Key Takeaways:
- CPJ announced an audit of its slain Gazan journalists database to see how many are terrorists, combatants, or false journalists.
- While CPJ state that it expected to be done in July, there have been no updates by mid-August. Meanwhile, CPJ-listed journalists continued to be confirmed as terrorists.
- As the audit is drawn out, the narrative that Israel is deliberately targeting journalists becomes axiomatic.
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) passed the expected completion date for self-audit of terrorists within its slain Gaza journalist database, and while the narrative that Israel is deliberately targeting journalists continues to calcify in the public consciousness, another four terrorists have been confirmed by terrorist organizations.
Unmet CPJ Audit Deadline
On June 25, CPJ announced that it was conducting a full review of its database of journalists killed in the October 7 War in response to the publication of martyr posters that confirmed that supposed journalists were actually combatants and operatives. By May 27, eight Gazan media workers had already been removed from the CPJ database for participation in hostilities, and another seven for not meeting the definition of being a journalist. It does not appear that additional changes and updates have been made since then.
CPJ stated that it expected the full review to be completed in July, but half-way through August and the public and media have not even been updated on the progress of the review.
The database was influential in the development of the “mediacide” narrative, with dozens of articles published citing CPJ on the subject. The lack of expediency in correcting the record contributes to the settling of accusations as fact.
CPJ-Listed Journalists Continue to Be Exposed
The inaction is concurrent to the continued announcement of journalists as terrorists. Since CPJ announced its self-audit on June 25, four supposed journalists have been announced as operatives by terrorist organizations.
Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) announced on July 9 that Mahmoud Issa Abu Shirby was a commander in the Al-Quds Brigade’s Gaza Brigade. CPJ still has him listed as just a freelance journalist with a large Telegram following. Supposedly he had been wounded in a airstrike and later killed in another one while sitting out in front of his house.
Muhammad Mahmoud Abu Sharia was supposedly just managing editor of Shams News Agency. His own outlet was cited by CPJ, claiming that he had been critically wounded by an Israeli airstrike. On July 16, PIJ named him as an operative of Gaza Brigade’s Central Military Unit, the same as Shirby.
Hassan Abu Warda was also a senior official of a news outlet, according to CPJ, the owner and director of Barq Gaza news agency. CPJ’s entry doesn’t detail that he was also in the Al-Quds Northern Brigade’s Sniper Unit, as revealed by PIJ on August 5.
Mohamed Jamal Sobhi Al-Thalathi was included in the CPJ database, even though the organization acknowledged that he worked for the PIJ-affiliated Al-Quds Al-Youm. On August 14 his PIJ connections were clarified further, with him announced as another member of the Gaza Brigade’s Central Military Unit.
CPJ Has a Responsibility To Issue Corrections
The longer that CPJ draws out the review, the more supposed terrorists are being revealed on its database. The same is true with other organizations tracking journalist deaths in Gaza. Unlike CPJ, International Federation of Journalists and Reporters Without Borders have managed with the faults in their respective databases by silently editing them without public acknowledgement. However all share the collective responsibility for transparency and accountability for mistakes in the media landscape.
These organizations posited a narrative about the war based on their databases. Without a full public accounting, the reality of Gazan terrorist being given a press pass cannot be understood. Not only do news outlets need to be updated to print retractions, but the public deserves to know the truth.
© Divuach Ne’eman R”A, 2025
