News

June 17, 2025 - India/Egypt/Palestine -  Maktoob Media journalist Nikita Jain, an alumna of Chennai’s Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), was covering the Global March to Gaza—a solidarity movement seeking to press authorities to open the Rafah border crossing. While the march progressed through Tunisia and Libya, upon reaching Ismaïlia, Egypt, Egyptian authorities intervened, detaining dozens of international activists and journalists, including Jain. At least three dozen individuals—citizens from India, the USA, Australia, France, Spain, Algeria, the Netherlands, and beyond—had their passports confiscated at meetings in Cairo Airport or hotel locations and were detained during...

June 17, 2025 - Iran -  The ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran intensified as Israeli airstrikes targeted Iran's state broadcaster IRIB in Tehran, resulting in the deaths of journalist Nima Rajabpour and staffer Masoumeh Azimi. The strike, which hit during a live broadcast, forced anchor Sahar Emami off-camera when debris filled the studio. The channel briefly switched to pre-recorded programming before relocating its live coverage to a secondary facility. The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) issued evacuation warnings before the strike, covering a wide area of central Tehran, displacing up to 330,000 residents. According to...

June 17, 2025 - Iran  -  As the Israel–Iran conflict intensifies, Iranian authorities have launched a sweeping crackdown on journalists and media outlets inside the country, severely restricting press freedom. According to a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), the government has issued warnings, enforced censorship, and made arrests in an effort to control public discourse during the crisis. On June 13, shortly after Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear facilities, editors and reporters from several Tehran-based private newspapers were summoned and ordered not to publish any content beyond official government...

June 17, 2025 - Australia/Iran -  Amid escalating tensions between Israel and Iran, Australian journalist Erin Molan has made headlines for refusing to evacuate Israel, choosing instead to remain and report from the ground. Molan, a well-known broadcaster, was scheduled to leave the country on June 14, just as Israel launched a significant wave of airstrikes on Iranian military and nuclear sites. With Israeli airspace shut down in response to threats of Iranian retaliation, Molan found herself stranded—but rather than seek alternate evacuation routes, she chose to stay and continue reporting. In a widely viewed...

June 17, 2025 - Krygyzstan/Mongolia-  Between June 8 and 13, 2025, students and young journalists from Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and several other Central Asian nations gathered at Issyk-Kul, Kyrgyzstan, for the OSCE-DCAF Summer School, a regional initiative focused on the safety of journalists and media freedom. The event was jointly organized by the OSCE Conflict Prevention Centre, the Geneva Centre for Security Sector Governance (DCAF), the OSCE Academy in Bishkek, and the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media. The program brought together 22 participants from Afghanistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. The primary...

June 17, 2025 - Mexico -  Four years ago, in June 2021, the investigative reporter and civic activist Gustavo Sánchez Cabrera was gunned down in Fresnillo, Zacatecas. At the time, he was gathering evidence related to corruption and armed groups. Despite the federal government’s promises of a thorough investigation, no one has been held accountable, and the inquiry has stalled. In a joint communiqué issued yesterday, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and civic association Propuesta Cívica underscored this alarming paralysis in Mexico’s justice system. They noted that key leads—including suspects and links to corrupt local officials—remain unexamined,...

June 16, 2025 - Iran -  Israeli forces launched a targeted airstrike on the headquarters of Iran’s state television, Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), in Tehran. The attack occurred while a live broadcast was underway, dramatically cutting off the transmission. Viewers witnessed the moment of impact as the studio was filled with dust and the anchor abruptly fled, after which the broadcast was switched to pre-recorded programming. While Iranian state media confirmed damage to the studio, there are unconfirmed reports of casualties among the technical staff. The strike on the IRIB building marked a...

June 16, 2025 - USA -  The Washington Post has disclosed that several of its journalists who cover national security, economic policy, and China were targeted in a sophisticated cyberattack suspected to be carried out by Chinese state-linked hackers. The attack, which came to light on June 12, 2025, involved unauthorized access to the Microsoft email accounts of a small group of reporters. Executive Editor Matt Murray informed staff in an internal memo, noting that while only a limited number of accounts were affected, there was concern that attackers may have accessed confidential email communications....

June 16, 2025 - USA -  A group of journalists and media organizations has filed a federal lawsuit against the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), accusing officers of intentionally targeting reporters with excessive force while they covered immigration protests earlier this year. The lawsuit, filed on June 16, 2025, by the Los Angeles Press Club and investigative outlet Status Coup, alleges that the LAPD violated the constitutional rights of journalists who were reporting on anti-immigration raids and demonstrations in Los Angeles. According to the complaint, multiple journalists were injured by police using so-called "less-lethal" weapons...

