CPJ under fire after removing Palestinian reporters from database (www.newarab.com)
from geneva_convenience@lemmy.ml to world@lemmy.world on 30 Jun 08:30
https://lemmy.ml/post/49423646

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has defended its approach to determining who qualifies as a journalist, telling The New Arab it has no plans to change its definition following criticism over the removal of Palestinian reporters from its database.

Prominent Palestinian author and poet Mohamed El-Kurd accused CPJ of inconsistency in how it treats journalists in different conflicts.

“Israeli, American, and Ukrainian journalists who work for state-funded outlets or are embedded with the military will remain recognised as journalists, of course,” he wrote on X.

“The move was catalysed to appease the right-wing Zionist rag The Free Beacon, which has repeatedly accused Palestinian and Lebanese journalists of being undercover militants or used their political opinions or affiliations as justification for their killing by the IOF,” he continued.

Researcher and activist Sopo Japaridze also questioned how CPJ had reached its conclusions given the lack of independent access to Gaza.

“I read the statement by CPJ, they removed eight names and they also admit 'In-person verification by researchers from outside Gaza has been impossible since the start of the war because Israel has refused access to the territory, including to international correspondent,” she said on X. "So how do they know those eight were ‘actively engaged in combat?’ What I do know is that Israeli genocide apologists are very excited about this, since it’s their campaign that got those names removed.

“Awesome job, committee to ‘protect journalists!’ You just handed another victory to Israel during the genocide of Palestinians,” she added. Another X user wrote: “Change the name to the Committee to Protect Western Journalists.”

#world