Press Releases
Statement from National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. on reports of American journalist Shelly Kittleson’s abduction in Iraq
March 31, 2026
“The reported abduction of American journalist Shelly Kittleson in Baghdad is alarming and unacceptable. Journalists are not targets and treating them as such is an assault on press freedom everywhere. We call for her immediate and safe release and urge those responsible to ensure her well-being.”…
Read MoreNational Press Club Condemns Pentagon Move to Close Correspondents’ Corridor, Restrict Reporter Access
March 23, 2026
WASHINGTON, March 23 – National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. today issued the following statement after the Defense Department moved to shut down the Pentagon’s Correspondents’ Corridor and impose escorted access requirements for reporters in the wake of a court ruling on unlawful press…
Read MoreStatement on the passing of IRE Executive Director Diana Fuentes
March 23, 2026
WASHINGTON, March 23 — National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. and National Press Club Journalism Institute President Mike Balsamo issued the following statement today on the passing of Diana Fuentes, executive director of Investigative Reporters and Editors: “The National Press Club mourns…
Read MoreCourt Ruling Blocking Pentagon Press Restrictions Is a Victory for Press Freedom
March 20, 2026
WASHINGTON, March 20 – National Press Club President Mark Schoeff, Jr. issued the following statement after a federal judge ruled that key portions of a Trump administration policy restricting reporters’ access to the Pentagon violate the Constitution: “Today’s ruling is a decisive rebuke of an…
Read MoreNational Press Club statement on the release of Nashville journalist Estefany Rodríguez on bond
March 20, 2026
WASHINGTON, Friday, March 20 – National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. issued the following statement today on release of Nashville journalist Estefany Rodríguez Thursday evening on bond. “We welcome the news that Estefany Rodríguez has been released on bond, an important step that allows…
Read MoreNational Press Club statement on judge’s order to restore Voice of America operations
March 18, 2026
WASHINGTON, Wednesday, March 18 – National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. issued the following statement today following U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth’s order to restore Voice of America operations. “The National Press Club commends the court’s decision to restore VOA’s…
Read MoreNational Press Club Statement on the Elimination of Data from Federal Agency Websites
March 16, 2026
WASHINGTON, March 16, 2026 – National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. issued the following statement today to mark the start of Sunshine Week, which helps educate the public, journalists, lawmakers, and others on the right to know, and advocates for transparency and public access to…
Read MoreNational Press Club Warns Barring Photographers From Pentagon Briefings Undermines Transparency
March 11, 2026
WASHINGTON, March 11, 2026 – National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. issued the following statement today following a Washington Post report that the Pentagon barred news photographers after images of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were deemed unflattering: “The decision to bar independent…
Read MoreNational 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…
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