Bloomberg News, BuzzFeed, Insider Inc., Quartz, The Washington Post And WIRED Join Coalition To Spotlight Journalists Under Attack Worldwide

NEW YORK – May 1, 2019 – The One Free Press Coalition, a united group of pre-eminent editors and publishers using their global reach and social platforms to spotlight journalists under attack worldwide, today issued its third monthly “10 Most Urgent” list of journalists whose press freedoms are being suppressed or whose cases are seeking justice. Reuters Reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo – who two weeks ago earned Pulitzer Prizes for their series “Myanmar Burning” – and Jamal Khashoggi, the murdered columnist for The Washington Post, are among the journalists on the list.

Published this morning by all Coalition members and at https://www.onefreepresscoalition.com, the third “10 Most Urgent” list (not ranked in a specific order) includes:

1. Azory Gwanda, an independent Tanzanian journalist who went missing in rural Tanzania after investigating mysterious killings in his community. The Tanzanian government has so far failed to launch a credible investigation into his case. 

2. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, Reuters journalists who have been imprisoned in Myanmar under the Official Secrets Act following their investigation into a security force massacre of Rohingya men and boys in western Rakhine State. The Myanmar Supreme Court recently upheld their convictions.

3. Miguel Mora and Lucía Pineda, the station director and news director, respectively, for 100% Noticias, who were detained following a crackdown on Nicaraguan media and who are being held on charges of “inciting hate and violence.” They have been denied consistent access to legal services.

4. Miroslava Breach Velducea, a correspondent for La Jornada, who was murdered in the state of Chihuahua after reporting on links between politicians and organized crime. Prior to her death, she had received threats on at least three occasions for her reporting.

5. Claudia Duque, a veteran investigative reporter in Colombia who has endured kidnapping, illegal surveillance, psychological torture, and exile as a result of her work. Colombian courts convicted three high-ranking officers of the Colombian security services for torturing Claudia and her daughter in 2003 and 2004. As of May 2019, all the defendants in the case were free.

6. Mahmoud Abou Zeid, who goes by Shawkan, and Alaa Abdelfattah, a photographer and blogger, respectively, in Egypt were released this year after spending more than five years behind bars. However, both report to a police station each evening, and it is up to the police whether they can leave. So far, both have spent every night of their “freedom” behind bars.

7. Aasif Sultan, a reporter with Kashmir Narrator in India, was imprisoned on anti-state charges for covering conflict. He has been repeatedly interrogated and asked to reveal sources by police, and has experienced health issues as he remains behind bars.

8. Jamal Khashoggi, who was brutally murdered at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul. Despite findings from the CIA that point to the Saudi crown prince’s involvement, there has been no independent UN criminal investigation. Calls for the White House to release intelligence reports have gone unheeded, along with a deadline to reply to Congress as required under the U.S. Global Magnitsky Act.

9. Mimi Mefo, who was arrested on false news and cybercrime charges in connection to her reporting on unrest in the conflict-hit North West and South West Regions of Cameroon. While she was released after four days, she continues to speak out against harassment of journalists throughout Cameroon and the impact of the conflict.

10. Anna Nimiriano, a newspaper editor in South Sudan, who lives under constant threat. As editor of the Juba Monitor, Nimiriano fights to keep her colleagues out of jail for their reporting, and has in the past been ordered by the government to shut down the paper. She and her colleagues persevere in spite of arrest threats and constant censorship.

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“These brave journalists have given their lives or are being relentlessly repressed and attacked simply for reporting the truth,” said Randall Lane, Chief Content Officer for Forbes. “We welcome the additional news organizations to the growing One Free Press Coalition, whose mission is to use the collective reach of its members to keep public interest on unresolved cases affecting journalists’ freedom everywhere.”

The One Free Press Coalition continues to expand its list of member organizations and has nearly doubled in size since launching three months ago. The sixteen new members include: AméricaEconomía, Bloomberg News, BuzzFeed, Estadão, India Today, Insider Inc., Middle East Broadcasting Networks, Office of Cuba Broadcasting, Quartz, Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, The Straits Times, TV Azteca, The Washington Post, Voice of America and WIRED.

“Today more than ever we are in need of trusted news and information, yet far too many journalists around the world are under attack merely for trying to fulfill that mission,” said Bloomberg Editor-in-Chief John Micklethwait. “Bloomberg News is committed to working alongside our One Free Press Coalition colleagues in the critical fight to ensure and protect journalistic freedom.”

“Free press is critical to democracy,” said Nicholas Carlson, global Editor-in-Chief of Insider Inc. “Business Insider is proud to stand in solidarity with our peers to help protect the rights of hardworking journalists around the world.”

