Joel Simon
Joel Simon is the director of the Journalism Protection Initiative at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York, and the author of “We Want to Negotiate: The Secret World of Kidnapping, Hostages, and Ransom.” He is a former executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists.
Avoiding the Disinformation Trap
Does calling attention to political disruptions just make the problem worse?
How Qatar Became the World’s Go-To Hostage Negotiator
The Gulf state is trying to help Hamas and Israel come to a deal. How did it become one of the world’s most prominent hostage-situation mediators?
The Limits of Joe Biden’s Calls for Press Freedom
After decades of exposing corruption in Guatemala, the journalist José Rubén Zamora has been jailed. Why can’t the U.S. help him?
How the Families of American Hostages Created Bipartisan Support for Prisoner Swaps
A political agreement between Republicans and Democrats is at risk of unravelling as some G.O.P. members attack the exchange that freed the W.N.B.A. star Brittney Griner.
How China’s Response to COVID-19 Set the Stage for a Worldwide Wave of Censorship
Authoritarian governments in eighty nations have enacted restrictions on free speech and political expression that were falsely described as public-health measures.
Autocrats, Not Terrorists, Are Increasingly Taking Americans Hostage
The effort to free Danny Fenster, a journalist imprisoned by Myanmar’s junta, shows a new threat to U.S. citizens worldwide.
How Trump Has Reversed Decades of American Hostage Policy
The President’s personal engagement in hostage-recovery efforts creates an opportunity to showcase his skill as a deal maker, but it also signals that American captives are valuable bargaining chips.
Avoiding the Disinformation Trap
Does calling attention to political disruptions just make the problem worse?
How Qatar Became the World’s Go-To Hostage Negotiator
The Gulf state is trying to help Hamas and Israel come to a deal. How did it become one of the world’s most prominent hostage-situation mediators?
The Limits of Joe Biden’s Calls for Press Freedom
After decades of exposing corruption in Guatemala, the journalist José Rubén Zamora has been jailed. Why can’t the U.S. help him?
How the Families of American Hostages Created Bipartisan Support for Prisoner Swaps
A political agreement between Republicans and Democrats is at risk of unravelling as some G.O.P. members attack the exchange that freed the W.N.B.A. star Brittney Griner.
How China’s Response to COVID-19 Set the Stage for a Worldwide Wave of Censorship
Authoritarian governments in eighty nations have enacted restrictions on free speech and political expression that were falsely described as public-health measures.
Autocrats, Not Terrorists, Are Increasingly Taking Americans Hostage
The effort to free Danny Fenster, a journalist imprisoned by Myanmar’s junta, shows a new threat to U.S. citizens worldwide.
How Trump Has Reversed Decades of American Hostage Policy
The President’s personal engagement in hostage-recovery efforts creates an opportunity to showcase his skill as a deal maker, but it also signals that American captives are valuable bargaining chips.