Frontline — In Focus

Demonstrations sparked across the US after a black man, George Floyd, was murdered by a white police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota. These protests began to demand justice for George and many other black people killed due to racial discrimination, to defund the police, and to ensure racial justice. With police forces deployed at protest sites across the country, journalists on the ground remain vulnerable to violence, arrest and censorship. Hundreds of journalists have been reported to have faced attempts at censorship, verbal and physical atttacks, blatant threats and police violence while reporting the demonstrations - not just in the US but globally. Many have been arrested while on duty, while black journalists - said to be more prone to these threats - have also been targeted. CFWIJ has been monitoring and documenting the threats and violence against women journalists from the get-go.

The US presidential election always gathers massive public attention. As many of us live in a strong American-centrist culture, it has been widely known (and to some extent - accepted) that its outcome can influence political landscapes all around the world and dictate future directions for global development

This is an information and campaign page focusing on challenges women journalists face in Pakistan. In this dedicated page you can find statements about threats against women journalists, our timelines highlighting important violations and impediments of work women journalists face and visual material with experiences of Pakistani women journalists.

This is an information and campaign page focusing on Maria Ressa, and The Rappler who are under attack in the Philippines. On the right a brief clip with some words by Maria Ressa speaking about the state of censorship in the Philippines. Maria was speaking to our founder Kiran Nazish on the phone in 2019 after being arrested and released on bail.

On August 4, multiple explosions wrecked havoc near the port of Lebanon’s capital city Beirut. The damage, caused by approximately 2,750 metric tons of the explosive ammonium nitrate, estimates up to $5 billion. According to officials, more than 100 people were killed due to the blasts and around 4,000 were injured. At least 300,000 people have been left homeless after this catastrophic incident.

Hungary’s only left authentic news organization has been shaken by an ordeal that stinks of censorship. More than 70 journalists, 20 of them women, walked out of the Index headquarters on Friday, July 24 en mass resignation to protest the arbitrary dismissal of editor-in-chief Szabolcs Dull. The decision was taken by the president of the board of Index.hu, László Bodolai. We hear from our sources, there has been political intervention.

In the last month since the disputed presidential elections, Belarus has presented anything but ideal working conditions for journalists. Following the allegedly falsified election results which put “Europe’s last dictator” Alexander Lukashenko to power once again, Belarus has begun to tighten its grip on journalists.

Abductions, Detentions And Regular Internet Shutdowns - Threats To Journalists Amid Military Coup In Myanmar

Violence towards Asian American communities on the rise; A legacy of the Trump era continues. Hate crimes against Asian-Americans have significantly increased since the Covid-19 pandemic. Numerous incidents of discrimination, violence, and verbal and physical assaults have been reported since the former U.S. president, Donald Trump, coined terms such as “Kung flu” and “China virus” to reference the coronavirus.

CFWIJ has noted with concern the dangerous digital-physical terrain that women journalists in Turkey have had to navigate in order to continue doing their jobs. In 2021, as of October 5, we recorded 204 cases of violations against women journalists. The state has routinely weaponized its institutions to target them. From January 2021 to October 5, at least 75 women have faced legal persecution while 38 have been assaulted in the field by either the police force or supporters of the state. Women journalists have also been targeted through organized troll campaigns online as well as through state media for criticizing government policies. Despite these intimidation tactics to silence them, however, women journalists continue to fulfill their civic role of holding power accountable.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is trying its utmost to aid and assist journalists currently present in Afghanistan and caught in the midst of the humanitarian crisis unfolding in the country. The CFWIJ is in the process of vetting applications by those seeking to leave the country, prioritizing and processing the cases with the most urgent needs.

Sophie Cousins is a freelance journalist and a CFWIJ fellow. She usually reports on developments in South Asia and the Middle East, but has been in Australia during the coronavirus outbreak. For the past eight years of living and working abroad, she describes coming back to Australia- her home country - as a “whirlwind”. Sophie has recently received a grant from the National Geographic Society to report on how Indigenous communities across the country are protecting themselves against Covid-19.

Nadia Todres is a documentary photographer based in Haiti. She has been documenting the coronavirus outbreak and has also been working on a personal project featuring portraits of Haitians amidst Covid-19. Nadia work is usually focused on adolescent girls in Haiti for the most part, but she also covers disasters, events, and everything happening in the country for whichever NGO or organization she is shooting.

Sumy Sadurni is a freelance photojournalist based in Kampala, Uganda. She is currently documenting the Covid-19 pandemic in the country. Sumy usually reports on politics, society, gender and human rights and environment, but also works on long-term personal projects that look at different types of society and relationships. Currently Sumy is also reporting on the effects of the lockdown in the city to stop the spread of coronavirus, and shares her reporting experience with CFWIJ.

Prachee Kulkarni is a journalist based in Pune, Maharashtra. She works for Pune Mirror as its principal correspondent and has been covering the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic for the paper.