Overseas Press Club of America

07/29/2026

Join the conversation on the proposed changes to U.S. media visas.

The Foreign Press Association and the Society of Professional Journalists International Community will host a Zoom discussion on Thursday, July 30, at 10 a.m. ET about the proposed visa changes that would limit many foreign journalists' stays in the United States to eight months, with a 90-day limit for journalists from the People's Republic of China.

The discussion will explore the potential impact of these proposed rules, answer questions from journalists, and discuss efforts to build a coalition ahead of the Sept. 15 implementation deadline.

The Overseas Press Club of America has joined other journalism organizations in calling for these proposed restrictions to be rescinded. We encourage journalists, media professionals, educators, and others interested in press freedom to learn more and participate.

📅 Thursday, July 30
🕙 10 a.m. ET
💻 Zoom

🔗 Register here:

Join the Foreign Press Association and the Society of Professional Journalists International Community to discuss ways we can stop the implementation of the proposed changes to the media I visa, which limit a journalist's stay in the United States to 8 months and a mere 90 days for PRC press. Many s...

07/20/2026

What happens when the journalists covering the United States can no longer be sure they'll be allowed to stay here long enough to do their jobs?

The Overseas Press Club of America has joined other journalism organizations in calling on the U.S. Department of Homeland Security to rescind proposed rules that would severely restrict visas for foreign journalists.

If implemented, the proposals would:
• Limit many foreign correspondents to 240-day stays in the U.S.
• Restrict Chinese journalists to just 90 days.
• Create uncertainty for international news organizations covering the United States.
• Risk prompting other governments to impose similar restrictions on U.S. journalists reporting abroad.

Read the OPC's full press freedom statement here:
https://opcofamerica.org/pressfreedoms/opc-calls-on-u-s-government-to-rescind-rules-severely-restricting-journalist-visas-for-foreign-press/

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The Overseas Press Club of America joins other journalism organizations in calling on the Department of Homeland Security to immediately rescind rules that would severely restrict visas for foreign journalists and would have the effect of placing significant limits on foreign correspondents living i...

07/09/2026

“Who controls the future use of journalistic work, and who benefits from that use?”

Freelance photographers are organizing against a new contract at the Wall Street Journal that they say opens their work up to AI training.

06/17/2026

📢 OPC Members and Friends:

The Foreign Press Association invites journalists and media professionals to a special briefing with UN Secretary-General candidate María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés.

🗓 Thursday, June 18
⏰ 3:00 p.m.

The conversation will be moderated by FPA President Ian Williams and will offer an opportunity to hear directly from a candidate seeking one of the world's most influential leadership roles.

Registration and additional details are available here: https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_jme8747AQb2nWQ0S2kgHng #/registration

06/09/2026

⚽ Can anyone challenge FIFA’s power over global football?

OPC Governor and journalist Vivienne Walt put that question to author and longtime football reporter Simon Kuper during OPC’s panel, The World Cup: How FIFA’s Money Machine Controls the World’s Biggest Sport.

Referencing the rise and fall of the European Super League, Walt asked whether an alternative to FIFA’s system is even possible. Kuper explained why the breakaway league ultimately collapsed and argued that football fans—not governing bodies—played the decisive role in stopping it.

🏆 Why did the European Super League fail?
🏆 How much power do football fans really have?
🏆 Could a rival organization ever emerge to challenge FIFA’s influence?

Watch the full discussion featuring Vivienne Walt, Simon Kuper, Miguel Maduro, and Alexandra Addison-Wrage on the OPC YouTube channel.

🔗Watch here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-b9g7s3hSkogb8qEOcguOa6mTlR7ifJy&si=YUvJ6kB8kYJAh-8x

06/09/2026

⚽ Who really controls the world’s biggest sport?

Former FIFA governance head Miguel Maduro argues that football is governed by a system with a built-in conflict of interest: the same organization that regulates the game also profits from it.

“FIFA determines who gets to work in football, who can compete, who controls media rights, merchandise, and major competitions—while also acting as one of the sport’s biggest commercial players.”

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup prepares to generate billions in revenue, Maduro examines why meaningful reform has been so difficult and what that means for the future of global football.

🎥 Catch the full OPC panel discussion, The World Cup: How FIFA’s Money Machine Controls the World’s Biggest Sport, on the OPC YouTube channel.

