New website to track press freedom violations in the United States
JournalismPakistan.com | Published: 2 August 2017
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The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker has been launched by the Committee to Protect Journalists and other organizations to monitor press freedom violations. It provides crucial data amid growing concerns over journalist safety and legal issues in the U.S.Summary
NEW YORK - The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) joined more than 20 press freedom organizations announcing the launch Wednesday of the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, a new nonpartisan website dedicated to documenting press freedom abuses across the United States.
Led by the CPJ and Freedom of the Press Foundation, the site will serve as a central repository for data at a time when journalists in the U.S. are facing increased hostility.
In recent months, journalists have been charged with crimes while covering protests in Washington D.C. and North Dakota; stopped at the border and subjected to searches of their electronic devices; and physically assaulted, in one case by a congressional candidate.
Data collected on the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker shows that 19 journalists have been arrested in the course of their work in 2017 and that at least 10 reporters are currently facing charges. In 2017 at least four journalists have been stopped at the border and 11 have faced physical attacks, according to the tracker. These numbers may increase as new information is received.
Freedom of the Press Foundation is leading the day-to-day operations of the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, with its senior reporter, Peter Sterne, serving as the managing editor. The Committee to Protect Journalists is providing the initial funding and chairing the steering committee. The steering committee also includes representatives from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, the Knight Institute at Columbia University, Reporters Without Borders, and Index on Censorship. – Committee to Protect Journalists/ Photo by Bryce Barker on Unsplash
KEY POINTS:
- New website launched to track press freedom violations in the U.S.
- 19 journalists arrested in 2017 during their work and at least 10 facing charges.
- Initiative led by the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Freedom of the Press Foundation.
- Physical attacks on journalists increased, with 11 reported cases this year.
- The site aims to be a central repository for documenting press abuses.
