fighters have used local informants to identify journalists, raided their homes, and demanded that families vacate. One female journalist recounted being intercepted...

October 01, 2025 - Palestine - The life of Yahya Barzaq, a freelance photojournalist working with TRT, was cut short in an Israeli airstrike in Deir al-Balah, central Gaza. Barzaq, who had been covering the ongoing conflict with a focus on documenting the human toll, was reportedly in a café uploading his work when the strike hit. The attack killed him instantly, along with at least five other people nearby, while many more were wounded. The strike also damaged a carpentry workshop close to the blast site, further amplifying the devastation in a city already...

September 30, 2025 - Palestine - The deadly strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis on August 25, which killed at least 20 people, including five journalists, has underscored the near-impossible conditions faced by reporters in Gaza. The journalists who died were not combatants but professionals working to document the war, and their deaths highlight the daily risks endured by those still trying to keep the world informed. Among the victims were Reuters contractor Hussam al-Masri, whose live feed went dark at the moment of impact, and Al Jazeera cameraman Mohammed Salama. Freelancers Mariam Abu...

September 30, 2025 - General -  A coalition of seventeen international press freedom and journalist organizations has launched a coordinated campaign urging European governments to take decisive action in response to the unprecedented killing of journalists in Gaza. In open letters sent on September 30, 2025, to the leaders of Germany, Italy, and the Czech Republic, the groups demanded that the European Union suspend its Association Agreement with Israel, arguing that the scale of violence against the press has reached intolerable levels. The organizations—including ARTICLE 19, Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Committee to Protect Journalists...

September 30, 2025 - General - At the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s recent Center for Journalism Ethics conference, media professionals convened to dissect the evolving tactics of censorship in today's information landscape. Timothy Karr, Senior Director of Strategy and Communications at The Free Press, opened the discussion by arguing that journalism should be treated as a public good. He contended that while media owners must manage sustainable businesses and journalists must uphold truth, government intervention becomes essential when the market fails to safeguard robust reporting. Joining the conversation, Sewell Chan, former editor of the Columbia Journalism...