🔗Watch Here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-b9g7s3hSkogb8qEOcguOa6mTlR7ifJy&si=RDacTPULSqu_IrgP

06/09/2026

🚨”How sad is it going to be when the major international sports events are held in countries with just appalling records on human rights?”
— Alexandra Addison-Wrage

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup approaches, questions about money, power, governance, human rights, and accountability continue to surround the world’s most influential sporting organization.

During the OPC panel, The World Cup: How FIFA’s Money Machine Controls the World’s Biggest Sport, anti-corruption expert Alexandra Addison-Wrage discussed the growing concerns over FIFA’s relationships with host nations and the implications for democracy, transparency, and women’s rights.

⚽ Who benefits from the billions generated by the World Cup?
⚽ Why has FIFA resisted reform?
⚽ What role do human rights play in selecting host countries?

Watch the full discussion now on the OPC YouTube channel.

🔗Watch here: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-b9g7s3hSkogb8qEOcguOa6mTlR7ifJy&si=RDacTPULSqu_IrgP

06/04/2026

Ten years after FIFA’s corruption scandal shook global football, the organization is preparing for the most lucrative World Cup in history, projected to generate nearly $9 billion in revenue.

As politics, business, and sport become increasingly intertwined, what stories should journalists be covering beyond the pitch? Who profits from the World Cup and who bears the cost?

Join our panel of leading experts for an on-the-record discussion exploring the power, politics, and money shaping the world’s biggest sporting event.

📅 June 8, 2026
🕚 11:00 a.m. ET
📍 Zoom

🔗Register now: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/wym9eje/lp/5ab9a490-cd13-4f91-9a23-17b91610e41b?fbclid=IwVERDUASOqgBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeETM5r0MH9sD4xP66FLmHBv3-2ZnFN6PY_buspuDm5RnQ0fGnXiRY0Pd_Mhs_aem_l2o1yYu94SCPmSnWE916QQ

06/02/2026

A decade after the U.S. indicted top FIFA officials for racketeering, fraud and money laundering, this summer’s World Cup will be the biggest sporting event in history, predicted to earn nearly $9 billion for FIFA. Big money has become the defining feature of the non-profit organization, and FIFA president Gianna Infantino has spent a decade cementing ties with World Cup hosts, Qatar and Saudi royals, and Donald Trump.

How do we cover the story off the pitch this summer? And how do we follow the money? Who’s winning and more importantly, who’s losing their shirts?

For journalists covering the World Cup, our panel of top experts is on-the-record, with valuable insights and quotes for your stories over the next month about the machine behind this huge global event.

Panel:

Simon Kuper, author of the new book “World Cup Fever” and other books on FIFA, who has covered the sport for decades. Columnist for the Financial Times.

Miguel Maduro, jurist and former Head of FIFA’s independent governance team, appointed after the 2015 arrests to reform the organization. Fired by Infantino.

Alexandra Wrage-Addison, president and founder of the anti-corruption organization TRACE International and former member of FIFA’s independent governance committee. Featured in the Netflix documentary “FIFA Uncovered.”

Moderated by OPC Governor Vivienne Walt: Freelance contributor for TIME, Fortune, and the New York Times’ DealBook. Has written regularly about professional soccer, including a story on FIFA’s finances in the upcoming issue of Fortune, and previous dives on FC Barcelona’s global rise, Cameroon’s pipeline to global soccer and the phenomenon of Kylian Mbappé.

To register go here: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/wym9eje/lp/5ab9a490-cd13-4f91-9a23-17b91610e41b

06/02/2026

What happens when an algorithm determines whether someone is considered suspicious?

In this clip from the Overseas Press Club’s “How I Did It” panel, investigative journalist Dake Kang reflects on reporting from Kazakhstan and interviewing families affected by China’s surveillance system in Xinjiang. One conversation stood out: a family member explained that a relative had been detained because their “score was too low,” a statement that raised critical questions about algorithmic decision-making, artificial intelligence, and state surveillance.

The conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at the investigative reporting methods used to uncover one of the most significant global surveillance stories of recent years; work that earned The Associated Press the 2026 Pulitzer Prize for International Reporting and the OPC’s Malcolm Forbes and Morton Frank Award.

Watch the full panel on the Overseas Press Club YouTube channel.

🔗Link: https://youtu.be/XzuNLp2qcO0