What is Press Uncuffed?

We’re journalism students at the University of Maryland working with our professor – Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter Dana Priest – to raise money to free imprisoned journalists around the world by selling bracelets bearing their names. Press Uncuffed works in partnership with the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an independent, nonprofit organization that advocates for journalists in danger.

We’re asking for your support to manufacture and package the bracelets prior to making them available for sale on World Press Freedom Day – May 3, 2015. The bracelets are made in Memphis, Tennessee with LuciteLux® clear acrylic to remind us of the importance of transparency of information. All proceeds from the sales of the bracelets go to the Committee to Protect Journalists which helps journalists in distress situations worldwide through a combination of financial and non-financial assistance.  

Examples of how CPJ has helped journalists include:

• 100 dollars can cover the costs of emergency medical care for a journalist attacked while covering elections in Kenya.
• 250 dollars can cover clothes, food and medication for a journalist jailed in Rwanda.
  
• 300 dollars can pay for one month of rent in Nairobi for an Ethiopian journalist forced to flee his home after months of legal harassment.
  
• 600 dollars can cover the cost of five sessions of psychological counseling for a Syrian journalist suffering from trauma.
  
• 800 dollars can pay for the costs of relocating to safety the family of an investigative Mexican journalist threatened for reporting on corruption.
  
• 1,000 dollars can cover one month of living and medical expenses for a Syrian editor and his family in Turkey.
  

We're launching this campaign now because the last three years have been the worst on record for the safety of journalists covering news in many parts of the world. 

We believe the link between information and a free and equitable society is vital and sometimes not fully understood. We hope Press Uncuffed humanizes the people who are risking their lives to give us information and creates a greater appreciation for the role of a free press.

These are the nine imprisoned journalists whose fearless work we are honoring:

• Ammar Abdulrasool - Bahrain, 2014
  
• Mahmoud Abou Zeid - Egypt, 2013
  
• Reeyot Alemu - Ethiopia, 2011 
  
• Khadija Ismayilova - Azerbaijan, 2014
  
• Bheki Makhubu - Swaziland, 2014
  
• Ta Phong Tan - Vietnam, 2009 
  
• Jason Rezaian - Iran, 2014
  
• Yusuf Ruzimuradov - Uzbekistan, 1999
  
• Ilham Tohti - China, 2014

To learn more about them and send messages directly to those who are holding them imprisoned, please click each individual link, or head to CPJ's Press Uncuffed Page. 

If a journalist somewhere still wears a cuff, so will we. 

The Impact

This problem is getting worse. There are currently 221 journalists in prison. In 2014, 61 journalists were killed and we’ve lost 17 already in 2015.

The rise of digital media presents new challenges when it comes to protecting the freedom of the press. Governments that want to suppress information are going to new lengths to silence journalists, including charges of blasphemy and defamation as well as death threats, imprisonment and killing. The common thread in all of these “chilling effect” tactics is the desire to cut off information from the public that the public has the right and interest to know. Attacks on journalists are now happening in countries you may not expect and reporters who were once considered untouchable are now being captured and even killed.

The topic of imprisoned journalists does not receive enough attention. We want to spotlight the human cost of courageous reporting, something we often take for granted in the United States. The awareness created by this campaign will not only raise money, but also put pressure on the governments holding journalists in prison.

The brave individuals who take on these assignments do so in spite of the risk. They believe to stay silent while thousands of people suffer or die means you’re not doing your job. Often, these are people who won’t leave their countries even in the face of death threats. 

What We Need & What You Get

We want to raise $30,000 in order to produce a minimum of 10,000 bracelets. We will start with nine journalists’ names. The cost to produce each bracelet is approximately $3, which includes printing, cutting and forming bracelets as well as packaging and fulfillment. Three companies in Memphis, Tennessee are generously donating resources to keep costs at a minimum.

If we exceed our goal of $30,000, we will produce more bracelets with other journalists' names on them and raise more money for CPJ. We will donate any funds not ultimately required for manufacturing directly to Committee to Protect Journalists.

For those who select a perk valued at $25 or more, you will receive a bracelet from the first batch made.

Matching Challenges and Grants

The John S. and James L. Knight Foundation have already thrown their support behind the campaign.

More commonly known as the Knight Foundation, it promotes quality journalism, media innovation, engaging communities and fostering the arts. 

They have generously offered to purchase 500 bracelets to distribute among their network.

