AT&T donates $250K to Committee to Protect Journalists

AT&T has donated $250,000 to the Committee to Protect Journalists, the press freedom group announced Thursday.

AT&T chairman and CEO Randall Stephenson said in a statement that journalists’ work is “more important than ever,” given recent attacks on the press.

“Journalists around the world do the important work of holding leaders accountable, exposing the truth, and telling the stories that need to be told,” Stephenson said. “Threats to journalists are, at the very core, threats to freedom and liberty.”

{mosads}”In light of numerous recent events around the world where journalists have been threatened, harmed, and even killed, we’re pleased to support the Committee to Protect Journalists, whose work is more important than ever.”

The non-profit’s press release mentions a number of recent cases around the globe of journalists being imprisoned, attacked or killed, including the high-profile case of Jamal Khashoggi, a Washington Post columnist who was reportedly killed inside the Saudi consulate in Istanbul earlier this month.

CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said the organization is “deeply grateful” to AT&T for the unrestricted donation.

“This gift enables CPJ to continue confronting the myriad dangers that journalists face all over the world,” Simon said.

The donation was announced the day after an explosive device was mailed to former CIA Director John Brennan at CNN’s office in New York, one of several pipe bombs that were sent to Democratic figures across the country. AT&T became the parent company of CNN after merging with Time Warner in June.