Press Freedom

National Press Club outraged by jail sentences for reporters in Egypt

August 29, 2015

The National Press Club president came out strongly against an Egyptian court’s sentencing on Saturday of three Al-Jazeera English reporters. The court sentenced Peter Greste, Baher Mohammed and Mohammed Fahmy to three years in prison on charges that independent experts say are trumped up,…

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National Press Club expresses outrage at slaying of journalists in Virginia

August 26, 2015

National Press Club President John Hughes issued the following statement in response to news that two TV reporters were gunned down during a live broadcast near Roanoke, Va.: "I am horrified by the fatal shooting of reporter Alison Parker and videographer Adam Ward in Moneta, Va., as they went…

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NPC urges Kerry to focus on press freedom in Cuba

August 13, 2015

The National Press Club on Wednesday called on Secretary of State John Kerry to make press freedom and the expansion of Internet access in Cuba a priority in his department’s engagements with the Castro regime. The secretary will become the highest-ranking U.S. official in decades to visit Cuba…

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National Press Club statement on reporters Wesley Lowery and Ryan Reilly

August 11, 2015

Following is a statement by National Press Club President John Hughes on the circumstances surrounding the possible legal jeopardy for reporters Wesley Lowery of The Washington Post and Ryan Reilly of Huffington Post who were covering the disturbances in Ferguson, Mo., last year. “We were surprised…

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Statement on Jason Rezaian trial by National Press Club

August 11, 2015

Following is a statement by John Hughes, President of the National Press Club, on the conclusion of what is expected to be the fourth and final trial session for Jason Rezaian of The Washington Post. "Four times in the last year Washington Post reporter Jason Rezaian has been brought from prison to…

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A push To free Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian

August 3, 2015

Washington Post correspondent Jason Rezaian has now been held in an Iranian prison for one year, and that's the focus of this edition of Update-1, the Press Club podcast. It was July 22 of last year when Iranian security forces swarmed Rezaian's home without warning and arrested him. Recently Ali…

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Club honors jailed journalists with Press Freedom awards

July 31, 2015

The top honorees at the National Press Club awards dinner on July 29 couldn’t attend the event – not due to deadlines or travel but because they are in jail. The Club presented its John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award to two U.S. reporters – Jason Rezaian of The Washington Post and freelance reporter…

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National Press Club Urges Ethiopian Government to Improve Press Freedom

July 24, 2015

As President Barack Obama leaves for a trip to Ethiopia and Kenya today, the National Press Club urged the Ethiopian government to immediately release jailed journalists imprisoned for their work. While six journalists were reportedly released from jail in Ethiopia on July 9, at least 11 others…

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National Press Club Comments On Death of Nineteen Year-old Cameraman in Syria

June 26, 2015

The following statement was issued today by John Hughes, President of the National Press Club: "We have today received very sad news out of Syria that Mohammed al-Asfar, an Al-Jazeera cameraman working in the Syrian province of Daraa was killed by shelling while covering the battle between…

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Journalism Institute plans to offer three-day cybersecurity training course for journalists

June 10, 2015

Reporters will get the chance to learn how to protect themselves and their sources from cyberhacking at a three-day training course at the National Press Club. The hands-on cybersecurity-training series will take place on three Saturdays: June 20, June 27 and July 11. Classes will take place from 9…

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