College Students Make Bracelets To Help Jailed Journalists
COLLEGE PARK, Md. (AP) -- University of Maryland journalism students are raising money to launch a line of bracelets emblazoned with the names of journalists imprisoned around the world to raise money for the cause, and awareness of their plight.
Under the direction of Pulitzer Prize-winning Washington Post reporter and journalism professor Dana Priest, a group of University of Maryland Journalism School students are currently fundraising to launch Press Uncuffed. The line includes nine different bracelets, each with the name of a jailed journalist on it. The students are raising money to produce at least 10,000 bracelets.
Rosemary Ostmann, a University of Maryland alumna and spokeswoman for the project, said 100 percent of the proceeds from sales will be donated to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
"In addition to raising money and helping the 221 journalists imprisoned, Dana and the rest of the team are hoping it'll raise awareness of what it takes to report a story, and how important that truth is for a free and prosperous society," Ostmann said.
The journalists named on the bracelets are Ammar Abdulrasool, held in Bahrain; Mahmoud Abou Zeid, held in Egypt; Reeyot Alemu, held in Ethiopia; Khadija Ismayilova, held in Azerbaijan; Bheki Makhubu, held in Swaziland; Ta Phong Tan, held in Vietnam; Jason Rezaian, held in Iran; Yusuf Ruzimuradov, held in Uzbekistan; and Ilham Tohti, held in China.
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