Press Freedom
National Press Club statement on Washington Post layoffs
February 4, 2026
National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. released the following statement: “Today’s layoffs at the Washington Post are a devastating setback for the scores of individual journalists affected and for the journalism profession. It is among the most high-profile newsroom dismissals of the year,…
Read MoreNPC Statement on the Sentencing of Journalist and Publisher Jimmy Lai
January 31, 2026
WASHINGTON, February 9 — National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. released the following statement: “Issuing a 20-year sentence to journalist and publisher Jimmy Lai today is a grave affront to press freedom and the fundamental rights that underpin open societies. Mr. Lai is not being…
Read MoreNational Press Club Statement on Journalist Jimmy Lai’s Detention Milestone
January 31, 2026
WASHINGTON, January 31 — National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. today issued the following statement: "Today marks a grim milestone for press freedom around the globe. On Jan. 31, 2026, journalist and media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai will have spent 1,862 days in detention in Hong Kong, now…
Read MoreNational Press Club Statement on Arrest of Journalist Don Lemon
January 30, 2026
National Press Club President Mark Schoeff, Jr. today issued the following statement: “The National Press Club is deeply alarmed by the arrest of journalist Don Lemon by federal agents Thursday night in Los Angeles while he was covering the Grammy Awards. Jailing a journalist for doing their job is…
Read MoreNational Press Club Raises Alarm Over Search of Washington Post Journalist's Home
January 14, 2026
The National Press Club is closely monitoring reports that federal agents executed a search warrant at the home of a Washington Post reporter. While key facts are still emerging, it is extraordinarily rare — and deeply troubling — for law enforcement to search a journalist’s home and seize…
Read MoreNational Press Club Condemns Detention of Journalists in Venezuela
January 6, 2026
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6, 2026 — National Press Club President Mike Balsamo today issued the following statement: The National Press Club condemns the detention of journalists in Venezuela and welcomes their release. Journalists engaged in newsgathering are civilians, and international law protects the…
Read MoreOn 1-year anniversary of Syrian regime change, mother of Austin Tice still pressing for U.S. to bring him home
December 19, 2025
On the one-year anniversary of the fall of the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad earlier this month, Debra Tice said the United States must redouble its resolve to secure the release of her son, Austin Tice, an American correspondent abducted in Syria more than 13 years ago. “My son is alive,…
Read MoreNational Press Club Statement on the Conviction of Jimmy Lai
December 14, 2025
WASHINGTON, Dec. 14, 2025 — National Press Club President Mike Balsamo today issued the following statement on the conviction of Jimmy Lai: "The conviction of Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong represents a consequential moment for press freedom and the rule of law. Mr. Lai, the founder of Apple Daily, was…
Read MoreAubuchon honoree Sithu Aung Myint released from Myanmar prison
December 3, 2025
Sithu Aung Myint, a commentator for Voice of America (VOA) and one of the National Press Club’s John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award winners this year, was released from prison in Myanmar on Nov. 30. Myint had been sentenced to three years on charges of “incitement” and “defamation” after criticizing…
Read More'I am innocent,' imprisoned Chinese journalist Dong Yuyu says in plea for press freedom
November 24, 2025
Chinese journalist Dong Yuyu, imprisoned in Beijing on espionage charges that rights groups say are politically motivated, delivered a powerful message at the National Press Club’s Press Freedom Center on Monday, declaring his innocence and warning of the dangers posed by China’s tightening grip on…
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