News

March 15, 2025 - USA -  The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called on U.S. congressional leaders to protect the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) following President Donald Trump's executive order aimed at dismantling the agency. USAGM oversees critical media outlets, including Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), and Radio Free Asia (RFA), which provide uncensored news in regions with restricted press freedom. The executive order led to the suspension of over 1,300 VOA employees, including journalists, and the termination of funding for RFE/RL and RFA. This move has raised concerns...

March 15, 2025 - USA -  The Trump administration took drastic steps by freezing operations and cutting funding for major U.S.-funded international media outlets, including Voice of America (VOA), Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), and Radio Free Asia (RFA). This decision resulted in over 1,300 VOA employees being placed on administrative leave and the suspension of broadcasts in key regions such as Asia and the Middle East. The sudden layoffs affected many journalists and staff, with contracts terminated by the end of March. Some VOA channels were forced to replace news programming with music due...

March 15, 025 - Nigeria -  In March 2025, Amb. Olufolake Abdulrazaq, the First Lady of Kwara State, Nigeria, addressed Muslim women journalists during the inaugural Ramadan symposium organized by the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ) in Ilorin. Represented by the state's Commissioner for Environment, Hajiya Nafisat Buge, Mrs. Abdulrazaq emphasized the importance of positive media representation to counteract misconceptions about Islam. The First Lady expressed concern over the commercialization of the media, which has led to the proliferation of fake news. She urged journalists to uphold the truth, balancing professional ethics with Islamic...

March 15, 2025 - Palestine -  Israeli airstrikes struck Gaza, killing at least nine Palestinians, among them two journalists, sparking international outrage. The strikes targeted multiple locations, including the offices of the Al-Khair Foundation, a Palestinian humanitarian organization, leading to casualties and destruction of essential infrastructure. According to Palestinian medics, the air raids resulted in the deaths of two journalists who were reportedly covering the events at the time of the strikes. The loss of media personnel highlights the increasing dangers faced by journalists working in conflict zones, particularly in Gaza, where ongoing hostilities put...

March 15, 2025 - Palestine -  Alaa Asaad Hashim, a Palestinian journalist based in Gaza, tragically died on March 14, 2025, after succumbing to injuries sustained months earlier in an Israeli airstrike. The attack left her critically wounded, and she remained in a coma before her passing, highlighting the grave risks faced by journalists working amid ongoing conflict in Gaza. Hashim’s death marks a devastating loss in a region where journalists routinely face extreme dangers. Since the escalation of violence on October 7, 2023, over 200 Palestinian journalists have been reported killed or injured, making...

March 14, 2025 - Azerbaijan -  In Azerbaijan, six journalists from the independent online outlet “Abzas Media,” including editor-in-chief Sevindj Vagifgyzy, are facing trial on charges of foreign currency smuggling. Authorities allege that €40,000 in cash was found at the publication's office. However, the journalists assert that their arrests are politically motivated, aimed at silencing their investigative reporting on government corruption. The trial proceedings have been marred by concerns over the treatment of the detained journalists. Initially, they refused to attend court sessions, protesting against being held in cold, smoke-filled rooms and being transported separately...

March 14, 2025 - Azerbaijan -  In recent months, Azerbaijan has escalated its suppression of independent journalism and political dissent, drawing international condemnation. Meydan TV Journalists Detained Since December 2024, Azerbaijani authorities have detained multiple journalists associated with Meydan TV, an independent media outlet operating from Berlin. The journalists face charges of smuggling foreign currency, allegations widely regarded as politically motivated. Among those arrested is Ulviyya Guliyeva, the 25th journalist detained in Azerbaijan over the past 18 months. Guliyeva, known for her coverage of human rights and social justice issues, anticipated her arrest and left...

March 14, 2025 - Philippines -  In March 2025, former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was arrested in Manila and transferred to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to face charges of crimes against humanity. The ICC alleges that Duterte is responsible for the murder of at least 43 individuals between 2011 and 2019, linked to his controversial "war on drugs" during his tenure as mayor of Davao City and later as president from 2016 to 2022. Human rights organizations estimate that the total death toll from this campaign could exceed 30,000, many of...

