CJS on World Press Freedom Day 2024

World Press Freedom Day 2024

The freedom of the press is a vital right, and is a cornerstone in holding the powerful accountable across the globe. The role of this institution is to charter journalists to make the most of this right — to be at the top of their craft, and by doing so, uphold the ideals of democracy.

World Press Freedom Day reminds our community of the crucial work of journalists. It is through their tireless work, their bravery and their perseverance that we can know what is happening in our communities and around the world.

CJS + WPFD News

#IStandWithEvan
Spring 2024

Joint Statement in Support of Evan Gershkovich from Journalism School Deans and Faculty on World Press Freedom Day

On World Press Freedom Day, CJS supports Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich and calls for his release.

An encampment set up in front of Butler Library. Photo by Edward Lopez of City Newsroom.
Spring 2024

CJS Student Journalists Reporting on the 2024 Campus Protests

Students at CJS have the opportunity and the challenge of engaging with news outlets directly to share their stories with the world as they unfold.

Students walking around campus
Fall 2023

A Call for the Safety and Freedom of Expression of Journalists Covering the Israel-Hamas War

It is vital that the press has safe, secure access to tell the stories that the global public deserves to hear. Journalists have a fundamental right to cover the news. 

Students Cover 2024 Protests

on Columbia's Morningside Campus

With limited press allowed on campus, CJS students had the opportunity to freelance, string and work for outlets — sharing this story as it unfolded.

Annual World Press Freedom Day Luncheon

featured Margaret Sullivan as keynote speaker

The Executive Director of Newmark Center for Journalism Ethics and Security helped promote free expression and media rights on May 2 in Ottawa.

Columbia Events This Week

Concerning Journalistic Freedom

Today, the Knight First Amendment Institute is hosting “The Future of Press Freedom: Democracy, Law, and the News in Changing Times," co-sponsored by CJS.

Catherine Herridge, '90 M.S.

Gave Testimony on Free Press 

The House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution and Limited Government held "Fighting for a Free Press: Protecting Journalists and their Sources,” on Thursday, April 11.

CGFoE’s Holding 10th Anniversary Celebration

and 2024 Prize Ceremony

Panels, prizes and a party for freedom of speech at Columbia Global Freedom of Expression. 

CJS Professor and Alumni

Featured in Free Press Discussions

On Wednesday, May 1, Albany Law School featured Prof. Nicholas Lemann and J-school alumni at the Fair Trial/Free Press Conference.

A Press for the Planet

The 2024 World Press Freedom Day celebrates “Journalism in the face of the Environmental Crisis." 

This theme strikes deeper motivation for three Columbia Journalism Investigation fellows, and their recent investigation on immigrant labor conditions during climate disaster restoration.

“The more we dug, the more we were heartbroken and really determined to better document what we couldn't find,” said Janelle Retka, ’22 M.S., when discussing the challenges of her team’s year-long labor investigation.

“Toxic Labor” shed light on the lack of protection immigrant workers held when exposed to lethal toxins while restoring communities after climate disasters strike. The investigation was born out of a shared experience and desire to investigate climate issues between three CJI Fellows: Retka, Samantha McCabe, ’22 M.S., and Jiahui Huang, ’23 M.S.. 

Their goal: to answer the questions about climate disasters that not many people were asking. Who cleans up after climate disasters? How are they being treated? What policies are in place to protect these workers?

Their goal: to answer the questions about climate disasters that not many people were asking. Who cleans up after climate disasters? How are they being treated? What policies are in place to protect these workers?

“Covering climate change is not only about covering the breaking news,” said Huang, who currently reports for the Wall Street Journal out of Singapore. “A lot of underreported areas are the communities affected by climate change. What made our investigation a little different was to really focus on this group of people who, if you think about it, made a different choice. While our people are running away from hurricanes and other disasters, these are the people who are trying to rebuild their communities."

The team knew they did not want to just investigate a climate issue, but they wanted to find the right way to represent these communities.

“Especially for climate change reporting, we want to bring a scientific angle, but we also want to bring the human stories out,” said Huang. “How to find that balance takes time and training. I would definitely say CJI as a platform provided us with enough mentorship and resources to produce work like Toxic Labor."

Toxic Labor

Even though the CJI fellowship was for nine months, the team spent a year dedicating time to their craft, the community and sharing certain elements of climate journalism that the field can turn their focus toward.

“I think just having a spotlight on this and recognizing it as one of the new issues that climate change and climate disasters are creating in terms of a beat and an industry…I find hope that kind of spotlight could actually create change,” said Retka.

When asked about the impact the CJI fellowship has had on their careers, the team reflected on the skillset and strength of the reporting program.

“It's definitely a personal dream come true,” said Huang. “I feel like I learned a lot through the whole journey. Not only just investigative skills, but also how to cover a vulnerable community and how to how to protect them, but also get the story.”

“There are countless hard skills that the three of us fellows can confidently go into our next position or our next project knowing that we have the skills to handle,” said Retka. “That was a really big gift to be able to go from the master's program of learning these concepts and then really applying them and feeling like we got to get a firm grasp on how those apply in practice.”