Form 990 for tax year 2023

Totals

Total revenue

$11,232,703

Total expenses

$11,850,831

Contributions and grants received

$10,450,248

Grants paid

$716,283

Program service revenue

$0

Investment income

$777,718

Other revenue

$4,737

Total assets, end of year

$38,332,938

Total liabilities, end of year

$5,268,554

Net assets or fund balances, end of year

$33,064,384

Program services expenses (Part IX)

$8,354,992

Management and general expenses

$1,958,529

Fundraising expenses

$1,537,310

Program service expenses (Part III)

$8,354,992

Program services were 70.5% of total expenses calculated — Part IX's program-services column over total expenses, both as filed.

Line items

Every line the filer filed in Parts VIII, IX and X, as filed and in filed order. Blank columns are left out, and the lines are not forced to add up to the totals above.

Mission and programs · 2023

• SINCE 1981, CPJ HAS DEFENDED THE RIGHT OF JOURNALISTS TO REPORT THE NEWS SAFELY AND FREELY ALL OVER THE WORLD. OUR ORGANIZATION IS MADE UP OF JOURNALISTS AND ADVOCATES WHO USE JOURNALISM TO EXPOSE AND ADVOCATE ON A BROAD RANGE OF VIOLATIONS. WE FOCUS ON REDUCING THE NUMBER OF JOURNALISTS IN PRISON, FIGHTING AGAINST INJUSTICE, AND BATTLING CENSORSHIP AND REPRESSIVE LEGISLATION THAT GOVERNS OUR WORLD'S INCREASINGLY COMPLEX INFORMATION LANDSCAPE. WE DOCUMENT VIOLATIONS AND MEET WITH GOVERNMENT LEADERS TO PUSH FOR CHANGE, SECURE CONVICTIONS IN MURDERS, AND FREE JAILED JOURNALISTS. OUR REPORTING AND DOCUMENTATION INFORM AND EMPOWER OUR ADVOCACY. IN DOING SO, WE ENSURE ACCESS TO INDEPENDENT INFORMATION THAT ENABLES ALL PEOPLE TO MAKE DECISIONS AND HOLD THE POWERFUL TO ACCOUNT.

  Expenses $8,354,992 · Grants $716,283

• CPJ'S REGIONAL PROGRAMS COVER AFRICA, THE AMERICAS, ASIA, EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA, AND THE MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA. THEY ARE LED BY EXPERTS WORLDWIDE WHO REPORT DAILY ON PRESS FREEDOM ABUSES IN CLOSE COLLABORATION WITH OUR NETWORK OF CORRESPONDENTS, WHO HAVE DEEP TIES WITH LOCAL JOURNALISTS AND ADVOCATES. WE ARE UNIQUE IN OUR ABILITY TO ENGAGE GOVERNMENT LEADERS LOCALLY AND GLOBALLY, AS WELL AS MOBILIZE THE MEDIA TO SUPPORT THE PRESS. OUR ADVOCACY TEAM LEADS OR COORDINATES STRATEGIC EFFORTS AND IMPACTFUL CAMPAIGNS THAT WEAVE CASES INTO THE MOST PRESSING ISSUES. THE TEAM ENGAGES WITH POLICYMAKERS AND LEADERS FROM THE UNITED STATES, THE EUROPEAN UNION, AND THE UNITED NATIONS, AMONG OTHER ENTITIES.

• IN PARTNERSHIP WITH TEAMS ACROSS THE ORGANIZATION, THEY INJECT OUR REPORTING INTO MULTILATERAL SYSTEMS AND MECHANISMS THAT CHAMPION PRESS FREEDOM, PROTECT JOURNALISTS, AND HELP DELIVER JUSTICE. OUR EMERGENCIES TEAM PROVIDES PRE-EMPTIVE, TAILORED TOOLS AND RAPID RESPONSE SUPPORT TO JOURNALISTS UNDER THREAT ALL OVER THE WORLD. THE TEAM IS A PILLAR OF ASSISTANCE FOR JOURNALISTS FORCED TO FLEE FOR THEIR SAFETY AND PROVIDES TRAINING, CONSULTATIONS, AND GUIDANCE TO PREVENT DEATHS, DETENTIONS, KIDNAPPINGS, AND OTHER DANGERS.

