On Our "Virtual Route 66" This Week: As The Month Draws to a Close

We present the following as we "go dark" through Labor Day Week-End here in the United States:

  

Journalists walk in rubble on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine, on March 29, 2022. (AP/Rodrigo Abd)

For six months, CPJ has covered how Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine has affected press freedom in the region. At least 12 journalists have been killed covering the war and CPJ is investigating whether the deaths of three others were related to their work. Russia’s independent media has been gutted as scores of journalists have fled onerous new media restrictions in their homeland, and dozens of Belarusian journalists who earlier found refuge in Ukraine from their own country’s media crackdown were forced to flee yet again.   CPJ continues to call for the protection of Ukrainian journalists, international reporters, and media workers covering the conflict. Are you a journalist covering the conflict? Check out CPJ’s safety advisories, including a guide to bringing personal protective equipment into Ukraine and a guide to understanding Russia’s “fake news” laws. On this somber anniversary, read CPJ’s reporting on the Russia-Ukraine war and watch a video commemorating the 12 journalists killed.

Global press freedom updates

Russian authorities in Crimea order journalist Vilen Temeryanov to be held for two months on terror charges Egyptian journalist Raouf Ebeid detained since July Nigerian journalist Agba Jalingo detained over defamation, cyberattack complaint Congolese journalists Patrick Lola and Christian Bofaya unable to pay bail, denied release Mexican journalist Fredid Román shot and killed in Chilpancingo CPJ condemns Thursday’s court ruling rejecting journalist and 2022 International Press Freedom Awardee Pham Doan Trang’s appeal of her nine-year prison sentence CPJ joins letters urging U.S. government to hold NSO Group accountable on spyware Lebanese journalist Mohamad Barakat and the Al-Akhbar newspaper receive threatening messages Russian authorities detain journalists and media workers on extortion and fraud charges Guatemalan police detain elPeriódico financial manager for alleged money laundering Press freedom groups call for Brazilian presidential candidates to ensure safety of journalists covering elections Pakistani journalists Jameel Farooqui and Ilyas Samoo arrested; Farooqui remains in detention Cambodian prime minister’s bodyguards detain five journalists covering environmental issues Taliban intelligence agents detain American filmmaker Ivor Shearer, Afghan producer Faizullah Faizbakhsh in Kabul Five Guinean journalists attacked by demonstrators while covering protests Nigerian police arrest newspaper distributor in place of journalist in hiding Taliban members beat and threaten Afghan journalist Saboor Raufi

Spotlight

The Amazon rainforest is seen in Amazonas state, Brazil, on June 10, 2022. (AFP/Mauro Pimentel)

In light of the June disappearance and killing of British journalist Dom Philips and Brazilian Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira, CPJ has compiled safety guidance for journalists planning to report from the Amazon basin, and best practices for protecting their physical and digital security and the safety of their sources.   The advisory includes sections on pre-assignment planning; positioning, location safety and awareness; traveling and communicating with at-risk individuals and sources; legal concerns; and clothing and equipment. Read the safety advisory here and share it with your networks.

What we are reading

Interview: “You can kill a journalist without any real consequences” — David Boddiger, The Progressive Biden ignores the injustice of Israel killing a Palestinian American journalist — Alice Speri, The Intercept It’s not too late for Biden to save these Afghan journalists — Josh Rogin, The Washington Post We fled the Taliban in chaos, shock, and terror. A year later we have a new home and hope — Zahra Joya, The Guardian How democracy is under threat across the globe — Max Fisher, The New York Times “Beaten for knowing Arabic and studying at Jamia”: Siddique Kappan’s wife on his 700 days in jail — Nidhi Suresh, Newslaundry Pegasus case: "Government did not cooperate" - Supreme Court cites report — Arvind Gunasekar, NDTV Nicaragua’s dictator clamps down on the Catholic Church. Why has Pope Francis remained silent? — Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald

A one-way ticket to nowhere Western sanctions will eventually impair Russia’s economy The most potent are the least talked about

Related  Read more: Why the Russian economy keeps beating expectations

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Party’s over Faced with an overseas debt crisis, will China change its ways? It may have no choice

Blasted are the dealmakers Firms’ unwise addiction to mergers and acquisitions A bumper year for dealmaking is likely to result in a painful hangover

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The Economist explains Why forests need wildfires Many are part of a natural cycle. But huge blazes are not

Back Story In art, as in life, boundaries blur when a heatwave strikes In the heat people change states. The temperature liberates and suffocates

By Invitation Marwan Muasher argues that Jordan needs to implement reforms urgently—not just plan them The country’s former deputy prime minister wants rid of patronage and procrastination

Doing good What to read to understand “effective altruism” Four books, and a smattering of other items, that explain a growing idealistic movement

Money Talks Who is winning the sanctions war? Our podcast on markets, the economy and business. This week, we look at why Russia’s economy has defied expectations and ask what else the West can do The Unsealed Affidavit Was Fun, But Let's Not Forget that Whole Coup Thing There were classified documents at the Winter Hideou—er…White House that shouldn’t have been there. El Caudillo del Mar-A-Lago (known in the affidavit as "FPOTUS") spent months dodging legitimate requests from the National Archives and ignoring his obligations under the Presidential Records Act. All in all, what’s still legible in the affidavit makes pretty clear that the DOJ and FBI are convinced crimes were committed in connection with the Pool Shed Files. Read More