March 14, 2025 - Malaysia -  B. Nantha Kumar, a senior journalist with Malaysiakini, pleaded not guilty in the Shah Alam Sessions Court to a charge of accepting a RM20,000 bribe. The charge alleges that Kumar received the bribe from Muhammad Zahid, a Pakistani national, as an inducement to remove an article from the Malaysiakini portal and refrain from further reporting on a foreign worker agency allegedly involved in a syndicate. The alleged offense took place at a hotel in Shah Alam at approximately 11:45 p.m. on February 28, 2025. Kumar was charged under Section...

March 14, 2025 - Lagos -  A group of journalists was violently attacked while reporting on the demolition of homes in the Otumara community, located in the Ilaje area of Lagos Mainland. The assailants, suspected to be affiliated with the Lagos State government, targeted media personnel from six to seven different outlets, resulting in multiple injuries and the destruction of equipment. Among the journalists assaulted were Segun Adeboboye of Control TV, Oluwatosin Sanni of News Buster, Gbenga Adewale of Seefame News, Seyi Fadoro of Distinct Media, Oluwaseun Adeola Oluwole of Integrity News, Wasiu Ayinde of...

March 14, 2025 - Syria -  Three news crews came under fire while covering violent clashes in Syria, according to a report by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) released on March 14, 2025. The incidents occurred as fighting intensified between armed factions in the northwestern region of the country. These assaults are part of a growing pattern of violence against journalists in war zones, raising concerns about press freedom and safety. The first attack happened in the Idlib region, where a crew from the local Orient TV was fired upon while filming from a...

March 14, 2025 - Colombia -  In March 2025, Columbia University's Graduate School of Journalism issued a strong statement defending press freedom and free speech following the arrest of Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian graduate student from the School of International and Public Affairs (SIPA). Khalil, a lawful U.S. permanent resident, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on March 8 without being charged with any crime. His arrest was part of a broader federal crackdown on pro-Palestinian student activism. The Journalism School's faculty expressed deep concern over what they described as an "alarming chill"...

March 14, 2025 - USA -  In February 2025, the Trump administration announced a significant shift in White House press access, asserting direct control over the selection of journalists in the presidential press pool. This move ended over a century of precedent where the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) managed the rotation of reporters covering the president in close quarters, including aboard Air Force One and in the Oval Office. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the change by stating that the administration aimed to include a broader range of media voices, suggesting that the WHCA...

March 13, 2025 - USA/India -  U.S. journalist Raphael Satter filed a lawsuit against the Indian government after his Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) status was revoked. Satter, a cybersecurity reporter for Reuters, received a letter from India's Ministry of Home Affairs in December 2023, accusing him of producing work that "maliciously" tarnished India's reputation. The revocation of his OCI card means he can no longer travel to India, where his family resides. Satter denies conducting journalism in India and asserts that he only visited the country to see his family. He believes the cancellation...

March 13, 2025 - Agentina -  Argentine photojournalist Pablo Grillo was critically injured while covering a protest in Buenos Aires against President Javier Milei's austerity measures. Grillo, a member of the Association of Graphic Reporters of the Argentine Republic (aRGra), was struck in the head by a tear gas grenade fired by police during clashes between demonstrators and security forces. He underwent emergency surgery and remains in critical condition. The protest, primarily organized by retirees demanding higher pensions and the restoration of certain free medications cut by Milei's government, escalated when football fans joined the...

March 13, 2025 - Russia -  Moscow court sentenced four Russian journalists—Antonina Favorskaya, Sergei Karelin, Konstantin Gabov, and Artem Kriger—to five and a half years in prison each on charges of extremism. The prosecution alleged their involvement with the Anti-Corruption Foundation (FBK), an organization founded by the late opposition leader Alexei Navalny, which has been banned in Russia and designated as an extremist group. The journalists denied the charges, asserting that their work was independent and journalistic. The trial was conducted behind closed doors, raising concerns among press freedom advocates about the transparency and fairness...

March 13, 2025 - Iraq -  Reports confirmed that Sherwan Sherwani, a Kurdish journalist imprisoned since 2020, is expected to be released soon after serving more than four years behind bars. Sherwani was detained during the anti-government protests in the Duhok region and was among a group known as the Badinan detainees. Originally sentenced to six years on charges of “endangering national security,” his sentence was later reduced, making his release imminent. Sherwani’s imprisonment drew widespread criticism from human rights groups and press freedom advocates. Amnesty International and other organizations denounced the charges against him...