• CPJ'S VAST INTERNATIONAL NETWORKS AND COLLABORATIVE RELATIONSHIPS WITH LOCAL AND INTERNATIONAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS ALLOW FOR JOINT ADVOCACY AND STRATEGIC INTERVENTIONS TOGETHER WITH GROUPS LIKE HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, ARTICLE 19, AMNESTY INTERNATIONAL, FREE PRESS UNLIMITED AND REPORTERS SANS FRONTIRES. CPJ IS A FOUNDING MEMBER OF IFEX, AN ORGANIZATION OF 100 GLOBAL FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION GROUPS. CPJ IS ALSO A MEMBER OF THE CONSULTATIVE NETWORK FOR THE MEDIA FREEDOM COALITION (MFC), A GROUP OF 52 COUNTRIES COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING A FREE PRESS. AS SUCH, CPJ WORKS WITH THE MFC TO DEFEND SPECIFIC JOURNALISTS AND PARTICIPATES IN DIPLOMATIC NETWORKS TO PROTECT THE MEDIA. CPJ IS ALSO A FOUNDING MEMBER AND CONTINUES TO BE ACTIVE IN THE GLOBAL NETWORK INITIATIVE (GNI), AN ALLIANCE OF ACADEMICS, CIVIL SOCIETY, COMPANIES, AND INVESTORS THAT PROMOTE AND ADVANCE FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND PRIVACY RIGHTS ACROSS THE TECHNOLOGY ECOSYSTEM. CPJ'S TECH ADVOCACY WORK INCLUDES MEETING WITH GOVERNMENTS AS PART OF AN INFORMAL NETWORK WORKING TO STOP THE USE OF SPYWARE TO TARGET JOURNALISTS. THESE RELATIONSHIPS ARE PART OF ORGANIZATIONAL EFFORTS TO COLLABORATE WITH LOCAL, REGIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL MEDIA AND HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS TO ENSURE THE PERSPECTIVE AND VOICE OF THOSE ON THE FRONT LINES IS ALWAYS IN OUR WORK.IN 2023, FOR THE FIRST TIME, CPJ WAS JOINED BY PROMINENT JOURNALISTS AND PRESS FREEDOM ADVOCATES TO RING THE OPENING BELL AT THE NASDAQ MARKETSITE IN TIMES SQUARE, RECOGNIZING 30 YEARS OF WORLD PRESS FREEDOM DAY. IN RECENT YEARS, CPJ HAS RECORDED THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF JAILED JOURNALISTS SINCE THE EARLY 1990S. IN 2023, 320 JOURNALISTS WERE IMPRISONED IN CONNECTION WITH THEIR WORK ON DECEMBER 1, 2023, THE SECOND-HIGHEST NUMBER RECORDED SINCE CPJ STARTED RECORDING THIS DATA, AS POLITICAL UPHEAVAL AND MEDIA CRACKDOWNS REFLECTED INCREASING INTOLERANCE FOR INDEPENDENT REPORTING AROUND THE WORLD. BUT THIS IS WHY CPJ'S WORK IS SO IMPORTANT. WE DOCUMENT EACH IMPRISONMENT AND ADVOCATE AROUND IT. WE CARRY OUT ANNUAL "FREE THE PRESS" CAMPAIGNS AND RAISE INDIVIDUAL CASES IN MEETINGS WITH RELEVANT LEADERS. AND OUR IMPACT IS GLOBAL: IN 2023, CPJ RECORDED 203 RELEASES OF DETAINED JOURNALISTS AND WAS INVOLVED VIA OUR REPORTING, JOURNALIST ASSISTANCE, AND/OR ADVOCACY IN THE VAST MAJORITY OF THESE CASES. IN 2023, CPJ ALSO CONTINUED PUBLIC CAMPAIGNING AND ADVOCACY TO DEMAND THE RELEASE OF JOURNALIST JOS RUBN ZAMORA, A FORMER CPJ AWARDEE IMPRISONED IN GUATEMALA ON POLITICALLY MOTIVATED CHARGES. IN ANOTHER CRITICAL CASE, CPJ ALSO MOBILIZED SUPPORT FOR IMPRISONED PUBLISHER AND FORMER AWARDEE JIMMY LAI, WHO FACES A POTENTIAL LIFE SENTENCE IN HONG KONG. CPJ ORGANIZED MEETINGS WITH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS IN