The Committee to Protect Journalists increases its Washington staff by one.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has created the new position of Washington Advocacy Manager to lead efforts to advance press freedom around the world with the U.S. government and other policymakers in Washington, D.C. Michael De Dora will be the first to occupy the post.

“The United States plays an important role in promoting and protecting press freedom worldwide,” CPJ Advocacy Director Courtney Radsch said from Washington, D.C. “It is imperative that press-freedom norms are respected here and serve as a benchmark for other governments. We look forward to increasing our cooperation with partners, policymakers, and lawmakers to promote and protect a free press, in the United States and elsewhere.”

The Committee to Protect Journalists has four full-time staff based in Washington, D.C., including Radsch. The expansion of this team recognizes the role that U.S. organizations and policymakers play not only in the global struggle to protect journalists and to defend press freedom but also in enshrining these values in the United States. Michael De Dora joins CPJ from the Center for Inquiry, where he led domestic and international efforts to advance freedom of conscience and religious freedom. He managed a range of advocacy initiatives, including policy campaigns on Capitol Hill and at the United Nations and an assistance program for threatened writers, publishers, and activists. Michael has served as president of the UN NGO Committee on Freedom of Religion or Belief, and is a member of the international board of directors for the Raif Badawi Foundation for Freedom.

Michael does great work. I’m proud to know him.