Nika Soon-Shiong questioned why certain Palestinian journalists are excluded from the Committee to Protect Journalists' (CPJ) death statistics.
MEE staff member, June 29, 2026.
The publisher of Drop Site News is no longer a member of the board of the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ); Nika Soon-Shiong revealed on Monday that she was removed, presumably because she questioned the organization's exclusion of certain Palestinian journalists from its death statistics from Gaza.
„I have been informed that I am no longer a board member of the Commission to Protect Journalists,” he wrote on X, attaching the email outlining his original concerns that he had previously shared with other board members.
When Middle East Eye (MEE) asked CPJ whether Soon-Shiong’s removal was related to the organization’s ongoing review, the organization responded by email that „her five-year term on the board expired in June 2026.”.
„I ask the board to vote on whether to proceed with this effort, given the lack of a clear purpose, defined mandate, and assessment of potential institutional risks,” he wrote in the email, referring to what he said was a lack of a proper methodology for delisting Palestinian journalists previously listed among those killed in Gaza.
„"The proposal to exclude journalists who engage in certain 'behavior and activities' or who work for 'state-sponsored propaganda organs or organizations affiliated with militant or terrorist organizations', Adam Kredo Free Beacon"It arose during a discussion of my article in which I was accused of speaking out too loudly against genocide and apartheid," Soon-Shiong said.
This article was published on May 27th in the right-wing Washington Free Beaconin which the CPJ board of directors was described as „overheated with anti-Israel sentiment, allowing almost no dissent.”.
The article singled out Soon-Shiong by name – along with Philippine journalist and Nobel laureate Maria Ressa – as a „viral anti-Israel voice” who compared Israel’s actions in Gaza to those of Nazi Germany and called the war in the Gaza Strip a genocide committed by Israel. The journalist, Adam Kredo, has written several defamatory articles against pro-Muslim and pro-Palestinian voices.
„Terrorism-related allegations are widespread and politically motivated, designed to discredit journalists and political opponents,” Soon-Shiong wrote in an email to CPJ’s board. „I appreciated the board’s rejection of the article’s allegations… [but] as unfounded allegations become more common, CPJ must strive to rise above the controversy.”
„Reopening the question of ‘who is a journalist?’ has profound consequences for the individuals CPJ protects and the organizations they are affiliated with. It is a betrayal of our colleagues in Gaza, who are facing the deadliest conflict against journalists on record.”
The Palestine exception
Mohammed el-Kurd, the The Nation magazine's Palestinian correspondent wrote on X on Sunday that sources within CPJ had informed him that the organization was officially looking to change the definition of journalist status to exclude Palestinian and Lebanese journalists who worked for state-funded media outlets.
„Israeli, American and Ukrainian journalists working for state-funded agencies or assigned to the military will continue to be recognized as journalists,” he wrote.
The American and Canadian mainstream media largely rely on CPJ for reliable data on Palestinian and Lebanese journalists killed by Israel, especially since most of them do not cite local organizations or the relevant health ministries as sources.
Last week, however, CPJ announced that it was „conducting a full review of its database of journalists killed in the Israel-Gaza war after Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant groups published obituaries identifying as fighters individuals previously listed by CPJ as journalists.” As a result, twenty Palestinian journalists were removed from CPJ’s count, bringing the total number of dead to 209. The full review will be completed next month. By comparison, the Palestinian Journalists Union puts the number at well over 270.
In an email to CPJ, Soon-Shiong said he had „serious questions” about the scope of the review. He asked why Hamas and Islamic Jihad were the only organizations named, especially since Israeli forces have been accused of war crimes and many mainstream American media outlets employ reporters who served in the Israeli military.
„"What should happen to institutions like the The Atlantic, the LA Times or the BBC, where the editors served directly in the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]? CPJ cannot credibly position itself as an objective judge of who is a legitimate journalist and what deserves protection,” Soon-Shiong stated.
In an email to MEE on Monday, CPJ said it had „not changed its long-standing methodology, which applies to all conflict zones around the world,” nor had it changed „the way journalists are classified.”.
„Our long-standing policy is to list journalists working for state-sponsored media outlets and those affiliated with militant groups only if they are not participating in combat or inciting violence in a way that could have a direct impact. This is in line with international humanitarian law,” the organization said in response to MEE’s questions. „If we determine that an individual has been an active combatant or has directly incited violence, we would remove them from our list, regardless of their affiliation with the organization.”
Nika Soon-Shiong is Los Angeles Times daughter of its billionaire owner. She joined CPJ's board in 2021 and took over the independent Drop Site news portal. Founded by veteran journalists Jeremy Scahill and Ryan Grim Drop Site produced one of the most thorough, yet least mentioned, reports in the mainstream media on Israel's genocide in Gaza and the workings of Palestinian politics, including through their extensive interviews with numerous Hamas and Islamic Jihad officials.
