Press Releases
NPC 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 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 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 MoreMother of Austin Tice, journalist missing in Syria, to hold news conference on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at Press Club
December 3, 2025
Debra Tice, mother of journalist Austin Tice, will hold a news conference at the Press Freedom Center on Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 10am. The conference will mark one year since the fall of Damascus, and she will outline steps she would like to see the US government take regarding the safe return of her…
Read MoreNational Press Club Statement on President Trump’s Remarks on the Murder of Jamal Khashoggi
November 18, 2025
WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 – The National Press Club is deeply troubled by President Trump’s comments today regarding the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi. Mr. Khashoggi’s murder inside a diplomatic facility was a grave violation of human rights and a direct attack on press freedom. That fact is not…
Read MorePress Club Statement on Chinese Court Denial of Appeal in Dong Yuyu Case
November 13, 2025
WASHINGTON, Nov. 13 – The following statement is from Mike Balsamo, president of the National Press Club. “The National Press Club sharply condemns the decision by the Beijing High Court to uphold the seven-year sentence against journalist Dong Yuyu. By refusing to address the central issues raised…
Read MoreNational Press Club honors imprisoned USAGM journalists with its highest press freedom award
November 1, 2025
The National Press Club will award its 2025 John Aubuchon Press Freedom Award to a group of nine journalists affiliated with the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM) who remain imprisoned abroad following the agency’s dismantling earlier this year. The Club’s Board of Directors agreed the honor is…
Read MoreNational Press Club Warns Pentagon Move to Strip Reporter Access Strikes at the Heart of Press Freedom
October 15, 2025
WASHINGTON, Oct. 15, 2025 — National Press Club President Mike Balsamo today issued a statement on new restrictions that forced dozens of Pentagon journalists to surrender their credentials: “The National Press Club condemns the Pentagon’s unprecedented move to strip dozens of journalists of access…
Read More