News

September 09, 2025 - Sri Lanka -  A recent report by the International Truth and Justice Project (ITJP), summarized by Newswire on September 9, 2025, exposes a harrowing pattern of impunity in Sri Lanka’s treatment of those responsible for killing journalists. For over 25 years, the island nation has systematically shielded perpetrators, even as at least 44 media workers were assassinated during the civil war between 2000 and 2010. To date, none have been held accountable. The report focuses on the October 2000 murder of BBC Jaffna reporter Nimalarajan Mylvaganam. The investigation was deemed a...

September 09, 2025 - General -  In a rapidly shifting media landscape, the role of journalists as defenders of democracy has never been more vital. Writing in The Fulcrum on September 9, 2025, Lluvia Chavez underscores the urgency of the moment, arguing that journalists must remain steadfast in their mission despite the escalating threats that surround them. Disinformation campaigns, growing political hostility, and concentrated media ownership have eroded public trust, placing enormous strain on those who work to provide citizens with accurate and independent information. Chávez insists that truth-telling is not merely a professional task...

September 09, 2025 - Venezuela -  Venezuelan journalist and activist Melanio Escobar, who has lived in exile for years, has denounced escalating threats against him and his family. In recent days, Escobar revealed that he is receiving daily intimidation from Chavista militants allegedly linked to the Cartel de los Soles and the Tren de Aragua criminal organization. The threats, delivered through social media and other digital platforms, specifically target his relatives with the intent of forcing him to return to Venezuela. Escobar published screenshots showing explicit messages calling for his family to be abducted as...

September 08, 2025 - Palestine -  Palestinian photojournalist Osama Ahmed Balousha was tragically killed early on Monday, 8 September 2025, when an Israeli airstrike struck his family home in the Sheikh Radwan neighborhood of Gaza City. Local authorities confirmed his death in what has become yet another loss amid a relentless assault on reporters in Gaza. With Osama’s passing, the number of journalists killed since October 2023 has surged to 250. Osama’s death underscores the perils Palestinian journalists endure daily. As Israel continues to bar foreign media from entering Gaza, local journalists—like Osama—have remained the...

September 08, 2025 - Palestine -  In a searing commentary, Israeli journalist Meron Rapoport highlights a disturbing transformation in the way Israel responds to the killing of journalists in Gaza. Where once the Israeli army would issue explanations, denials, or even apologies, it now increasingly remains silent, signaling a shift in both policy and moral positioning. Rapoport recalls the 2022 killing of Shireen Abu Akleh, the Al Jazeera reporter shot during an Israeli raid in Jenin. At the time, international outrage forced the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to eventually acknowledge partial responsibility and express regret,...

September 08, 2025 - Ukraine -  Ukrainian journalist and activist Peter Zalmayev is traversing Africa to amplify awareness of the war in Ukraine among nations often sidelined in global discourse. Having been a Kyiv-based TV host reporting on the conflict since its outbreak, Zalmayev left his post for an ambitious journey—one that merges travel with diplomacy. He began in South Africa and, as of early September 2025, had visited 29 countries with plans to continue through 40 countries in total over a 400-day odyssey, described by him as “mega-exhausting but rewarding.” Uganda marked the 14th...

September 08, 2025 - Palestine -  Imprisoned Palestinian journalist Ali al-Samoudi, aged 60 and hailing from Jenin, is reportedly experiencing serious medical neglect within Israel’s Negev prison, according to the Palestinian Detainees and Ex-Detainees Authority, via Wafa. Al-Samoudi is held in Section 15, where he endures harsh, inhumane conditions that have exacerbated his already precarious health situation. Authorities say he is in dire need of proper medical attention, which was denied to him while incarcerated. The report underscores a troubling pattern of poor treatment toward Palestinian detainees and highlights concerns over deliberate medical neglect of...

September 08, 2025 - Ireland -  Media giant Reach plc, publisher of the Irish Mirror, Irish Daily Star, and numerous UK titles, has unveiled a sweeping editorial restructure that puts approximately 600 jobs at risk across its operations. Among them, around 20 jobs in Ireland—spanning the Irish Mirror, Irish Star, and related websites—are expected to be impacted, marking this as one of the most extensive overhauls in the company’s history. According to editorial chief content officer David Higgerson, the company is pivoting toward video, audio, and live-news formats, aiming to match modern consumption habits and...

