Attacks on the Press: The New Face of Censorship

THE DEFINITIVE, COMPREHENSIVE ASSESSMENT OF GLOBAL PRESS FREEDOM

When Christiane Amanpour warns American journalists about their own safety and the viability of the free press in the United States long considered a bastion of press freedom she evokes a notable escalation in attacks on the media across the globe.

Amanpour is one of 20 journalists and experts from around the world who document the new and alarming faces of censorship by governments and non–state actors for the 2017 edition of the Committee to Protect Journalists′ Attacks on the Press.

Among the threats that journalists and the media face are the erosion of what have long been seen as established protections, the targeting of journalists by terrorists to limit news coverage, the imprisonment of reporters and photographers who refuse to toe the official line, the withholding of access to officials and public documents, online harassment, and the wielding of financial leverage such as advertising and credit scores. Efforts to suppress the free press are becoming more complex and arguably, more pervasive than ever before.

Attacks on the Press is the definitive guide to the state of press freedom around the globe, and within its pages, journalists and media observers examine these new abuses, expose nations that violate press freedom with impunity, and provide potential solutions including guidance on possible work–arounds, how to ensure the safety of journalists and their sources, and how to fight against the powers that seek to silence criticism and call into question the media′s credibility.