Statement from JEA about attack on French magazine

The cold-blooded attack on the staff of the French magazine Charlie Hebdo is not just an attack on a magazine in France – it’s an attack on journalism everywhere.

More than 30 journalism organizations, including JEA, have joined to express outrage about the attack on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.

It’s an attack on professional journalists, citizen journalists, collegiate journalists and, yes, scholastic journalists.

For what’s at the root of the senseless murders of 12 innocent people is an attack on a free press – no matter where you live or teach.

The Journalism Education Association shares with its journalistic colleagues everywhere the anger, as well as the sadness for the victims and their families. We are, like millions of people worldwide, outraged that freedom of expression results in violent hate.

We encourage our members, and journalism educators everywhere, to have a classroom dialogue with their students about the bravery of journalists working around the world and the need to protect free expression.