WASHINGTON D.C. AND BRUSSELS, COMPLEMENTED BY SUSTAINED MEDIA COVERAGE TO EXERT PUBLIC PRESSURE.CRITICALLY, CPJ'S METICULOUS RESEARCH HAS ALLOWED THE ORGANIZATION TO EMERGE AS A LEADING AUTHORITY ON THE PLIGHT OF JOURNALISTS ATTACKED OR JAILED DURING THE ISRAEL-GAZA WAR. CPJ HAS NOT ONLY PROVIDED RELIABLE DATA ON THE RECORD NUMBERS OF JOURNALISTS KILLED, INJURED, IMPRISONED, OR HARASSED BUT ALSO PUT A FACE ON THOSE JOURNALISTS BY TELLING THEIR STORIES AND HOW THE ACTIONS AGAINST THEM HAVE HARMED THE MEDIA LANDSCAPE. THE MESSAGE THAT JOURNALISTS ARE CIVILIANS HAS BEEN BROADLY EMBRACED AND AMPLIFIED BY TOP HUMANITARIAN GROUPS, UN LEADERSHIP, AND CIVIL SOCIETY AT LARGE, WITH CPJ'S WORK QUOTED EXTENSIVELY AROUND THE WORLD. CPJ HAS ALSO MOBILIZED OR INSPIRED SOLIDARITY ACTIONS, FROM VIGILS FOR JOURNALISTS TO LETTERS TO U.S. PRESIDENT JOE BIDEN AND FIVE U.S. SENATORS CALLING FOR PROTECTION OF JOURNALISTS IN THE WAR ZONE, TO OPINION PIECES IN TOP-TIER MEDIA AROUND THE GLOBE. MURDER IS THE ULTIMATE FORM OF CENSORSHIP, AND IMPUNITY BREEDS FEAR. THAT IS WHY CPJ HAS CARRIED OUT A GLOBAL CAMPAIGN FOR JUSTICE IN JOURNALIST MURDERS FOR MORE THAN A DECADE, AND WE ARE COMMITTED TO FIGHTING FOR JUSTICE. WE REPORT ON EACH CASE, MEET WITH LEADERS, AND CAMPAIGN FOR CONVICTIONS. WE PUBLISH AN ANNUAL GLOBAL IMPUNITY INDEX, WHICH SPOTLIGHTS COUNTRIES WHERE JOURNALISTS ARE MURDERED AND THEIR KILLERS GO FREE. CPJ'S IMPUNITY INDEX SHOWS THAT SINCE 1992, FULL JUSTICE HAS ONLY BEEN ACHIEVED FOR 47 MURDERED JOURNALISTS FEWER THAN 5%. CPJ'S DATA SHOWS THAT FACTORS LIKE INTERNATIONAL PRESSURE, UNIVERSAL JURISDICTION, AND CHANGES IN GOVERNMENT CAN PLAY INSTRUMENTAL ROLES IN SECURING THAT PUNISHMENT. ONE LANDMARK CASE SHOWS THAT THE PATH TO JUSTICE CAN BE LONG: PERUVIAN JOURNALIST HUGO BUSTOS SAAVEDRA WAS KILLED IN AN ARMY AMBUSH IN 1988 WHILE COVERING INTERNAL CONFLICT. IT TOOK ALMOST 35 YEARS FOR A PERUVIAN CRIMINAL COURT TO SENTENCE A FORMER ARMY OFFICIAL TO 12 YEARS IN PRISON FOR HIS PART IN THE KILLING.IN 2023, CPJ DOCUMENTED A TOTAL OF 99 JOURNALISTS AND MEDIA WORKERS KILLED WORLDWIDE, THIS 2023 GLOBAL TOTAL IS THE HIGHEST SINCE 2015 AND AN ALMOST 44% INCREASE FROM 2022. MORE THAN THREE-QUARTERS OF THE JOURNALISTS KILLED GLOBALLY IN 2023 WERE KILLED DURING THE ISRAEL-GAZA WAR BETWEEN OCTOBER 7 AND DECEMBER 31. THE CONFLICT CLAIMED THE LIVES OF MORE JOURNALISTS IN THREE MONTHS THAN HAVE EVER BEEN KILLED IN A SINGLE COUNTRY OVER AN ENTIRE YEAR, AND CPJ IS CONCERNED THAT THE ISRAELI MILITARY IS DELIBERATELY TARGETING MEMBERS OF THE MEDIA. CPJ HAS HELD NUMEROUS BRIEFINGS ON ITS FINDINGS FOR GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS WORLDWIDE AND MOBILIZED PUBLIC SUPPORT BY LAUNCHING A CALL TO ACTION TO PROTECT JOURNALISTS.BEFORE THE OUTBREAK OF THE ISRAEL-GAZA WAR, CPJ PUBLISHED A LANDMARK REPORT SHOWING THAT THE ISRAELI MILITARY HAD KILLED 20 JOURNALISTS IN 22 YEARS, BUT NO ONE HAD EVER BEEN CHARGED OR HELD ACCOUNTABLE. JUST DAYS AFTER PUBLICATION OF THIS "DEADLY PATTERN" REPORT, THE