March 13, 2025 - General -  The UK’s Royal Television Society (RTS) reversed its decision to cancel a special recognition award for journalists in Gaza, following widespread criticism from media professionals and press freedom advocates. The RTS had initially planned to honor these journalists at its Television Journalism Awards on March 5 but withdrew the award on the day of the ceremony, citing concerns that recent controversies surrounding Gaza coverage could overshadow the recognition. Specifically, the RTS referenced the backlash over the BBC documentary Gaza: How to Survive a War Zone, which was removed from...

March 13, 2025 - Russia -  Russian journalist Nadezhda Kevorkova was released from detention after being convicted of "justifying terrorism" over social media posts dating back to 2018 and 2020. The military court in Moscow fined her 600,000 rubles, a reduction from the original 700,000 rubles due to her time already spent in custody since May 2024. The conviction stemmed from a 2020 post referencing the Taliban and a 2018 repost of an article about a 2005 Islamist raid in Nalchik. Kevorkova, aged 66, is known for her extensive reporting and commentary on Middle Eastern...

March 13, 2025 - Ukraine -  Ukraine’s Women in Media initiative has launched an interactive map that visualizes online attacks targeting women journalists, offering a powerful tool to raise awareness and document the digital harassment faced by female media professionals. Developed with support from the Institute of Mass Information (IMI), this digital platform allows users to see where, how, and how often female journalists in Ukraine are subjected to cyber threats and abuse. The interactive map covers incidents reported from 2021 to 2024, detailing 130 verified cases of online harassment across the country. Each dot...

March 12, 2025 - Thailand -  In a major victory for press freedom in Southeast Asia, the Appeals Court of Thailand has acquitted journalist and activist Supinya Klangnarong in a long-running criminal defamation case filed by poultry company Thammakaset. This decision, hailed by global media watchdogs as a landmark ruling, underscores growing resistance against the misuse of defamation laws to silence critical reporting. The case stemmed from a 2020 social media post in which Supinya expressed support for fellow journalists and human rights defenders facing similar lawsuits from Thammakaset. The company had filed over 37...

March 12, 2025 - Zimbabwe -  Zimbabwean journalist Jeffrey Moyo continues to languish in police custody as his legal battle drags on, raising international alarm over the state of press freedom in the country. Moyo, known for his reporting with foreign media outlets, was arrested on March 20, 2025, on what rights groups and observers describe as baseless and politically motivated charges. Authorities accuse Moyo of violating the Immigration Act by allegedly facilitating the illegal accreditation of two New York Times journalists in 2021. That charge, which had been dismissed in a previous trial due...

March 12, 2025 - Sowitzerland/China -  The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, Irene Khan, has publicly voiced grave concerns over the ongoing prosecution of Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy figure Jimmy Lai. Speaking at the 55th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, Khan criticized the use of Hong Kong’s National Security Law (NSL) to stifle independent journalism and silence dissent. Jimmy Lai, the 76-year-old founder of the now-shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, has been imprisoned since December 2020....

March 12, 2025 - Azerbaijan -  Azerbaijan’s increasingly repressive media environment continues to draw international concern, as the regime of President Ilham Aliyev systematically silences foreign and independent media voices. A recent wave of reports highlights how the government has created a near-monopoly over the country’s information landscape ahead of and following national elections, leaving little room for dissent or investigative journalism. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the Azerbaijani authorities have taken deliberate steps to block access to foreign media outlets, including Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL), Voice of America, and Deutsche Welle. These...

March 12, 2025 - Azerbaijan -  In Azerbaijan, President Ilham Aliyev has orchestrated a relentless crackdown on independent media, transforming the press landscape into a tightly controlled propaganda apparatus. Over the past decade, the regime has employed a calculated mix of legal pressure, economic coercion, and outright repression to dismantle dissenting voices and turn journalism into a state-managed tool. According to detailed investigations and reports from regional and international rights organizations, Aliyev's administration has used the pretense of legality, through restrictive media laws and judicial actions, to silence independent outlets. These laws, often passed under...