“In many parts of the world, the safety of journalists, editors and publishers is under serious threat from those who would silence them,” said Warren Fernandez, Editor-in-Chief, The Straits Times and Singapore Press Holdings’ English, Malay, Tamil Media Group. “The best answer to this is good journalism, letting their stories be told in our media so many others will understand the implications of these developments.”

“WIRED commends the One Free Press Coalition for bringing international attention to the growing threat against the media worldwide,” said WIRED Editor-in-Chief Nicholas Thompson. “We’re honored to join in this urgent fight for journalistic freedom.”

“We must meet these threats to free press and journalist safety with unequivocal resolve and urgency,” said Kevin J. Delaney, Editor-in-Chief of Quartz. “Quartz is proud to join One Free Press Coalition and other partner organizations and will continue the important work of supporting journalists around the world.”

In addition to releasing this month’s “10 Most Urgent List,” the One Free Press Coalition today announced that it is joining The Washington Post’s Press Freedom Partnership. As a Press Freedom partner, One Free Press Coalition will receive complimentary advertising each month in The Washington Post highlighting its “10 Most Urgent” list. The Press Freedom Partnership is an ongoing initiative that aims to highlight organizations working to promote press freedom and raise awareness for the rights of journalists worldwide.

“We see extraordinary results when media organizations collectively offer their resources to increase awareness for the rights of fellow journalists worldwide,” said Fred Ryan, publisher and CEO of The Washington Post. “We are excited to add One Free Press Coalition and thus a group of our esteemed colleagues to the Press Freedom Partnership to work together on this shared interest.”

One Free Press Coalition partners with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) which are instrumental in helping identify the most-urgent cases for the list, which is updated and published on the first day of every month.

News organizations throughout the world can join the Coalition by emailing info@onefreepresscoalition.com. Members of the public are also encouraged to join the conversation using the hashtag #OneFreePress and following developments on Twitter @OneFreePress.

One Free Press Coalition

The One Free Press Coalition every month spotlights the “10 Most Urgent” journalists who press freedoms are under threat worldwide. The Coalition uses the collective voices of participating news organizations to spotlight brave journalists whose voices are being silenced or have been silenced by “standing up for journalists under attack for pursing the truth.” To see the “10 Most Urgent” list every month and to view a complete list of

participating news organizations and supporting partners, please visit: https://www.onefreepresscoalition.com or @OneFreePress on Twitter.

Contacts:

One Free Press Coalition PR: pr@onefreepresscoalition.com
Committee to Protect Journalists: Bebe Santa-Wood, press@cpj.com
International Women’s Media Foundation: Charlotte Fox, cfox@iwmf.org

NEW YORK – April 1, 2019 – The One Free Press Coalition, a united group of prominent editors and publishers using their global reach and social platforms to spotlight journalists who are under attack, today issued its “10 Most Urgent” list of journalists whose press freedoms are being suppressed or whose cases are seeking justice.

The One Free Press Coalition welcomes additional prominent editorial outlets this month, including The Boston Globe and Fortune in the U.S., and CNN Money Switzerland, Corriere Della Sera (Italy), Deutsche Welle (Germany) and Republik (Switzerland) in Europe. Existing members include: The Associated Press, Financial Times, Forbes, HuffPost, Reuters, Time, Yahoo News in addition to other world leading news organizations.

The mission of the coalition is to use the collective voices of its members – which reach more than 1 billion people worldwide – to “stand up for journalists under attack for pursuing the truth.”

The second “10 Most Urgent” list, published this morning by all members and at https://www.onefreepresscoalition.com, includes the following journalists (not ranked in a specific order):

1. The late Miroslava Breach Velducea, correspondent at La Jornada, Mexico

2. Maria Ressa, founder of Rappler, The Philippines

3. Tran Thi Nga, prominent human rights blogger, Vietnam

4. Azimjon Askarov, award winning journalist, Kyrgyzstan

5. Rana Ayyub, an independent journalist, India

6. Miguel Mora and Lucia Pineda Ubau, journalists at 100% Noticias, Nicaragua

7. Anna Nimiriano, editor of Juba Monitor, South Sudan

8. Amade Abubacar, radio journalist, Mozambique

9. Claudia Duque, a veteran investigative reporter, Colombia

10. Osman Mirghani, editor-in-chief of Al-Tayar, Sudan

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Last month’s inaugural list also included Eman Al Nafjan, prominent women’s rights blogger in Saudi Arabia. While the charges have not been dropped, Eman was recently released from a Saudi Arabia prison.

“The escalating attacks on press freedom around the world have dire consequences in the everyday lives of countless people,” said Brian McGrory, Editor, The Boston Globe. “This effort is another key way to focus attention on a problem that needs to be addressed, here and everywhere. The Globe regrets that such an initiative is needed, but feels it is important to be a part of it.”