June 16, 2025 - Iran -  Amid Iran's missile barrage on Israel, Israeli police, under directives from far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, have targeted foreign and Arab media crews in Haifa, seizing camera equipment and limiting live broadcasts of missile impact zones. On June 16–17, Israeli officers raided hotel rooms housing foreign TV teams, including Turkey’s TRT Arabi and Egypt’s Al-Ghad TV, following orders to curtail “live broadcasts that endanger state security”. Police reportedly entered locations after tips that crews were filming sensitive areas like Haifa’s port. The journalists were later summoned for questioning and had...

June 16, 2025 - USA/Mexico -  Atlanta-based journalist Mario Guevara, a Salvadoran national who has lived in the U.S. for over two decades, was arrested while covering an anti-ICE protest in DeKalb County, Georgia, on June 14, 2025. Guevara, known for his reporting on immigration issues for outlets such as Diario CoLatino and Atlanta Latino, was livestreaming the "No Kings" protest when police declared the gathering unlawful. Despite identifying himself as the press and retreating from the scene, Guevara was detained by DeKalb police alongside several protesters. Charged with misdemeanor offenses including unlawful assembly, obstruction,...

June 16, 2025 - USA -  The Washington Post has launched a formal investigation into a recent cyberattack that targeted the email accounts of some of its journalists, raising serious concerns over press freedom, data security, and the protection of journalistic sources. The breach, first reported in mid-June 2025, appears to have compromised sensitive communications, though the full extent of the intrusion remains under investigation. According to initial reports, the cyberattack involved unauthorized access to email accounts belonging to a select number of Washington Post journalists. The attackers allegedly gained access to both internal communications...

June 16, 2025 - General - At the opening of the 59th Session of the UN Human Rights Council (HRC59) on June 16, 2025, the safety of journalists was placed among the highest priorities. Over the next three weeks, states, civil society organizations, and experts are addressing growing threats to press freedom globally, alongside broader issues of digital rights, elections, and the impact of artificial intelligence. One of the central discussions at HRC59 revolves around a new resolution on the safety of journalists. This resolution is led by Austria, with support from Brazil, France, Greece,...

June 16, 2025 - Iran -  Israel launched a targeted airstrike on the glass‑fronted headquarters of IRIB, Iran’s state-run TV station in central Tehran, during a live broadcast. The strike struck while anchor Sahar Emami was on air, causing the studio to quake with four explosions, forcing her and her colleagues to flee amid smoke and dust. After a brief cut to pre-recorded footage, the broadcast resumed from an alternate location. The IDF issued evacuation orders ahead of the strike for District 3 of Tehran, home to media offices, hospitals, and government buildings, warning roughly 330,000...

June 16, 2025 - Palestine -  A comprehensive year-long study by the Centre for Media Monitoring (CfMM) has revealed significant and systematic bias in BBC News’ coverage of Israel’s war on Gaza. The analysis, based on over 3,800 articles and 32,000 broadcast segments from October 2023 to October 2024, found stark disparities in how Israeli and Palestinian deaths, narratives, and suffering were represented. One of the most striking findings is that BBC coverage gave 33 times more attention to each Israeli death compared to each Palestinian death. While the Palestinian civilian death toll soared into...

June 15, 2025 - Nigeria -  Prominent human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, urged the federal government to discontinue all criminal prosecutions targeting journalists and citizens for criticizing public officials. Falana’s call follows President Bola Tinubu’s Democracy Day speech on June 12, in which the president emphasized that honest criticism—even harsh reporting—should not lead to criminal charges. Quoting Tinubu’s declaration—“no one should suffer injustice for simply writing a negative report about me or calling me names”—Falana implored Attorney-General and Minister of Justice Lateef Fagbemi (SAN) to act accordingly by withdrawing all pending...

June 15, 2025 - Italy - Digital security researchers at Citizen Lab have uncovered that Paragon Solutions’ “Graphite” spyware—a military-grade, zero-click surveillance tool—was used to target at least three prominent journalists in Europe, including two based in Italy. In Italy, the latest victim is Ciro Pellegrino, who heads the Naples bureau of Fanpage it. Pellegrino’s phone showed forensic traces of Graphite—a confirmation that matches earlier evidence linking the spyware to Francesco Cancellato, Fanpage’s editor-in-chief. Citizen Lab also identified a third “prominent European journalist” who requested anonymity. All three phones were infected via an Apple iMessage zero-click exploit attributed...

