International Press Freedom Award 2020

The Committee to Protect Journalists honor four courageous journalists from Bangladesh, Iran, Nigeria, and Russia with the 2020 International Press Freedom Awards : Shahidul Alam (Bangladesh), Mohammad Mosaed (Iran), Dapo Olorunyomi (Nigeria) and Svetlana Prokopyeva (Russia). All four have been arrested or faced criminal prosecution in reprisal for their reporting. CPJ also honor lawyer Amal Clooney with the Gwen Ifill Award.

Like brave and committed journalists everywhere, CPJ’s honorees set out to report the news without fear or favor for the benefit of their communities, their country, and the world, said Joel Simon, CPJ executive director. They understood that they would confront powerful forces, enemies of the truth, who would try to stop them from doing their work. What they did not foresee was COVID-19. The global pandemic has not only made their jobs more difficult and dangerous, it has fueled a ferocious press freedom crackdown as autocratic leaders around the world suppress unwelcome news under the guise of protecting public health.