Over 250 journalists are in jail globally for doing their job
The number of journalists imprisoned on charges of ‘false news’ rose to 28, up from 21 in 2017 and nine in 2016, according to the CPJ
New York — A near-record number of journalists around the world are behind bars for their work, including two Reuters reporters whose imprisonment in Myanmar has drawn international criticism, according to a report released on Thursday. There were 251 journalists jailed for doing their jobs as of December 1, the Committee to Protect Journalists said in an annual study. For the third consecutive year, more than half are in Turkey, China and Egypt, where authorities have accused reporters of antigovernmental activities. "It looks like a trend now," the report's author, Elana Beiser, said in an interview. "It looks like the new normal." The number of journalists imprisoned on charges of "false news" rose to 28, up from 21 in 2017 and nine in 2016, according to the CPJ, a US-based nonprofit that promotes press freedom. The report criticised US President Donald Trump for frequently characterising negative media coverage as "fake news," a phrase that is also used by leaders against their ...
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