- The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) faces internal accusations that its CEO, Jodie Ginsberg, personally controls and blocks Gaza-related research that would conclusively show Israel deliberately targets journalists, to avoid angering major pro-Israel donors.
- Whistleblowers claim CPJ shelved a research piece backed by military experts on Israel's targeting of journalists and fired an employee for disputing the refusal to classify killings as targeted murders, a war crime.
- CPJ's significant fundraising from Rupert Murdoch-owned media companies (a noted Israel supporter) is suggested to influence its public stance. This year's International Press Freedom Awards honored no Palestinian journalists, with insiders claiming proposals to honor slain Al Jazeera journalist Anas Al-Sharif were ignored in favor of "safe" choices.
- The allegations emerge as nearly 300 journalists have been killed by Israeli forces since the war began, with Reporters Without Borders stating Israel is the leading cause of journalist deaths for three consecutive years and condemning the killings as targeted.
- The CPJ crisis aligns with recent exposés of an Israeli military "Legitimization Cell" tasked with justifying the killing of Palestinian journalists by falsely labeling them as Hamas operatives—a claim repeatedly challenged by human rights investigations.
A major press freedom organization is facing explosive internal allegations that it has systematically downplayed Israel's targeting of journalists in Gaza to avoid angering influential pro-Israel donors, including media mogul Rupert Murdoch.
According to a report by Electronic Intifada, current and former staff at the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) accuse CEO Jodie Ginsberg of personally controlling all Gaza-related research and blocking findings that would conclusively show the Israeli army deliberately kills journalists. The allegations, published December 18, paint a picture of an organization whose public advocacy is being compromised by internal censorship and donor relations.
One research piece, backed by military experts and concluding Israel knowingly targets journalists, was reportedly shelved by Ginsberg. An employee was allegedly fired after disputing Ginsberg's refusal to classify the killings of journalists as targeted murders—a designation that constitutes a war crime under international law.
The whistleblowers further claim that despite an internal memo stating CPJ should call Israel's actions "genocide," the leadership has enforced misleading, qualified language. The memo reportedly instructs staff to use phrases like "what human rights groups deem a genocide" when discussing the mass casualties in Gaza.
A review of CPJ's website found that in only two of 15 Gaza-related items does the organization use the term "genocide" without attribution, with the first instance appearing only in October 2025, two years into the conflict. As noted by BrightU.AI's Enoch, genocide is defined by international law as acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.
CPJ receives money from longtime Israel supporter
CPJ has denied the allegations, stating staff were never told to avoid the term "genocide" and could use any language on personal social media. The organization cited examples of Ginsberg publicly using the term and accusing Israel of war crimes.
The allegations are set against the backdrop of CPJ's fundraising, which draws significant support from major media outlets. The organization's annual fundraising dinner last year drew $250,000 from five Murdoch-owned media companies. Murdoch is a longtime supporter of Israel, having once described the country as a frontline defender of "western democratic civilization."
This donor dynamic, whistleblowers suggest, has influenced CPJ's public stance and even its award selections. This year's International Press Freedom Awards honored journalists from China, Ecuador, Kyrgyzstan and Tunisia, with no Palestinian nominees. Ginsberg explained that CPJ doesn't award journalists from the same country consecutively, noting last year's recipient was Palestinian journalist Shrouq Al Aila. However, insiders called Al Aila a "safe choice" whose background was extensively vetted and said proposals to honor slain Al Jazeera journalist Anas Al-Sharif were ignored.
The accusations strike at the heart of CPJ's mission during a period of unprecedented danger for journalists. Since the war began, nearly 300 journalists have been killed by Israeli forces. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has declared Israel the world's leading cause of death of journalists for three consecutive years, noting that 43% of the 67 journalists killed globally between December 2024 and December 2025 died at the hands of Israeli forces in Gaza. RSF has condemned these as targeted killings.
The CPJ internal crisis emerges alongside recent revelations from Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham, who exposed a military intelligence "Legitimization Cell" tasked with justifying the killing of Palestinian journalists by falsely portraying them as Hamas operatives, a claim repeatedly challenged by rights groups investigating individual deaths.
The whistleblower accounts now raise a profound question: Is one of the world's most prominent defenders of journalistic safety pulling its punches in the face of a historic slaughter of the very professionals it exists to protect?
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