CPJ board member removed as it undertakes review of journalists killed in Gaza

What Happened

Nika Soon-Shiong, a board member of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), was informed that she is no longer a member of the board, she revealed on 2 September 2024. Soon-Shiong had questioned CPJ's ongoing review of its database of journalists killed in Gaza, expressing concern over the exclusion of certain Palestinian journalists. In an email to fellow board members, she highlighted the lack of clear methodology and warned that 'reopening the question of “who is a journalist”' risks undermining protection for journalists in conflict zones. Her removal follows a 27 May article in the conservative Washington Free Beacon that criticized CPJ's board for alleged anti-Israel bias and singled out Soon-Shiong for comparing Israel's actions in Gaza to genocide. CPJ stated that her five-year board term ended in June 2026 and that it 'has not changed its longstanding methodology' for classifying journalists. The organization recently removed twenty Palestinian journalists from its death toll after Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad obituaries identified some as combatants, reducing its Gaza journalist fatality count to 209.

Key Actors

Why It Matters

CPJ’s data is widely cited by mainstream Western media for journalist death counts in conflict zones, including Gaza. Internal disputes over who qualifies as a journalist, and the removal of a board member after she raised objections, raise concerns about the organization’s independence and the politicization of its casualty tracking. This could undermine the credibility of independent death toll verification at a time when information from Gaza is heavily contested, influencing global narratives on the conflict.

Watch For

CPJ expects to complete its full review 'sometime next month'—likely October 2024. Monitor whether additional Palestinian journalists are removed or reinstated, any formal changes to CPJ’s definition of a journalist, and the reaction from other media organizations and advocacy groups. Also watch for further statements from CPJ’s board and potential fallout between CPJ and news outlets that rely on its data.