U.S. Press Freedom Tracker
@pressfreedomtracker.us
The US Press Freedom Tracker is a database that tracks and catalogs press freedom violations in the United States. A project of @freedom.press. DM or email tips@pressfreedomtracker.us Subscribe: freedom.press/newsletters/
FCC Chair Brendan Carr said July 22 that ABC’s decision not to air Trump’s White House address a week prior, in which the president repeated baseless allegations of election fraud, would be included in the agency’s early review of all stations owned by the broadcaster.
FCC Chair Brendan Carr targets news outlets
As President Donald Trump’s second term continued in 2026, his Federal Communications Commission chair, Brendan Carr, took steps to punish …
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Independent videographer Patrick Nealis was pushed to the ground by police and arrested while documenting a May 31 protest against ICE outside Delaney Hall in Newark, NJ.
Videographer pushed down by police, arrested at New Jersey immigration protest
Independent videographer Patrick Nealis was shoved to the ground by a law enforcement officer and arrested while documenting a protest …
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This time, vertical: It was fascinating to look across three administrations of data in the @uspresstracker.bsky.social and pull out how subpoenas and legal orders have been used on the federal level
U.S. Press Freedom Tracker@pressfreedomtracker.us · 6d agoLeak hunting with legal orders — we’ve already seen more subpoenas to journalists from the DOJ than any year in the last 10 years. This and more in this month’s Tracker newsletter by managing editor @kamccudden.bsky.social:
Independent videographer Patrick Nealis was pushed to the ground by police and arrested while documenting a May 31 protest against ICE outside Delaney Hall in Newark, NJ.
Videographer pushed down by police, arrested at New Jersey immigration protest
Independent videographer Patrick Nealis was shoved to the ground by a law enforcement officer and arrested while documenting a protest …
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Independent journalist Aaron Johnson was pushed to the ground by police, smashing his camera, while he was filming officers chasing a suspect on foot in St. Paul, Minnesota, on July 14.
Journalist shoved to the ground by police in Minnesota, breaking his camera
Independent journalist Aaron Johnson was pushed down by police while filming a law enforcement action in St. Paul, Minnesota, on …
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Leak hunting with legal orders — we’ve already seen more subpoenas to journalists from the DOJ than any year in the last 10 years. This and more in this month’s Tracker newsletter by managing editor @kamccudden.bsky.social:
Leak hunting with legal orders
DOJ-issued legal orders to outlets, journalists by year
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The Trump administration isn't just investigating alleged crimes. It’s aggressively pursuing the sources behind the stories, using the legal system as a blunt instrument to stop the flow of information. Find the full story in our monthly newsletter: pressfreedomtracker.us/newsletter
The House Ways and Means Committee, led by Rep. Jason Smith, subpoenaed nonprofit @btnewsroom.bsky.social on July 21, seeking financial records in an effort to prove the news outlet, which has covered ICE raids and pro-Palestinian protests, is under foreign influence.
Rep. Jason Smith targets press as chair of Ways and Means Committee
Jason Smith, a U.S. representative for Missouri, has used his position as chair of the House Committee on Ways and …
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Update: MA newsletter co-publishers who were severely harassed and stalked by seven eBay employees reached new $55.7M settlement with e-commerce giant on Monday. Deal includes $6M in donations to nonprofits and $1M to First Amendment charity.
7 former eBay employees charged in harassment campaign against journalists
The FBI announced charges against six former eBay employees on June 15, 2020, for their alleged participation in a campaign …
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Update: Photographer Trisha Brownlee was released July 27 from a Warren County, NJ, jail after six-plus weeks in detention. She had been arrested on a weapons-related charge June 11 while interviewing two sources who were monitoring immigration agents.
Photojournalist arrested mid-interview, incarcerated since June
Trisha Brownlee, an independent photographer, was arrested by state police on June 11, 2026, while interviewing two men who were …
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Anita Wise, a freelance video producer, was thrown to the ground and arrested while documenting a protest at the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark, NJ, on May 31; she faces a misdemeanor failure to disperse charge at a hearing Aug. 6.
Video producer thrown to ground, arrested while covering New Jersey protest
Freelance video producer Anita Wise was tossed to the ground and arrested while covering a protest against Immigration and Customs …
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Independent photographer Trisha Brownlee remains jailed since her June 11 arrest by state police in Hardwick Township, NJ. She was detained while interviewing two individuals monitoring ICE officers.
Photojournalist arrested mid-interview, incarcerated since June
Trisha Brownlee, an independent photographer, was arrested by state police on June 11, 2026, while interviewing two men who were …
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Amid renewed strikes in Iran and the recent deaths of U.S. service members, the Pentagon hasn’t held a news briefing to answer questions for 2 1/2 months, a @cnn.com analysis found.
Wartime Pentagon goes two-plus months without media briefing
The Pentagon hasn’t held a news conference for 2 1/2 months, leaving renewed airstrikes with Iran and recent deaths of …
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Brian Stelter@brianstelter.bsky.social · 2w agoMany questions, very few answers about the deaths of two U.S. servicemembers in Jordan. The Pentagon is clearly trying to keep a tight lid on what happened — reflective of a larger effort to control information, limit access and avoid questions about the war
UPDATE: A federal appeals panel has reinstated a DOD rule requiring journalists to be accompanied by escorts while in the Pentagon. The July 16 order puts on hold a previous ruling that temporarily suspended the escort policy.
