The board of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), a New York-based nonprofit that documents press freedom violations worldwide, voted on July 1, 2026, to reaffirm its existing definition of a journalist following a dispute over the organization’s review of its database of journalists killed during the Israel-Gaza war. The vote came after claims from a former board member and a viral social media post citing unnamed sources alleged that CPJ was considering changes that could exclude some Palestinian and Lebanese reporters from its casualty database.

Founded in 1981 by a group of US foreign correspondents responding to the harassment of colleagues reporting under authoritarian governments abroad, CPJ defines a journalist as someone who regularly covers news or comments on public affairs through any medium. Its definition also includes reporters working for state-funded outlets or media organizations affiliated with militant groups, provided they are not taking part in combat.

Questions about CPJ’s Gaza casualty database first gained prominence after the Washington Free Beacon, a conservative news outlet, published an article on 27 May alleging that CPJ’s board was dominated by members with critical views on Israel. The article also claimed that CPJ’s casualty database included individuals whom Israel had identified as combatants or members of Hamas and other armed groups.

On June 25, the organization announced a comprehensive review of its Gaza casualty database, saying that Hamas, the Palestinian group that governs Gaza, and Palestinian Islamic Jihad had published obituaries identifying some individuals previously listed by the organization as journalists as combatants. CPJ said it had already removed 20 names. Eight were removed because they were confirmed combatants and 12 for other reasons, reducing its total count to 209. That figure remains below the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate’s estimate of more than 270 journalists killed.

Announcing the review, CPJ Chief Executive Officer Jodie Ginsberg said the organization’s methodology remained unchanged and was grounded in international humanitarian law. She also said researchers had been unable to conduct in-person verification in Gaza throughout the war because Israel had not permitted them to enter the territory.

The issue gained wider public attention on 28 June when a post on X by Palestinian writer and activist Mohammed El-Kurd, citing unnamed sources within CPJ, claimed the organization planned to revise its definition of a journalist in a way that would exclude some Palestinian and Lebanese reporters working for state-funded media outlets, while not applying the same standard to journalists from countries such as Israel, the United States, or Ukraine.

The following day, CPJ board member Nika Soon-Shiong announced on X that she was no longer serving on CPJ’s board and published an email in which she urged the organization not to reopen its definition of a journalist. While some media reports interpreted the timing as suggesting a connection between the two events, CPJ simply stated that her five-year term had expired in June.

In a statement issued after the board vote, CPJ board chair Jacob Weisberg rejected claims that the organization intended to change its definition, calling the allegations “unsubstantiated” and “not true.” He said the accusations risked undermining the safety and credibility of journalists still reporting from the region.

The organization said its review of the remaining names in the Gaza database is expected to conclude later in July. CPJ has not indicated whether any additional names are likely to be removed.

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CPJ Press Freedom Awards, 2024 (Photo: CPJ Photos / Flickr [CC BY 2.0])