ISRAELI MILITARY APOLOGIZED FOR THE 2022 KILLING OF WELL-KNOWN AL JAZEERA CORRESPONDENT SHIREEN ABU AKLEH, WHO WAS FEATURED IN THE REPORT. CPJ IS STILL WORKING TO GET JUSTICE FOR ABU AKLEH.CPJ'S EMERGENCIES TEAM, FORMED IN 2016, HELPS TO KEEP JOURNALISTS SAFER ALL OVER THE WORLD. THE TEAM DISSEMINATES PRACTICAL ADVICE TO JOURNALISTS AND, DURING HIGH-RISK SITUATIONS, WORKS WITH SECURITY EXPERTS TO PROVIDE TACTICAL INFORMATION AND PRACTICAL SUPPORT TO JOURNALISTS. THE TEAM ALSO PROVIDES GRANTS, INCLUDING FOR EVACUATION, TRAUMA THERAPY, AND LEGAL FEES. OVERALL, IN 2023, CPJ'S JOURNALIST ASSISTANCE PROGRAM PROVIDED FINANCIAL AND NON-FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO 719 JOURNALISTS. THE YEAR WAS MARKED BY TWO MAJOR CRISES: A CIVIL WAR IN SUDAN AND THE WAR IN GAZA. CPJ PARTNERED WITH PALESTINIAN AND REGIONAL ORGANIZATIONS TO MAKE SURE LIFE-SAVING AID COULD REACH JOURNALISTS IN GAZA AS QUICKLY AS POSSIBLE DESPITE BORDER CLOSURES. FACING IMMENSE NEEDS, WE MADE THE LARGEST SINGLE ASSISTANCE GRANT IN CPJ'S HISTORY IN ORDER TO HELP PALESTINIAN JOURNALISTS IN GAZA. SUDAN CONTINUES TO BE IN VIOLENT TURMOIL, AND THROUGHOUT 2023, JOURNALISTS WERE INCREASINGLY TARGETED BY ALL SIDES. CPJ WORKED WITH PARTNER ORGANIZATIONS TO COVER THE COSTS OF A REST AND RESPITE WORKSHOP FOR EIGHT SUDANESE JOURNALISTS ACTIVELY COVERING THE ONGOING CONFLICT. THEY LEFT SUDAN BRIEFLY TO OBTAIN MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT AND MEDICAL CHECK-UPS AND RECEIVE SAFETY ADVICE BEFORE RETURNING TO CONTINUE COVERING THE WAR. IN ADDITION TO THIS INITIATIVE, CPJ PROVIDED 16 INDIVIDUAL GRANTS TO SUDANESE JOURNALISTS, MOSTLY TO ENABLE THEM TO RELOCATE OUTSIDE OF AREAS WHERE MILITARY FIGHTING HAS BEEN MOST INTENSE.CPJ'S SUPPORT TO UKRAINIAN JOURNALISTS REMAINED STEADFAST IN 2023, AS THE WAR CONTINUED FOLLOWING RUSSIA'S 2022 FULL-SCALE INVASION OF UKRAINE. WE SUPPORTED MORE THAN 30 UKRAINIAN JOURNALISTS WITH FINANCIAL SUPPORT AND, INCREASINGLY, FOR TRAUMA SUPPORT. CPJ ALSO PROVIDED EMERGENCY GRANTS TO DOZENS OF RUSSIAN JOURNALISTS IN 2023, INCLUDING FOR DEALING WITH TRAUMA. THE ORGANIZATION REFINED ITS APPROACH BY LEADING A TWO-DAY WORKSHOP FOR A FULL NEWSROOM IN EXILE, WHICH BENEFITED NOT ONLY THE INDIVIDUAL JOURNALISTS BUT THEIR ABILITY TO CONTINUE WORKING TOGETHER AND REPORTING FROM ABROAD.IN 2023, CPJ ALSO REMAINED COMMITTED TO SUPPORTING AFGHAN JOURNALISTS, PROVIDING EMERGENCY GRANTS, PRIMARILY FOR EXILE AND RELOCATION NEEDS AS WELL AS INDIVIDUAL SUPPORT IN THEIR ATTEMPTS TO RESETTLE ABROAD. SIMILARLY, THE PROTRACTED CONFLICT IN MYANMAR MERITED SPECIAL ATTENTION GIVEN THAT JOURNALISTS THERE HAVE FACED PHYSICAL ABUSE, ARBITRARY ARRESTS, AND LEGAL HARASSMENT AT AN ALARMING RATE.IN 2023 CPJ INNOVATED, BY TESTING A LIMITED VERSION OF ITS JOURNALIST SAFETY CHATBOT, WHICH EQUIPS JOURNALISTS WITH SAFETY INFORMATION ON THEIR PHONES VIA WHATSAPP. THE TOOL WAS INITIALLY DEPLOYED TO ASSIST JOURNALISTS REPORTING IN UKRAINE, INSTANTANEOUSLY PROVIDING SECURITY RESOURCES ON DEMAND.

