At a November 19 funeral, Palestinians mourn local journalists Hassouneh Salim and Sari Mansour, killed in an Israeli airstrike in central Gaza on November 18. (Photo: Reuters/Stringer)
New York, February 29, 2024—The leaders of more than 30 news organizations from across the world, including the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters, have joined an open letter affirming their solidarity with journalists reporting in Gaza.
The letter, coordinated by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) with the support of the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA), demonstrates strong and unified support for colleagues reporting from Gaza in the deadliest conflict for journalists ever documented by CPJ.
“For nearly five months, journalists and media workers in Gaza – overwhelmingly, the sole source of on-the-ground reporting from within the Palestinian territory – have been working in unprecedented conditions,” the letter reads. “…These journalists – on whom the international news media and the international community rely for information about the situation inside Gaza – continue to report despite grave personal risk.”
The letter goes on to remind the international community that journalists are civilians and authorities must protect journalists as noncombatants according to international law.
A total of at least 94 journalists have been killed in the Israel-Gaza war; the majority of them (89) were Palestinians killed by the Israeli military.
The signatories include outlets from Estonia, France, Germany, Ireland, Israel, India, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Mexico, Pakistan, the Philippines, Qatar, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
Additional signatories are welcome. Please contact letter@cpj.org to add your organization, including name of signatory, title, and name of organization.
Open letter on journalists in Gaza
We, the undersigned, stand united with Palestinian journalists in their call for safety, protection, and the freedom to report.
For nearly five months, journalists and media workers in Gaza – overwhelmingly, the sole source of on-the-ground reporting from within the Palestinian territory – have been working in unprecedented conditions: at least 89 have been killed in the war, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists, more journalists than have ever been killed in a single country over an entire year.
These journalists – on whom the international news media and the international community rely for information about the situation inside Gaza – continue to report despite grave personal risk. They continue despite the loss of family, friends, and colleagues, the destruction of homes and offices, constant displacement, communications blackouts, and shortages of food and fuel.
Journalists are civilians and Israeli authorities must protect journalists as noncombatants according to international law. Those responsible for any violations of that longstanding protection should be held accountable. Attacks on journalists are also attacks on truth. We commit to championing the safety of journalists in Gaza, which is fundamental for the protection of press freedom everywhere.
Signatories
- Kim Godwin, President, ABC NEWS
- Phil Chetwynd, Global News Director, Agence France-Presse
- Hossam Kanafani, Editor in Chief, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed
- Shiro Nakamura, President, The Asahi Shimbun, Japan
- Julie Pace, Executive Editor, Associated Press
- Simon Spanswick, Chief Executive, Association for International Broadcasters
- Deborah Turness, CEO, BBC News
- Mark Thompson, Chairman and CEO, CNN Worldwide
- Daoud Kuttab, Director General, Community Media Network, Jordan
- Branko Brkic, Editor in Chief, Daily Maverick, South Africa
- Alia Ibrahim, Co-founder / CEO, Daraj, Lebanon
- Roula Khalaf, Editor, Financial Times
- Katharine Viner, Editor in Chief, The Guardian
- Aluf Benn, Editor in Chief, Haaretz
- Geordie Grieg, Editor in Chief, The Independent
- Sandy Prieto-Romualdez, Chairperson, Inquirer Group of Companies, The Philippines
- Deirdre Veldon, Managing Director, former Deputy Editor, The Irish Times, Ireland
- Rachel Corp, Chief Executive, ITN UK
- Andrew Dagnell, Editor, ITV News UK
- Terry Tang, Interim Executive Editor, Los Angeles Times
- Rameeza Nizami, Managing Director, Nawaiwaqt Group, Pakistan
- Pamella Sittoni, Group Managing Editor, Nation Media Group, Kenya
- Rebecca Blumenstein, President, Editorial, NBC News
- David Remnick, Editor, The New Yorker
- AG Sulzberger, Publisher, The New York Times
- Martha Ramos, President, World Editors Forum / Chief Editorial Officer, Organización Editorial Mexicana, Mexico
- Hans Väre, Editor in Chief, Postimees Grupp, Estonia
- Alan Rusbridger, Editor, Prospect magazine, UK
- Ritu Kapur, CEO, The Quint, India
- Maria Ressa, CEO and Co-Founder, Rappler Inc.
- Alessandra Galloni, Editor in Chief, Reuters
- Nwabisa Makunga, Editor in Chief, The Sowetan, South Africa
- Dirk Kurbjuweit, Editor in Chief, Der Spiegel
- Wolfgang Krach, Editor in Chief, Süddeutsche Zeitung, Germany
- Sally Buzbee, Executive Editor, The Washington Post
- Vincent Peyrègne, CEO, World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA)
About the Committee to Protect Journalists
The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, nonprofit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide. We defend the right of journalists to report the news safely and without fear of reprisal.