JournalismPakistan.com | Published April 01, 2021
Join our WhatsApp channel
The British Broadcasting Corporation's China correspondent, John Sudworth, has been forced to relocate to Taiwan over concerns for his safety.
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has urged the Chinese government to stop harassing foreign correspondents in China.
Sudworth “moved to Taiwan after it became increasingly difficult to remain in China,” the BBC said. He will continue to report on China from Taiwan and collaborate with colleagues who remain in Beijing.
The BBC has come under fire from Chinese authorities for reporting on the COVID-19 pandemic and the internment camps in Xinjiang, where at least one million Uyghur and other Muslim minorities are understood to be subject to torture, rape, and political indoctrination.
John and his family were reportedly followed to the airport and into the check-in area by plainclothes police officers while departing for Taiwan on March 23. His wife, Yvonne Murray, reports on China for the Irish public broadcaster, Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ), and has also been forced to relocate.
In a statement released on March 31, the BBC said it is proud of Sudworth’s work in China. "John's reporting has exposed truths the Chinese authorities did not want the world to know."
The BBC has been caught up in rising tensions between the United Kingdom and China. In February, the U.K.'s government revoked the broadcasting license of state-owned China Global Television Network, and Beijing retaliated by banning the BBC in China.
Chinese government officials and state media had targeted Sudworth for months with “personal attacks and disinformation,” according to the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of China (FCCC).
“Abuse of Sudworth and his colleagues at the BBC form part of a larger pattern of harassment and intimidation that obstructs the work of foreign correspondents in China and exposes their Chinese news assistants to growing pressure,” the FCCC said in a statement on March 31.
The FCCC called for “an end to dangerous, personal attacks on individual reporters and foreign media outlets.”
According to the FCCC’s annual report, at least 18 foreign correspondents were expelled from China in 2020, highlighting “a rapid decline in media freedom.”
The IFJ said: “China has ramped up its efforts to pressure and restrict foreign journalists, and resorted to unfair and baseless accusations against media outlets with an attempt to crush critical reporting. The IFJ condemned the assault on press freedom and urged the Chinese government to stop harassing and using coercive tactics against foreign correspondents.”—IFJ media release/Photo: BBC News
April 11, 2025: Sindhi journalist AD Shar was brutally murdered in Khairpur, Sindh. His body was found dumped on Handiyari Link Road. PFUJ has declared a three-day mourning period and demanded justice.
April 10, 2025: The Azad Jammu and Kashmir government has filed a case against The Daily Jammu & Kashmir and its staff for alleged fake news, drawing condemnation from PFUJ and IFJ, who demand immediate withdrawal of the FIR and an end to media repression in Pakistan.
April 08, 2025: Journalist Arzoo Kazmi alleges that Pakistan's state agencies, including the FIA, have blocked her CNIC, passport, and bank account while threatening her. She calls it a direct attack on journalism.
April 07, 2025: The Islamabad High Court has directed IG Islamabad to produce journalist Ahmad Noorani’s missing brothers, as the Ministry of Defence denies custody. SIM activity was traced in Bahawalpur, and investigations into their suspected abduction continue.
April 07, 2025: Journalist and Raftar founder Farhan Mallick has been granted bail by a Karachi court in a case concerning anti-state content aired on his YouTube channel. He still faces separate charges related to an alleged illegal call center and data theft.
April 03, 2025: Veteran journalist Ghulam Abbas Shah has joined Discover Pakistan Television as the Head of Programming. With 25 years of experience in leading news organizations, he looks forward to contributing to quality storytelling and content.
April 02, 2025: The Pakistan Federal Union of Journalists (PFUJ) has strongly condemned the visit of a group of Pakistani journalists to Israel, calling it a violation of journalistic ethics and a betrayal of press freedom and human rights. PFUJ demands a transparent investigation into the matter.
March 30, 2025: Dawn criticizes Pakistan’s plan to use TV dramas against extremism, highlighting financial and digital challenges. Can media alone solve deep-rooted issues?
April 03, 2025 The International Press Institute (IPI) and International Media Support (IMS) invite nominations for the 2025 World Press Freedom Hero and Free Media Pioneer Awards. Recognizing courageous journalists and innovative media, the awards will be presented at IPI’s 75th-anniversary World Congress in Vienna. Submit your nominations by April 30, 2025.
April 01, 2025 Photojournalist Suresh Rajak was burned alive while covering a violent protest in Kathmandu. The IFJ and its affiliates condemn the attack and call for an urgent investigation to hold the perpetrators accountable.
April 01, 2025 Assam Police arrested digital journalist Dilwar Hussain Mozumder for covering a protest against alleged corruption at Assam Co-Operative Bank. Media organizations have condemned the arrest, calling it an attack on press freedom.
March 29, 2025 A federal judge has blocked the Trump administration’s attempt to dismantle Voice of America (VOA), ruling that the move likely violated legal procedures. The decision protects over 1,200 journalists and media staff.
March 28, 2025 Turkey deports BBC journalist Mark Lowen over 'public order' threat and fines opposition TV channels covering Istanbul Mayor's arrest. Critics condemn crackdown on press freedom amid rising political tensions.