College students create line of bracelets to support jailed journalists
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}This handout photo provided by the Press Uncuffed Campaign shows a bracelet that University of Maryland journalism students are selling emblazoned with the names of journalists imprisoned around the world. (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.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}"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.