• WHEN CPJ WAS FOUNDED BY A GROUP OF U.S. JOURNALISTS 40 YEARS AGO, IT WAS TO DEFEND THEIR INTERNATIONAL COLLEAGUES WHO WERE AT RISK. SINCE THEN, WE HAVE USED EVERY TOOL OF JOURNALISM TO CARRY OUT OUR MISSION FROM NEWS ALERTS TO SPECIAL REPORTS, TO DOCUMENTARIES, TO SOCIAL MEDIA. WE HAVE DEVELOPED AN UNPARALLELED REPUTATION FOR THE ACCURACY AND TIMELINESS OF OUR REPORTING, THE QUALITY OF OUR DATA, AND OUR ABILITY TO OFFER INFORMED POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS AND CONDUCT IMPACTFUL ADVOCACY. OUR REPORTING INFLUENCES POLITICAL, NEWS AND TECHNOLOGY LEADERS, DRIVES COVERAGE IN THE MEDIA, AND SHAPES PUBLIC DISCOURSE THAT LEADS TO CHANGE. BY ENSURING JOURNALISTS ARE ABLE TO REPORT THE NEWS FREELY, CPJ DEFENDS THE RIGHT OF PEOPLE GLOBALLY TO ACCESS THE CRITICAL INFORMATION THEY NEED TO MAKE INFORMED DECISIONS IN ALL AREAS OF THEIR LIVES AND TO HOLD DECISION-MAKERS ACCOUNTABLE. WHEN A COUNTRY'S JOURNALISTS ARE SILENCED, ITS PEOPLE ARE SILENCED. BY PROTECTING JOURNALISTS, CPJ PROTECTS FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND DEMOCRACY. A RECOGNIZED LEADER IN THE GLOBAL FIGHT TO PROTECT PRESS FREEDOM, CPJ HAS BEEN HONORED WITH A RANGE OF AWARDS, INCLUDING THE NATIONAL UNION OF JOURNALISTS OF UKRAINE'S CERTIFICATE OF APPRECIATION, IN RECOGNITION OF CPJ'S CONTRIBUTIONS TO EMBATTLED UKRAINIAN JOURNALISTS. SIMILARLY, CPJ AND LAW FIRM ALLEN & OVERY WON THE TRUSTLAW IMPACT AWARD FOR DEVELOPING A "KNOW YOUR RIGHTS" GUIDE FOR JOURNALISTS COVERING PROTESTS IN THE US. THE GUIDE FILLED A GAP IN THE SAFETY INFORMATION AVAILABLE TO JOURNALISTS IN THE U.S. AND HAS BEEN SHARED BY CPJ WITH JOURNALISTS AND NEWSROOMS AHEAD OF SEVERAL PLANNED PROTESTS FOLLOWING THE SUMMER OF 2020.

As filed on the 2023 return. The filer continues this part on Schedule O, which is not shown here.

Listed in Part VII

Compensation is as filed in Part VII: reportable pay from this organization and from related organizations, other compensation, and hours per week. The total, marked calculated, is our sum of the three dollar columns, with a blank column counted as $0; the form itself has no total. On a Form 990-EZ the columns are Part IV's instead, and on a Form 990-PF Part VIII's — compensation, contributions to benefit plans, and expense account — and the total sums those. A Schedule J breakdown is as filed: base pay, bonus, other, deferred compensation and nontaxable benefits from this organization, with any from related organizations beside each, and the filer's own total. It is shown with the Part VII listing of the same name on the same return. The form gives no key between the two, so that pairing is ours, and is marked matched by us.

Schedule J

Part I's answers as filed. A line not listed was left unanswered; on lines 1a and 3 that means the box was not checked.

Grants on this return

No itemized grants to organizations on this return.

Provenance

Return type

form_990

Tax year

2023

Filed

5 November 2024

IRS schema version

2023v5.1

Source object

202403109349302675

Check it against the return as filed: the GivingTuesday Data Lake hosts a public copy of the original XML.

The source document this was parsed from is served over the API, which is where bulk and document access live.