View this email in your browser
[link removed]

Facebook
[link removed]

Twitter
[link removed]

Youtube
[link removed]

Instagram
[link removed]

LinkedIn
[link removed]

Donate Now
[link removed]



Dear friends,

History tells us loud and clear that, once they start, authorities never stop at censoring just one kind of speech. That is why the Committee to Protect Journalists is urgently stepping up its work in the United States. At a time of unprecedented challenge to press freedom and journalist safety, we are actively rallying the community to be vocal and steadfast in defence of a free press.

CPJ has spent more than four decades championing the right for news organizations and reporters no matter their political convictions to bear witness, to expose corruption, and challenge abuses of power. Our work in the United States is no different. We admonished President Barack Obama over his administration's aggressive leak investigations and use of surveillance, and urged President Joe Biden not to set a dangerous precedent by using the Espionage Act against publishers. We stood together with journalists at the Las Vegas Review-Journal when their reporter was killed by a public official, and with the Marion County Record when its offices were raided unlawfully by police.

Now we are stepping up in all three pillars of our work: Assistance, Advocacy, and Awareness.

Assistance
Last year, CPJ in partnership with organizations including the International Women's Media Foundation, PEN America, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and Freedom of the Press Foundation provided crucial safety training to more than 950 journalists in the United States. This ranged from digital security training, to physical safety workshops, to legal guidance, and psychological support. We provided group webinars, 1-1 safety advice sessions, and in-person workshops. Those seeking our assistance included freelancers, small nonprofit newsrooms, and even large media companies looking for specialist advice drawn from 40 years of global experience in helping journalists handle risky situations.

Since the election, we have seen queries for assistance and safety advice from individual journalists and newsrooms increase significantly. We have convened hundreds of journalists and leaders at news organizations to help respond to questions ranging from tackling online harassment to 501(c)(3) tax status compliance. Already in 2025, we have trained more than 330 journalists, including:

3 training sessions for 161 freelance journalists on legal, digital, and physical safety in collaboration with the National Writers Union's Freelance Solidarity Project, RCFP, and Aegis Safety Alliance.
Individual safety advice for 7 journalists, including one-on-one digital safety advice for a leading national news anchor.
Safety training for 170 journalists at 5 U.S. newsrooms based in Washington, D.C., California, and across the U.S.

We are working closely with partner organizations to streamline resource pages so that news organizations and individuals can easily access information about all the various safety and legal training and support available to them. Together with these safety partners, we will provide a series of safety clinics, and training on physical, digital, legal and psychological safety at conferences around the country.

If you are interested in finding out more about assistance offerings, please contact [email protected].


Advocacy
CPJ has long defended journalists' freedom to report freely without interference, and it is for this reason we denounced the White House's decision last month to bar The Associated Press from the press pool. In collaboration with the Society of Professional Journalists, we marshalled groups across the country and international non-governmental organizations to champion the AP's vital role in supplying independent news to thousands of news outlets across the United States.

Ensuring that we are speaking with one clarion voice, CPJ has continued to reiterate the importance of a free press in America and of America's support for a free press around the world, with media outlets both at home and abroad. We are active in coalitions of news organizations and press freedom groups to help coordinate actions and disseminate information. Recent engagements include public discussions at the Knight Media Forum and UC Irvine, and CPJ US Program Coordinator Katherine Jacobsen's upcoming panel discussion at Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism.

Given the rapidly accelerating challenges facing media freedom here in the United States, we will shortly be advertising for a new US advocacy manager position and we are currently also hiring for a new Regional Director, Americas, to oversee all our work in the region.


Awareness
CPJ's research is at the core of what we do. We continue to document the various legal, regulatory and security threats currently facing reporters and newsrooms, and will continue to produce in-depth reports as we have done in previous years on journalist safety and press freedom in the United States. Given the speed and volume of challenges facing journalists, we are developing new ways of conveying information swiftly to those who need it most watch this space for more on our new plans, which will be announced shortly!


Funding
Many people have asked in recent weeks if the recent freeze on USAID and State department funding has impacted us. The short answer is no, and... yes. CPJ does not receive government funding. This means that, unlike many of our partners and colleagues doing vital work both here in the United States and across the world, we experienced no immediate financial hit from the funding freeze. Thanks to the longstanding support of donors, CPJ goes into 2025 in a healthy financial position, with a global team of more than 80 people (more than twice what it was a decade ago). That means we are well placed to step up at this vital moment and provide safety support and press freedom advocacy both here and abroad.

Undoubtedly, as others feel the impact of cuts and as press freedom violations and security threats continue to rise in the United States, more funding will be needed for us to continue to meet this critical moment. So, if you are a funder who would like to learn more about our plans for the United States, please contact [email protected].

CPJ knows from experience that democratic backsliding happens quickly and inevitably leads, at best, to self-censorship, and, at worst, to full government control of information. Autocratic behavior sparks fear, it drives many journalists into less "risky" beats or out of reporting altogether. Women and marginalized communities are always those most severely impacted.

As I said in my speech at the International Press Freedom Awards last November, our experience in standing up against such backsliding has given us a strong backbone. In this moment, we will not be cowed, we will not be bullied, and we will not be silent. We are stepping up and are ready to do even more.

Thank you for standing with us,


Jodie


Facebook
[link removed]

Twitter
[link removed]

Get Involved > [link removed]
Sign Up for CPJ Alerts  > [link removed]

Donate Now
[link removed]

We respect your right to privacy.

View Our Privacy Policy
[link removed]

Unsubscribe from CPJ Insider list
[link removed]

Manage your subscriptions
[link removed]

Committee to Protect Journalists
P.O. Box 2675
New York, NY 10108 - United States