Category: Press Freedom

NewsGuild, ACLU, NABJ Urge Department of Justice to Adopt Permanent Protections for Journalists

The NewsGuild-CWA has joined with the ACLU and National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) to call on the Department of Justice to adopt permanent protections for journalists and other observers covering protests.

The DOJ should enshrine a prohibition against arresting, threatening to arrest, or using force against journalists and legal observers in the department’s law enforcement guidelines unless there is probable cause to believe the journalists or observers committed a crime, the organizations said in an Aug. 6 letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland.

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Newsletter: Not just a wave; it’s a movement

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This week sort of exploded with two major press freedom issues around the world.

A major investigation by Washington Post journalists and many others exposed an operation by a private spyware company that has been hacking into the phones of journalists around the world. Activists, politicians and journalists were found on a list of more than 50,000 targeted phone numbers. It’s an expansion of a disturbing trend by authoritarian regimes that are suppressing dissent by targeting journalists. I was proud to bring our union back into the International Federation of Journalists last year. The group of large journalism unions quickly condemned the targeting of journalists. We stand with them and journalists around the world condemning the spying and suppression of free speech.

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Newsletter: Journalists under attack

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The last few weeks have been marred by serious attacks on democracy, press freedom and journalists at home and abroad.

We’re outraged by the Belarusian government’s use of a military aircraft to ground a civilian plane and arrest a journalist who was a passenger on the flight and by the Israeli government’s intentional bombing of offices housing the Associated Press and Al Jazeera. We’re also deeply disturbed by the arrest of an American journalist in Myanmar and the ongoing crackdown on the press there since a February coup. These brazen incidents reflect a troubling slide toward authoritarianism around the world.

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NewsGuild denounces Belarus government’s grounding of civilian plane, arrest of journalist

The NewsGuild-CWA condemns in the strongest possible terms the Belarus government’s grounding of a civilian plane and the arrest of journalist Raman Pratasevich, who was a passenger on the flight.

We call for Pratasevich’s immediate release and the release of Sofia Sapega, who was traveling with him. 

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NewsGuild statement on Israeli government bombing of media organizations’ offices

The NewsGuild-CWA condemns the Israeli government’s attack on media organizations in Gaza in the strongest possible terms. The intentional bombing of offices housing the Associated Press and Al Jazeera was a blatant attack on press freedom that was clearly intended to prevent independent reporting on the government’s actions. It violates international law.

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Newsletter: The story you’ve always dreamed of telling

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Today is World Press Freedom Day, and this year’s theme, “Information as a Public Good,” couldn’t be more appropriate. It reflects the severity of the crisis facing journalism and the need to reshape our industry. We cannot let hedge funds and profit-hungry chains run journalism into the ground. News and information are essential to empowering the people to participate in civic life.

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NewsGuild-CWA denounces DHS restrictions on foreign press visas

Oct. 27, 2020 – The NewsGuild-CWA, representing nearly 24,000 media professionals and journalists, stands with our colleagues at news organizations and journalism advocacy groups across the world in opposition to the proposal by the United States’ Department of Homeland Security to limit the duration of “I Visas” to 240 days.  Continue reading “NewsGuild-CWA denounces DHS restrictions on foreign press visas”

NewsGuild joins call: Drop charges against KPCC reporter

Updated Sept. 18, 2020 to include the sheriff’s response.

Sept. 17, 2020 – The NewsGuild-CWA joined more than 60 press freedom and journalism organizations Wednesday calling on Los Angeles law enforcement officers to drop charges against reporter Josie Huang, who was violently arrested and charged with obstruction while reporting on Sept. 12. Continue reading “NewsGuild joins call: Drop charges against KPCC reporter”