Reporters Without Borders will present the World Press Freedom Index 2014

On February 11, 2014 from 9:00am to 10:30am EST At the National Press Club, Lisagor Room, 529 14^th Street, NW – Washington, DC 20045

WASHINGTON, Feb. 6, 2014 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Index (under embargo until 6:01pm EST on February 11) will be introduced by Delphine Halgand, Reporters Without Borders USA Director highlighting the significant trends, rises and falls of countries in the 2014 World Press Freedom Index.

Panelists of the discussion will include:

• James Risen (USA), an investigative reporter for the New York Times, based in Washington, DC. He was the winner of the 2006 Pulitzer Prize for national reporting, and was a member of the New York Times reporting team that won the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting. Last July, an appeals court found that James Risen must give evidence at the criminal trial of a former CIA agent who is being prosecuted for unauthorized leaking of state secrets. Jeffrey Sterling, the agent in question, is charged with leaking information to Risen in violation of the Espionage Act. Risen took his case to the Supreme Court in January 2014.
• Honey Al Sayed (Syria), former award winning radio host and producer for the most popular show in Syria, with more than six million listeners.  Ms. Al Sayed is the current co-founder of RO'YA Association and media advisor/radio host and producer for SouriaLi radio. She is also an independent media & cultural consultant. Throughout her career, Al Sayed has advocated for peace building through art & cultural dialogue and positive media coverage.
• Huong Nguyen (Vietnam), close friend and colleague of jailed blogger Nguyen Tien Trung. Huong Nguyen is currently a PhD student in Law and Democracy and a Research Fellow at the Center for Constitutional Democracy, Indiana University Maurer School of Law. Huong is a co-founder of the Viet Youth for Democracy and of The 88 Project, an interview project for freedom of expression in Vietnam.
• Tolga Tanis (Turkey), Washington correspondent of Hurriyet since February, 2010. His journalism career began when he wrote for Hurriyet while in college. He got his start as a local reporter in Hurriyet Istanbul, a weekday addition in 1998.  Between 2004-2006, he was the editor of Hurriyet Pazar, then transferred to the newsroom. He was assigned to New York Bureau of Hurriyet in February, 2008.

As space is limited, please RSVP to Leigh Coventry Burke: [email protected]

Address media inquiries to Delphine Halgand: [email protected] or 202-256-5613

About the World Press Freedom Index

The World Press Freedom Index that Reporters Without Borders published every year since 2002 measures the level of freedom of information in 180 countries. It reflects the degree of freedom that journalists, news organizations and netizens enjoy in each country, and the efforts made by the authorities to respect and ensure respect for this freedom.

About Reporters Without Borders

Reporters Without Borders is the largest press freedom organization in the world with almost 30 years of experience. Thanks to its unique global network of 150 local correspondents investigating in 130 countries,12 national offices (Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Libya, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Tunisia, USA) and a consultative status at the United Nations and UNESCO, Reporters Without Borders is able to have a global impact by gathering and providing on the ground intelligence, conducting cybersecurity workshops, and defending and assisting news providers all around the world.

SOURCE Reporters Without Borders