“We magazine and newspaper editors love to talk about 'speaking truth to power,’ but we too often forget what those words mean in much of the world, where reporting and speaking such truth is an act of stunning and selfless bravery,” said Clifton Leaf, Editor-in-Chief, Fortune. “Fortune is honored to join the One Free Press Coalition, and we’re grateful for the chance to work alongside our colleagues to push for greater protections for journalists around the globe. Speaking truth to power remains a crucial mission. It shouldn’t be a life-or-death one.”

News organizations throughout the world can join the coalition by emailing info@onefreepresscoalition.com. Members of the public are also encouraged to join the conversation using #OneFreePress and following developments on Twitter @OneFreePress.

One Free Press Coalition

The One Free Press Coalition every month spotlights the “10 Most Urgent” journalists whose press freedoms are under threat worldwide. The coalition uses the collective voices of participating news organizations to spotlight brave journalists whose voices are being silenced or have been silenced by “standing up for journalists under attack for pursuing the truth.” To see the “10 Most Urgent” list every month and to view a complete list of participating news organizations and supporting partners, please visit https://www.onefreepresscoalition.com or @OneFreePress on Twitter.

Contacts:

One Free Press Coalition PR: pr@onefreepresscoalition.com
CPJ: Bebe Santa-Wood, press@cpj.org
IWMF: Charlotte Fox, cfox@iwmf.org

Unite To Use Their Collective Reach Of Editorial, Social Platforms To Spotlight “10 Most Urgent” Journalists Under Attack Or Silenced Every Month

NEW YORK – March 15, 2019 – Leading news organizations around the world today announced the formation of the One Free Press Coalition, a united front of prominent editors and publishers using the significant reach of their editorial and social platforms to spotlight journalists who are under attack globally. On the first of every month, members of the One Free Press Coalition will publish across their platforms a “10 Most Urgent” list of journalists whose global press freedoms are being abused or whose cases demand justice. The mission of the coalition is to use the collective voices of its members – which reach more than 1 billion people worldwide – to “stand up for journalists under attack for pursuing the truth.”

The “10 Most Urgent” list, published this morning by all members and at https://www.onefreepresscoalition.com, includes the following journalists (not ranked in a specific order):

1. Maria Ressa, founder of Rappler, The Philippines

2. The late Jamal Khashoggi, Washington Post columnist, Saudi Arabia

3. Eman Al Nafjan, prominent women’s rights blogger, Saudi Arabia

4. Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, Reuters, Myanmar

5. Claudia Duque, a veteran investigative reporter, Colombia

6. Mohamed Cheikh Ould Mohamed, prominent blogger, Mauritania

7. Anna Nimiriano, editor of Juba Monitor, South Sudan

8. Pelin Unker, Cumhuriyet, Turkey

9. Thomas Awah Junior, correspondent for Afrik 2 Radio and publisher of Aghem Messenger, Cameroon

10. Tran Thi Nga, prominent human rights blogger, Vietnam

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The inaugural members of the One Free Press Coalition who have committed to using their powerful platforms to raise awareness of journalists under attack include: The Associated Press, De Standaard, EURACTIV, Financial Times, Forbes, HuffPost, Le Temps, Reuters, Süddesutsche Zeitung, Time and Yahoo News. One Free Press Coalition partners the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) and the International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF) are instrumental in helping identify the most-urgent journalists for the list, which will be updated and published on the first day of every month.

“With the One Free Press Coalition, we are shining an enduring light from all corners of the globe on our fellow journalists who are being persecuted, punished or worse in the pursuit of truth,” said Randall Lane, Chief Content Officer for Forbes, who initiated the concept at a meeting of the International Media Council at the World Economic Forum, another coalition partner. “Our founding members include news organizations who collectively reach more than 1 billion people worldwide, and we encourage other outlets to join us in standing up for those whose voices have been threatened, silenced or are being silenced. Together, our reach online and on social will signal solidarity for our colleagues and simultaneously tell those who threaten free speech that we are watching.”

News organizations throughout the world can join the coalition by emailing info@onefreepresscoalition.com. Members of the public are also encouraged to join the conversation using #OneFreePress and following developments on Twitter @OneFreePress.

Following are quotes from One Free Press Coalition members:

The Associated Press

“The AP applauds and looks forward to working with the One Free Press Coalition, developed by the International Media Council at Davos, to bring attention to the vital cause of reporting without harassment or threat,” said AP Senior Vice President and Executive Editor Sally Buzbee. “Journalism is under attack around the world. We believe journalists must be permitted to pursue facts fearlessly for the greater good of society and democracy, and we are happy that the One Free Press Coalition will join us in that fight.”

De Standaard (Belgium)

“Here in Brussels, in the heart of Europe, we as a political newspaper tolerate no infringements on press freedom,” said Karel Verhoeven, editor-in-chief of De Standaard. “Locally, it is a mild struggle, but even here in Europe, the tide is turning. The word must remain free. After decades of mild concern, it has become the crucial issue of our time. We must speak out on behalf of those who publish the free, critical and investigating word and are being punished for it, tortured, prosecuted and threatened. We must exert our influence so that our readers can exert theirs. For this freedom is a collective treasure, to be defended by all.”