The Merrill College's building bears the foundation's name and they also support the Knight Chairs, including our very own, Dana Priest. We could not be happier that they have also chosen to support us and that we can post this update less than hour after launch. Many, many thanks, to the Knight Foundation.

We already have support from some amazing organizations, but we need your help to activate them. 

HBO Films has offered us $1,000 when we reach $1,000 on this campaign. We can do this in the first hours of the campaign! Please help us get there. 

The Stewart Mott Foundation is offering $2,000 when we reach $2,000 in donations!  The Stewart R. Mott Foundation is a philanthropic organization that turns small grants into lasting changes.

This means that with your support and the support of HBO and Stewart Mott, we could raise $6,000 within hours! Please help us get that momentum going.

More on our Perks

The bracelets are made of clear LuciteLux®, a very strong acrylic material. LuciteLux® was originally used for WWII fighter planes as windshields, periscopes and gunner turrets. The bracelets come in four sizes:

The small is 7” including a .5” opening; the medium is 7.75” with a .75" opening; the large is 8.25” with a .75" opening; and the extra large is 8.75” with a .75".
We recommend taking a measuring tape (or a piece of string you pre-measure) and wrapping it around your wrist to see what feels best for you. The small tends to fit most women. The medium is a popular size for men. Please know that the bracelets are not form fitting; the material cannot be bent to fit tighter.

We recommend you use a tape measure to select the size that will fit you best. At the end of the campaign, we will email all of our supporters to find out what size they would like. PLEASE KEEP AN EYE OUT IN YOUR INBOX FOR THIS EMAIL.

Please also note: Indiegogo allows you to only buy one bracelet at a time. If you would like to purchase more here's what you need to do: Select a bracelet as a perk, and then add the dollar amount necessary to buy the total of how many bracelets you'd like. So, for example, if you'd like four, add another $75. Then, shoot us an email at pressuncuffed@gmail.com, let us know your name, address and how many bracelets you'd like, and we'll make sure they all get to you. It's a little complicated, but we promise, worth the effort. 

Behind-the-Scenes Opportunities 

We have something for everyone with our behind-the-scenes opportunities. The kind folks at several great public affairs and public interest programs have offered tours of studios, meet and greets with hosts and other great perks. Please note the geographic locations of these perks. They are all limited to where the shows are filmed -- either Washington, D.C. or New York City.

Washington Week with Gwen Ifill
Gwen Ifill is the moderator and managing editor of Washington Week, and co-anchor and co-managing editor, with Judy Woodruff, of PBS NewsHour. This perk offers a behind the scenes tour of the NewsHour and Washington Week studios, an opportunity to watch a taping of the show from the control room, and a meet and greet with Gwen Ifill.  

Hardball with Chris Matthews
Hardball with Chris Matthews has been on air for 17 years. If you are a sucker for Washington politics then this is the perk for you. Get an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at a taping of the show.

Bob Schieffer, a titan of broadcast journalism, recently announced his retirement. Schieffer, who has enjoyed a 50 year career, will step down from CBS News this summer. Schiffer has interviewed every president since Nixon, and nearly every candidate vying for the Oval Office. He has been described as a living legend, a once in a generation reporter with the gravitas of the likes of Walter Cronkite. 
We are very lucky to have two tickets to watch a taping of the show from the control room. This once-in-a-lifetime opportunity is now even rarer. Face the Nation is broadcast from Washington D.C. and you must be able to claim the perk there. 

Good Morning America
Good Morning America is the nation's most watched morning program. Broadcasting from Times Square, millions of Americans tune in while preparing for their morning commutes. You could watch the show come together in person! Get a behind-the-scenes look at the show and stay for the broadcast, all before 9 a.m. 

Around the Horn 
President Barack Obama has joked that Around the Horn is the only television show that he watches. Merrill College's own Kevin Blackistone is one of the panelists. The sports panel show has become a staple for ESPN. Four lucky guests will get to watch a taping of Around the Horn in Washington, D.C. 

National Geographic Tour
National Geographic is responsible for some of the world's best nature and wildlife programming and is synonymous with stunning wildlife photography. They are offering one lucky person a chance to see how it all happens at their Washington, D.C. headquarters.

Subscriptions

We are offering several year-long, digital subscriptions in our perk lineup. After all, if you support a free press, you probably like to read newspapers and magazines. 

