The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is an independent, nonprofit organization based in New York, New York, United States, that promotes press freedom and defends the rights of journalists.

Contents 1 History 2 Operations 3 Active engagements 4 Staff and directors 5 See also 6 External links 7 References

[edit] History

A group of U.S. foreign correspondents founded CPJ in 1981 in response to harassment from authoritarian governments.

[edit] Operations

CPJ organizes vigorous public protests and works through diplomatic channels to effect change. CPJ publishes articles, news releases, special reports, a biannual magazine called Dangerous Assignments^[1], and an annual worldwide survey of press freedom called Attacks on the Press^[2].

CPJ also administers the annual CPJ International Press Freedom Awards, which honor journalists and press freedom advocates who have endured beatings, threats, intimidation and prison for reporting the news.

Each year, CPJ compiles a list of all journalists killed in the line of duty around the world. Since 1992, the first year that CPJ began to statistically monitor deaths, 661 journalists have been killed^[3]

CPJ is a founding member of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange (IFEX), a global network of more than 70 non-governmental organizations that monitors free expression violations around the world and defends journalists, writers and others who are persecuted for exercising their right to freedom of expression.

[edit] Active engagements

On December 26, 2007, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) appealed to President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo to forthwith bring to justice the killers of Davao City broadcaster Ferdinand Lintuan, who was murdered on December 24.^[4]

[edit] Staff and directors

The current (2009) executive director of CPJ is journalist Joel Simon, who assumed the position in July 2006 after having served as deputy director since 2000.^[5] His predecessor was veteran foreign correspondent Ann Cooper, who served as executive director from 1998 to 2006.^[6]

CPJ's board of directors includes prominent American journalists, including Christiane Amanpour, Tom Brokaw, Anne Garrels, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, Gwen Ifill, Jane Kramer, Anthony Lewis, Dave Marsh, Kati Marton, Michael Massing, Victor Navasky, Andres Oppenheimer, Clarence Page, Norman Pearlstine, Dan Rather, John Seigenthaler, and Mark Whitaker.

[edit] See also

• CPJ International Press Freedom Awards
• List of journalists killed in Russia

[edit] External links

• Committee to Protect Journalists website
• International Freedom of Expression Exchange

[edit] References