EURACTIV

“EURACTIV, the media network for Europe with a focus on EU affairs, is happy to join the One Free Press Coalition,” said EURACTIV Managing Editor Zoran Radosavljevic. “We welcome this initiative and are honored to be an active participant and an inaugural member. It is essential to ensure the freedom of the media and unhindered work of journalists across the globe."

Forbes

See quote above.

Financial Times

“At its best, journalism puts emerging issues in the spotlight and exposes wrongdoing by people in positions of power,” said Peter Spiegel, news editor of the Financial Times. “Highlighting the fate of fellow reporters who have suffered because they have done that is both critical in the current international environment and an important act of journalism in its own right."

HuffPost

“In these turbulent times, independent journalism is more important than ever. Holding power to account has never been more important, or freighted with greater risk,” said Lydia Polgreen, Editor in Chief of HuffPost. “That’s why HuffPost is proud to stand with the One Free Press Coalition to fight intimidation, harassment and violence against journalists across the globe and support the crucial role journalists play in upholding freedom.”

Le Temps

“The loss of our Slovak colleague Ján Kuciak (working in the same group, Ringier Axel Springer), murdered last year while investigating on corruption, deeply affected us,” said Le Temps Co-Editors in Chief Stéphane Benoit-Godet and Gael Hürlimann. “Followed with repeated tensions in regions where the freedom of press seemed to be established, we feel the need of combatting censorship and repression on journalists all around the world and to support colleagues working in difficult environments.” 

Reuters

“Reuters is committed to principles of fair, independent and impartial journalism and we feel strongly that a free press is vital to any democracy,” said Stephen J. Adler, Editor in Chief, Reuters. “We look forward to working with the One Free Press Coalition in raising awareness of the repression of journalists – including our own reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who have been imprisoned for more than a year in Myanmar – and highlighting the importance of press freedom around the world.”

Süddesutsche Zeitung (Germany)

“Intimidation, violence, incendiary speech against journalists and preventing reporters from doing their jobs are crucial issues for our profession in these times,” said Wolfgang Krach, Editor in Chief of Süddesutsche Zeitung. “As we every day see the importance of a free press all over the world and especially in countries ruled by authoritarian regimes, we are willing to take up this fight.”

TIME

“TIME is proud to stand with the One Free Press Coalition and journalists all over the world who are taking great risks in pursuit of greater truths,” said TIME Editor in Chief and CEO Edward Felsenthal.

Yahoo News

“As a global news brand, Yahoo News is deeply concerned about the current climate of fear and repression that journalists around the world face today,” said Daniel Klaidman, Editor in Chief of Yahoo News. “We look forward to joining the One Free Press Coalition alongside other like-minded media brands as well as CPJ, IWMF and WEF to give a platform to journalists under attack and shed light on their important work.”

Following are quotes from One Free Press Coalition partners, the Committee to Protect Journalists and the International Women’s Media Foundation:

Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

“Journalists around the world face unprecedented threats amid global efforts to undermine press freedom and the very idea of independent media. Journalists have been jailed at record levels over the past three years and the rate of murder has recently skyrocketed,” said Executive Director Joel Simon at the Committee to Protect Journalists. “The One Free Press Coalition can draw vital attention to 10 cases that demand justice and accountability, boosting awareness of the risks journalists take and ultimately increasing their safety.”

International Women’s Media Foundation (IWMF)

“Every day thousands of journalists work to illuminate critical issues despite being under constant attack. Facing censorship, imprisonment and physical harm, these journalists persist so that the world can bear witness to the truth,” said IWMF Executive Director Elisa Lees Muñoz. “The IWMF is proud to join the One Free Press Coalition and bring attention to the numerous cases of injustice facing female journalists. We call for those in power to stop silencing public discourse; these acts of censorship cannot continue with impunity.”

One Free Press Coalition

The One Free Press Coalition every month spotlights the “10 Most Urgent” journalists whose press freedoms are under threat worldwide. The coalition uses the collective voices of participating news organizations to spotlight brave journalists whose voices are being silenced or have been silenced by “standing up for journalists under attack for pursuing the truth.” To see the “10 Most Urgent” list every month and to view a complete list of participating news organizations and supporting partners, please visit https://www.onefreepresscoalition.com or @OneFreePress on Twitter.

Contacts:

One Free Press Coalition: info@onefreepresscoalition.com or pr@onefreepresscoalition.com
Forbes on behalf of One Free Press Coalition: pr@forbes.com
CPJ: Bebe Santa-Wood, press@cpj.org
IWMF: Charlotte Fox, cfox@iwmf.org