June 14, 2025 - Saudi Arabia -  Saudi authorities executed journalist Turki al‑Jasser on June 14, 2025, following a seven‑year detention after his 2018 arrest. The Interior Ministry confirmed the execution via the Saudi Press Agency, stating that the kingdom’s top court upheld convictions against him for “treason,” “terrorism,” “foreign collaboration,” and “undermining national unity". Al‑Jasser, in his late 40s, had been charged primarily due to his alleged operation of a social‑media account on X (formerly Twitter), which posted claims of corruption within the royal family and controversial commentary about militant groups. His arrest involved a raid at...

June 14, 2025 - Pakistan -  Veteran journalist Abdul Latif Baloch was shot dead in the early hours inside his home in Mashkay Tehsil, Awaran district, Balochistan, Pakistan, in front of his wife and children. Four armed assailants forcibly entered his residence and fired four shots when he resisted abduction. Human rights groups, including the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and Pakistan’s Federal Union of Journalists, have strongly condemned the killing. They assert the attackers belonged to a state-supported militia tied to the Pakistani military, describing the killing as part of a deadly “kill and...

June 14, 2025 - USA -  A compelling new documentary, “Barbara Walters: Tell Me Everything,” directed by Jackie Jesko, chronicles the life and legacy of broadcast legend Barbara Walters. Produced by ABC News Studios, Imagine Documentaries (with Ron Howard & Brian Grazer), and Latchkey Films, it premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival on June 12 and begins streaming on Hulu (and Disney+ internationally) on June 23, 2025. This 95-minute film weaves together archival ABC footage—much of it previously unaired—with fresh interviews featuring Walters’s colleagues and subjects, including Oprah Winfrey, Katie Couric, Cynthia McFadden, Bette Midler, and more. It...

June 14, 2025 - Kurdistan -  Journalism across Kurdistan continues to thrive under immense pressure, with several prestigious awards honoring journalists who persist despite risks. The Gurbetelli Ersöz Women’s Journalism Award and the Musa Anter Journalism Awards both serve as powerful tributes to Kurdish journalists who have paid a heavy price for their commitment to truth. The Gurbetelli Ersöz Women’s Journalism Award, named after the first female Kurdish editor-in-chief, commemorates the life and work of Gurbetelli Ersöz, who was killed in 1997. Introduced by the Coalition for Women in Journalism alongside Kurdish media organizations, the...

June 14, 2025 - China -  Independent journalist and #MeToo activist Sophia Huang Xueqin (also known as Huang Xueqin) was sentenced by a Chinese court to five years in prison for “inciting subversion of state power.” Her co-defendant, labour activist Wang Jianbing, received a 3½-year sentence. Court details emerged almost exactly one year later, prompting renewed global advocacy on the first anniversary of the ruling. Huang first rose to prominence in 2017–2018 by reigniting China’s #MeToo movement through an online survey uncovering widespread sexual harassment, particularly within journalistic and academic environments. Her campaign supported victims...

June 14, 2025 - Niger -  a military court in Niger remanded two journalists from Sahara FM, a private radio station, into custody in Kollo prison, south of Niamey. They are charged with “undermining national defence and plotting against state authority.” The arrests stem from early May when Sahara FM aired reports suggesting that Niger had terminated security accords with Russia, a close ally of the country's military junta. A third journalist in the group was released on bail. The case follows a pattern of growing press restrictions since the 2023 coup, with Niger facing criticism from human...

June 14, 2025 - India -  Egyptian security forces detained over 200 activists and journalists—including Indian reporter Nikita Jain from Maktoob Media—at checkpoints near Ismailia and in Cairo, ahead of the Global March to Gaza solidarity protest. The march, organized by an international coalition of human rights groups and activists, aimed to enter Gaza via Rafah on foot to protest Israel’s blockade and deliver humanitarian aid, drawing participants from over 80 countries. Jain was among approximately 1,000 protesters stopped at Ismailia, where authorities seized passports and blocked non-Egyptian nationals from proceeding. She reported that around 70...

June 14, 2025 - Somalia -  At around 9 a.m., armed agents from Somalia’s National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) raided the offices of Himilo Somali TV, an independent online broadcaster in Mogadishu. Fourteen officers—eight inside the studio and six outside—demanded that the outlet remove an interview addressing alleged forced voter registration by the controversial Federal Electoral Commission. The demands followed coverage of a man who claimed he had "been abducted … forcibly registered as a voter without his consent," and who tore up the registration papers in protest. Studio staff locked themselves in an office and...