Interview with Mohamed Keita, Committee to Protect Journalists
President Obama declared during his Nobel prize acceptance speech that “the promotion of human rights cannot be about exhortation alone.” Raising awareness is crucial but the greatest challenge we face is how to turn that awareness into support and action from the public and policy makers.–Mohamed Keita
The Committee to Protect Journalists is one of the foremost human rights organizations in the world, rallying to protect journalists under threat. The CPJ uses a combination of publicity and direct advocacy to achieve its mission. It also keeps a running toll of killed journalists. The numbers can be sobering: 68 journalists have been killed in 2009, and nearly 800 since 1992, when the CPJ began keeping track.
Journalism and creativity can intertwine in beautiful, touching ways. Ryszard Kapuscinski and, more recently, Emmanuel Guibert in his work The Photographer have blended the muck-raking search for truth — or perhaps search for a story — in timeless works.
Mohamed Keita is the researcher of the Africa division of the Committee to Protect Journalists. The Mali-born activist took time out of his super busy schedule to answer questions about his work.
