Mikhail Zygar, Siamak Ghaderi, Nguyen Van Hai, Ferial Haffajee, Aung ZawL-R: International Press Freedom Awardees:
(Photo: Sharlene Spingler)


Mikhail Zygar, Russia, Editor-in-Chief of the independent Russian TV channel Dpzhd. Under his leadership, Dozhd has provided an alternative to Kremlin-controlled federal TV channels by focusing on news content and giving a platform to opposition voices.

Siamak Ghaderi, Iran, freelance journalist, former editor and reporter for the Islamic Republic's offical news agency IRNA. Imprisoned from 2010-July 2014 for "immoral acts"- writing about gays in Iran.

Nguyen Van Hai, Vietnam. 2013 CPJ Awardee. Released from prison 10/2014. Longest serving journalist prisoner in Vietnam. He was sentenced under a vague law that bars "conducting propaganda against the state."

Ferial Haffajee, South Aftica, Editor-in-Chief of the privately owned weekly City Press in South Africa. Also Editor-in-Chief of the weekly investigative paper the Mail & Guardian. Under her leadership both papers have broken important stories.

Aung Zaw, Burma, founder and Editor-in-Chief of The Irrawaddy, a news organization first established in 1993, dedicated to Burma-related news through a monthly magazine and daily news site. Branded an enemy of the State by the former military regime. Aung Zaw was until recently black-listed from entering Burma. He lives in Thailand.

A record $1.9 million was raised Nov. 25 at a black-tie dinner of the Committee to Protect Journalists at the Waldorf-Astoria.

A special appeal at the dinner raised another $235,635 via a white paper bag that is passed from table to table. The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation then matched the funds one-to-one.

Total amount raised for the event was more than $2.7 million.

CPJ also announced a commitment of an additional $858,000 from a "New Initiatives Fund," a newly created network of funders including the Knight Foundation.

About 1,000 attendees, including many from PR and publishing, paid $1,000 each to attend the program honoring journalists hosted by Christiane Amanpour, anchor and chief international correspondent, CNN and a CPJ director. Albert Ibarguen, president of the Knight Foundation and former publisher of the Miami Herald, is chair of the event.

CPJ, which is mostly focused on violence and interference with reporters in countries outside the U.S., added to net assets that were $14.8 million as of Dec. 31, 2013. This included investments of $12.8M and pledges of $2.3M.

Pearlstine, Steiger Active in CPJ, ProPublica

Leaders of CPJ include Norman Pearlstine and Paul Steiger, both ex-Wall Street Journal, who are also active in another well-funded J organization -- ProPublica.

Last year Pearlstine, who also served as executive VP and chief content officer of Time Inc., presented Steiger with the Burton Benjamin Memorial Award for lifetime commitment to press freedom. Steiger was the founding editor-in-chief of ProPublica and former managing editor, WSJ.

ProPublica had revenues of $13,765,467 in 2013 which included contributions and grants of $13,678,241. Net assets were $7,843,023.

Amanpour has on-air dispute with RT host

In the Know host Anissa Naouai appeared last week on Amanpour‘s CNN International nightly talk show to defend her network against accusations that it is part of Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s “propaganda war.”

Anissa Naouai
Naouai

In the interview Naouai, a native New Yorker who graduated from Hunter College and who has been with the Russian news station since 2006, attacked Amanpour's personal connections to the U.S. Department of State. Amanpour's husband, James Rubin, was chief spokesperson for the State Dept. from August, 1997 to April 2000, when Bill Clinton was president. He is now a visiting scholar at the Rothermere American Institute at Oxford University.

Amanpour informed Naouai that the most contentious parts of their exchange were unworthy of airtime and would certainly be edited out. In response to the edits, RT posted video of its half of Naouai’s satellite feed, showing her answers that were omitted from the final product.

Naouai also commented on the exchange in her own program.

CNN posted the full transcript to its website in the interest of transparency and RT did the same.

David Andelman, Editor & Publisher of the World Policy Journal, Pamela Title, Senior Managing Director of MHP Real Estate Services, Sir Harold Evans, Editor At Large, Thompson ReutersL-R: David Andelman, Editor & Publisher of the World Policy Journal; Pamela Title, Senior Managing Director of MHP Real Estate Services; Sir Harold Evans, Editor At Large, Thompson Reuters
(Photo: Sharlene Spingler)

Victor Navasky & Mrs. Navasky, Director of CPJ L-R: Victor Navasky & Mrs. Navasky, Director of CPJ.
(Photo: Sharlene Spingler)

Joel Simon Executive Director of CPJLeft to right: Sandra Mims Rowe, CPJ chair; John and Diane Foley, parents of ISIS-slain journalist James Foley, and Joel Simon, Executive Director of CPJ
(Photo: Sharlene Spingler)