September 08, 2025 - Lituania -  Lithuanian journalist Eldoradas Butrimas has been added to Russia’s federal wanted list after making social media posts that apparently drew the Kremlin’s ire. The action follows his entry into Russia’s Kursk region, whereupon Russian authorities flagged him as a target for criminal prosecution. This development comes amid increasingly authoritarian measures that penalize journalism and dissent—especially targeting individuals designated under Russia’s expansive “foreign agent” framework. Although official details remain sparse, Butrimas’s posts were likely deemed to violate Russian laws against spreading “fake news” or discrediting the state—legislation that has frequently...

September 08, 2025 - Nepal -  Nepal’s government, under Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli, has enacted a sweeping ban on 26 major social media and messaging platforms—including Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, X, YouTube, LinkedIn, Reddit, Signal, and Pinterest—after they failed to register under new regulatory requirements mandated by the Ministry of Communications and Information Technology. Only five platforms, such as TikTok, complied with the rules and remain operational. In defiance of the restrictions, dozens of journalists and media professionals took to the streets of Kathmandu on September 7, 2025, rallying at Mannighar (Maitighar Mandala). Former office...

September 08, 2025 - General -  In a piece authored by Drew Sullivan and Ilya Lozovsky, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) presents a compelling vision of how investigative journalism is evolving to confront systemic corruption on a global scale. Reflecting on nearly two decades of experience, OCCRP highlights the transformative power of a diverse, global network of journalists—many underserved, often women, and occasionally just out of school—working collaboratively rather than competitively. Using advanced tools—Python scripts to extract data from government sites, AI to analyze records, and sophisticated tracking methods to follow oligarchs'...

September 08, 2025 - Africa -  In an illuminating exploration conducted by journalism scholar Meagan Doll, journalists across East Africa articulated their understanding of peace journalism through two distinct lenses. Some framed it as a philosophical practice—an orientation toward storytelling that emphasizes nonviolent responses to conflict, promotes understanding of structural causes, and elevates human experiences amid crisis. Others saw it as a practical toolkit, yielding concrete methods for framing stories more constructively in their daily reporting. Peace journalism, as a broader concept, was conceived to correct biases common in traditional war coverage—biases that often overemphasize...

September 08, 2025 - Bangladesh -  The Press Institute Bangladesh (PIB) is launching a three-day Mobile Journalism Training program starting September 9, 2025, aimed specifically at journalists who were physically and mentally injured while reporting on the mass uprising in July. A total of 28 journalists, selected for the program’s second phase, will participate in this residential training designed to help them regain their professional footing and adopt innovative methods for news gathering using modern tools. Information and Broadcasting Secretary Mahbuba Farjana will inaugurate the training as the chief guest, while the PIB Director General...

September 08, 2025 - Turkey -  Seventeen press freedom and human rights organizations—including the International Press Institute (IPI), Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), PEN International, Media and Law Studies Association (MLSA), International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and Reporters Without Borders (RSF)—have urgently called for the immediate release of Turkish journalist Furkan Karabay, who has endured prolonged pretrial detention for over 100 days as of early September 2025. Karabay was arrested on May 15, 2025, following a police raid on his Istanbul home. He is now facing multiple charges, including “making targets of those who were...

September 08, 2025 - Ukraine -  Oleksandr Takhytai—a Ukrainian investigative journalist and former deputy of the Yampil District Council—was discovered deceased on September 5 in his apartment in Yampil, located in the Sumy region. Local outlet Hlavkom, citing Suspilne Sumy, first reported the news, noting that authorities are actively investigating whether his death is connected to his professional work. Takhytai previously served as editor-in-chief of the Yampilskyi Krai newspaper and gained notoriety for publicly exposing corruption involving the construction of fortifications in the Sumy area. His endeavors drew both attention and hostility. In August 2025,...

September 08, 2025 - USA -  A new report by Muck Rack and the nonprofit Rebuild Local News shows that Louisiana has fewer local journalists than the national average, marking a worrisome trend in media coverage across the state. As of Q1 2025, the study finds just 8.2 local journalist equivalents (LJEs) per 100,000 residents across the U.S.—a sharp 75% decline since 2002. These figures reflect the number of journalists likely focused on local communities, adjusted to account for full- and part-time work. This significant drop in journalists has real consequences. With fewer reporters covering...

September 08, 2025 - France -  Nearly 400 French-speaking journalists—including members of renowned newsrooms like Le Monde, BFM-TV, Agence France-Presse, and LCI—have issued a powerful appeal to President Emmanuel Macron. In an open op-ed published on September 8, 2025, they urged him to resume evacuations and warmly welcome Palestinian journalists from Gaza who wish to leave the enclave, while also restoring immediate access for the international press to the region. Since July, this collective has actively helped prepare evacuation dossiers by gathering essential documentation—identity papers, proof of employment, housing guarantees, and even job offers and...

