Journalists Under Fire

Eleven-year-old Abdallah looks through the hole left by the bullet that killed her mother Manal Sami Sufran in her home April 11, 2002 in the West Bank town of Ramallah. Sufran was killed April 10, 2002 when a bullet punched into her home and killed her as she sat with her children on a couch. (Photo by Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

Featuring photojournalists: Anja Niedringhaus, Paúl Rivas Bravo, Camille Lepage, Mohamed Ben Khalifa, Niraz Saeed, Chris Hondros, Tim Hetherington, Masrat Zahra, Mahmoud Abou Zeid (Shawkan), and Seyoum Tsehaye

In a world defined by the 24-hour news cycle, which is constantly augmented and accelerated by social media, journalists risk their lives every day to deliver the words and images we depend on to make sense of what’s happening around us. Yet never before have journalists been more vilified as “enemies of the people” or their work so readily dismissed and brushed away as “fake news”.

Targeting journalists with imprisonment or violence – be it verbal or physical, state-directed or incited – has long been a tool employed by tyrants and despots in hidden corners of the world. But the current use of widespread open attacks should be cause for our concern. Without journalists to bear witness, humanity’s worst impulses are left unchecked to fester and proliferate.

United Photo Industries and St. Ann’s Warehouse have invited the Committee to Protect Journalists to collaborate on a special, large-scale exhibition during Photoville 2019.

Inspired in part by CPJ’s book and digital campaign, “The Last Column”, the exhibit features the final articles and photographs of fallen journalists, plus CPJ’s #SafetyInFocus campaign, which highlights the risks photojournalists face in the line of duty. “Journalists Under Fire” presents the life and work of several visual journalists who have been killed or are currently living under threat for delivering the news we can no longer take for granted. Their dedication and bravery inspire and remind us to think about the people behind the images.

Organizations

United Photo Industries (UPI)

United Photo Industries (UPI) is a New York based nonprofit organization that works to promote a wider understanding of, and increased access to, the art of photography.

Since its founding in 2011, UPI has rapidly solidified its position in the public art landscape by continuing to showcase thought-provoking, challenging, and exceptional photography from across the globe. In its first seven years, UPI has presented the work of more than 2,500 visual artists in gallery exhibitions and public art installations worldwide.
St Ann’s Warehouse
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ)

The Committee to Protect Journalists is an independent, non-profit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide. We defend the right of journalists to report on the news safely and without fear of reprisal.