CPJ affirmed its definition of a journalist. Good. Now finish the job.

On 1 July, CPJ's board voted to affirm its definition of who is a journalist, anchored in international law, the first thing we asked for. It was the right call. It is not enough. Thank CPJ, and demand the rest: remove the chair who drove the change, appoint a Palestinian board member, and put the methodology under independent review. In one click.

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Recipients

⚖️

CPJ Board of Directors

boardmembers@cpj.org

📍

Committee to Protect Journalists (general inbox)

info@cpj.org

📰

CPJ Press desk (signals media scrutiny)

press@cpj.org

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About this campaign

On 1 July 2026, the board of the Committee to Protect Journalists voted to affirm its existing definition of who is a journalist, anchored in international humanitarian law, a definition that includes journalists who work with media affiliated with an armed group. That was the right call, taken under real pressure. It is worth acknowledging.

It is not quite enough. Affirming the definition on paper does not undo the damage of reopening the question, and it does not prove the definition will be applied fairly from here. Three things still need to happen for CPJ to confirm its commitment to fairness and restore the trust this episode has cost.

We are asking CPJ’s board to remove Jacob Weisberg as chair, the chair who drove the move to reopen who counts as a journalist; appoint a Palestinian representative to the board; and have an independent international human rights lawyer, working alongside Palestinian representation, review the methodology and every contested removal against the definition CPJ has just affirmed, publish the basis for each, and reinstate any name not supported by clear evidence of direct participation in hostilities.