The New York Times Premium Digital Subscription. One of the nation's papers of record, first published in 1851, The New York Times stands as a titan of U.S. newspaper publishing with 114 Pulitzers and the print version having the largest circulation of any metropolitan newspaper in the U.S. The Times has generously donated 30, one-year digital subscriptions to Press Uncuffed contributors.

The Washington Post Digital Subscriptions. The Washington Post is the paper of Watergate, the Pentagon Papers and Dana Priest's own investigation of conditions at Walter Reed Army Hospital. It is one of the nation's papers of record and was founded in 1877. One of its future, ground-breaking stories could come in your one-year digital subscription. The Washington Post has kindly donated 30, one-year digital subscriptions. Read the post on your laptop, smartphone or tablet, anywhere and at any time. 

Foreign Affairs Magazine. Foreign Affairs, in publication since 1922, is the Council on Foreign Relations' journal, publishing six times annually. It remains one of the most respected publications on foreign affairs in the nation. They have kindly donated 30 digital subscriptions to the Press Uncuffed campaign. 

Goodies

The New Censorship: Inside the Global Battle for Media Freedom. We are very excited to be able to offer 30, signed copies of The New Censorship: Inside the Global Battle for Media Freedom, written by Joel Simon. Simon is the executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, our partner in Press Uncuffed. His latest book explores assaults on freedom of expression through Internet censorship and surveillance. 

Mr. Onthemoon. Mr. Onthemoon, better known as First Dog on the Moon or Andrew Marlton, is Australia's only Walkley award-winning canine cartoonist. The Walkleys are considered the Pulitzer Prizes of Australia. He gave us a signed print of his Walkley award-winning cartoon, which is quite provocative. 

Special Events and Opportunities 

Lunch with Marcus Brauchli
As students, we appreciate the chance to talk to newsmakers, pick their brains and learn about what they think about the news. Join Marcus Brauchli for lunch at the Hay Adams in Washington, D.C. Brauchli is the former managing editor of the Wall Street Journal and the former executive editor of The Washington Post. He is co-founder and managing partner of North Base Media, a company that invests in independent media and tech companies in emerging markets. He has generously donated his time, so take this opportunity to learn from one of the industry's leaders. 

Devex, Foreign Affairs, and the United Nations Foundation will be holding a special event in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, April 23, two nights before the White House Correspondents' Dinner. This celebration will highlight press freedom and the important role that foreign correspondents play in helping to create dialogue around the world’s most pressing issues.  The event will be held from 6:30pm-9:00pm at the United Nations Foundation headquarters on 1750 Pennsylvania Ave. in Washington, D.C. 

The private reception, “The Global Beat: Celebrating International Affairs Journalism” is the premier annual gathering in Washington for leading journalists, media executives and officials with a global perspective.  Past years’ celebrations have featured Andrea Mitchell, Tony Goldwyn, Margaret Warner, and Tony Blinken, among others. 

Committee to Protect Journalists International Press Freedom Awards
The Committee to Protect Journalists annually hosts the International Press Freedom Awards (IFPA) in recognition of courageous reporting by journalists who have faced imprisonment, violence and censorship. The contributor who selects this perk will receive a pair of tickets to the November 24 black-tie gala at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. Previous IPFAs have included Jon Stewart, Christiane Amanpour, among others. You will also get an opportunity to meet awardees and have your picture taken with them.    

Partners

As students, we admittedly don’t have extensive experience manufacturing and selling products. We are working directly with Lucite International and its partners TechPlus (printing) and Advanced Material Systems (production) on the making of the bracelets to ensure we meet the highest standard of product quality.

We are grateful for the involvement of several key partners in this campaign, including Investigative Reporters & Editors who will provide our e-commerce platform and the Newseum where we are holding the campaign launch. Of course we couldn’t have done this without the collaboration of the CPJ.

We also have the support of our professor, Dana Priest. Last fall, she assigned each of us an imprisoned journalist to profile and understand why they were imprisoned. The class gave us the tools to do this kind of international reporting ourselves, as students. It's something we hope other journalism students will learn to do. The idea of creating and selling bracelets was born out of this experience.

Finally, strategic communications firm, RoseComm (founded by a '93 UMD alum), is providing pro-bono public relations services. Rosemary Ostmann and her incredible team have provided us with every kind of help and guidance imaginable at every hour of the day imaginable. None of this would have been possible without them.

With the help of these fantastic companies, we are well on our way – now we just need your support.

Other Ways You Can Help