September 08, 2025 - Turkey -  Twelve prominent international legal and human rights organizations submitted a joint amicus curiae brief to the Istanbul 26th High Criminal Court, describing the criminal and civil cases against the leadership of the Istanbul Bar Association as a “direct assault” on the independence of the legal profession. This urgent intervention precedes a second hearing scheduled for September 9 at the Istanbul High Criminal Court. The proceedings involve President İbrahim Kaboğlu and ten board members, who face allegations including “spreading terrorist propaganda” and “publicly disseminating misleading information,” charges punishable by up...

September 08, 2025 - USA -  The Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) and its International Community publicly opposed a proposed change to U.S. visa policy that would affect international journalists. Currently, foreign correspondents holding an I-Visa may remain in the United States indefinitely, provided they continue working for a non-U.S. media outlet. The proposed rule, however, would require them to renew their visa every 240 days—approximately every eight months. SPJ International Community Co-Chair Dan Kubiske criticized the proposal as an unnecessary obstacle that introduces instability and excessive bureaucracy. He emphasized its chilling effect: “These proposed...

September 08, 2025 - China -  a powerful coalition of voices—including Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and 71 other rights and press freedom organisations—addressed Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer with an urgent plea: secure the immediate release of imprisoned publisher Jimmy Lai on medical grounds. The letter highlights Lai’s deteriorating condition after enduring more than 1,680 days in solitary confinement in Hong Kong, starvation of light and exercise, and critically delayed court proceedings that have further jeopardised his fragile health. RSF emphasised that if securing Lai’s release remains a UK priority, Starmer must act swiftly and...

September 08, 2025 - Lebanon -  Lebanese journalist and television host Walid Abboud was confronted with an alarming threat on September 8, 2025, after anonymous flyers were distributed near his home in Keserwan. The documents, signed by the so-called “Houthi Ansarullah Group,” contained disturbing language directed at Abboud and his family, accusing him of betrayal and collaboration with foreign interests. The flyers declared: “Stop attacking the security and dignity of the Islamic and Arab nation from your Zionist and collaborator channel.” They went further to issue chilling warnings: “The time of your punishment has come...

September 08, 2025 - Ireland -  Revelations surfaced that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) had failed to disclose two covert surveillance operations against journalists to the UK’s independent surveillance watchdog, the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office (IPCO). This omission, despite a legal duty to notify the oversight body, raised serious concerns about accountability, transparency, and the protection of press freedom in Northern Ireland. The first operation, launched in August 2018, sought to identify a confidential source used by journalists Trevor Birney and Barry McCaffrey. When IPCO inspectors carried out their annual inspection the following...

September 08, 2025 - Peru -  In a daring and life-preserving act, Machis, a 25-pound cocker spaniel mix in Huaral, Peru, thwarted a potentially fatal dynamite explosion at the home of local journalist Carlos Alberto Mesías Zárate. According to security camera footage, an assailant threw a lit stick of dynamite through a broken window above the front door of the residence. Machis immediately rushed to the explosive, barking and racing down the stairs, then instinctively bit into the burning fuse and chewed it until it extinguished—effectively deactivating the device and preventing catastrophe. The explosive, authorities...

September 08, 2025 - Pakistan -  Rawalpindi Police registered an FIR against Aleema Khan (sister of PTI founder Imran Khan), PTI party lawyer Naeem Panjutha, and approximately 40 PTI supporters following a violent incident targeting a journalist outside Adiala Jail during a media interaction after a Toshakhana-II case hearing. The complaint was lodged by Tayyab Baloch, President of the Supreme Court Press Association. According to Baloch, he was reporting outside the jail at around 3:55 pm alongside other media personnel when the incident occurred. Baloch had posed a question to Aleema Khan about her alleged...

September 08, 2025 - Palestine -  United Nations human rights experts have sounded the alarm on the deepening crisis in Gaza, urging the General Assembly to convene an emergency session to confront famine, mass civilian suffering, and what they describe as genocidal conditions. Central to their warning is the plight of Palestinian journalists, who have become both witnesses and victims of the catastrophe. The experts stressed that attacks on the press are not collateral but deliberate acts that strip Palestinians of their voice and the world of independent reporting from the ground. Since October 2023,...