Pentagon responds to court ruling with new press access restrictions
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell announced March 23, 2026, that the Defense Department would move journalists from their designated offices in …
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BREAKING: The Justice Dept. said today it will withdraw subpoenas ordering multiple @nytimes reporters to testify about their sources, and others seeking their phone records, following a hearing in which a judge rebuked the DOJ for its slapdash legal work.
NY Times investigative reporter subpoenaed by DOJ for testimony
Eric Lipton, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, was subpoenaed by the U.S. Department of Justice on July …
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The IRS contractor who pleaded guilty to leaking President Trump’s tax returns to the press had his five-year prison sentence affirmed in a July 17 appeals panel ruling; Charles Littlejohn had argued the punishment was disproportionate.
IRS consultant charged with leaking tax returns to two news outlets
Charles Littlejohn, a contractor for the Internal Revenue Service, was charged on Sept. 29, 2023, with disclosing tax returns without …
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📢 Are you a journalist who uses FOIA or other public records laws in your reporting? You could win $25K with our new journalism award, the Penlight Prize. Submission deadline: Sept. 1, 2026 Read more and apply today:
New $25K ‘Penlight’ journalism award honors paywall-free FOIA reporting
The Penlight Prize celebrates paywall-free reporting based on records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act or state public records laws.
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UPDATE: A federal appeals panel has reinstated a DOD rule requiring journalists to be accompanied by escorts while in the Pentagon. The July 16 order puts on hold a previous ruling that temporarily suspended the escort policy.
Pentagon responds to court ruling with new press access restrictions
Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell announced March 23, 2026, that the Defense Department would move journalists from their designated offices in …
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Journalists covering Delaney Hall immigration detention hunger strike in New Jersey met with targeted force, reporting from sports championships across the U.S. and more in our monthly newsletter from Tracker Managing Editor @kamccudden.bsky.social (and subscribe):
Press targeted at New Jersey immigration detention protests
In a span of three weeks in late May and June, we documented more than 60 assaults of journalists and …
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On July 16, a man entered an unauthorized area near the "Today" show studio in New York City and shouted a racial slur at NBC News anchor Craig Melvin; he was arrested and charged with two hate crimes.
Intruder enters ‘Today’ show studio, shouts racial slur at anchor
NBC News anchor Craig Melvin was harassed by a man who shouted a racial slur at him after entering an …
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The @freedom.press has a new journalism award, honoring the best FOIA-based reporting published outside a paywall. (As a proud board member, I am entirely recusing myself from judging or other involvement. They have a stellar lineup of judges for this fantastic award, which pays $25,000!)
New $25K ‘Penlight’ journalism award honors paywall-free FOIA reporting
The Penlight Prize celebrates paywall-free reporting based on records obtained through the Freedom of Information Act or state public records laws.
freedom.press
The founder-editor of The Grayzone was detained and questioned by Customs and Border Protection on July 10, after arriving at Dulles Airport in Virginia from a reporting trip to Iran. Agents also seized and searched Max Blumenthal's cellphones.
Editor questioned by officials at Virginia airport; phone seized and searched
Journalist Max Blumenthal was stopped, questioned and had his cellphones seized and searched by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents …
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The Department of Justice attempted to secretly obtain the phone records of five @nytimes.com reporters starting July 10, as part of a sweeping leak investigation into the newspaper’s reporting on Trump’s new Qatari-donated Air Force One.
NY Times reporters’ phone, text records targeted in secret DOJ subpoenas
Phone records for multiple New York Times reporters were targeted in secretive subpoenas issued by the Department of Justice starting …
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FBI Director Kash Patel and Trump chief of staff Susie Wiles personally oversaw a leak investigation at the White House on July 10, seeking to identify the @nytimes.com's sources on security concerns with Trump’s new Qatari-donated Air Force One.
FBI Director Kash Patel targets press
As President Donald Trump’s second term continued in 2026, his FBI director, Kash Patel, took steps to punish and intimidate …
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In a July 10 federal court filing, @nytimes.com alleged that the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission’s May employment discrimination lawsuit violated the First Amendment.
Andrea Lucas targets news media as equal employment opportunity chair
As President Donald Trump’s second term continued in 2026, his Equal Employment Opportunity Commission chair, Andrea Lucas, used her office …
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Update: A Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office investigation concluded earlier this month that a deputy who shoved TV reporter Jeff Weinsier while he was trying to question Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava in April did not violate department policy.
Reporter pushed, threatened with arrest while trying to question Florida mayor
WPLG investigative reporter Jeff Weinsier was shoved and threatened with jail by a plainclothes Miami-Dade County sheriff’s deputy while approaching …
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Independent photographer Jonny Morales says he was struck in the face by a self-proclaimed Proud Boy while documenting clashes outside LA’s City Hall on July 10. The rally, tied to Spencer Pratt's failed mayoral campaign, drew counterprotesters and turned violent.
Photographer struck by Proud Boy at LA rally
Independent photographer Jonny Morales was punched in the face by a right-wing extremist while documenting a political protest in downtown …
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Update: The @nytimes.com filed a motion yesterday to quash subpoenas issued to several of its journalists by the DOJ last week The agency demanded they testify before a grand jury concerning their reporting on security concerns with the new, Qatari-donated Air Force One.
NY Times investigative reporter subpoenaed by DOJ for testimony
Eric Lipton, an investigative reporter for The New York Times, was subpoenaed by the U.S. Department of Justice on July …
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Update: A state assault charge was dropped June 30 against one of three family members involved in an assault against reporter Savanah Hernandez of Frontlines TPUSA at a MN protest in April. All three still face federal charges in the case.
Reporter assaulted by individuals at Minnesota immigration protest
Savanah Hernandez, a reporter for Frontlines TPUSA, suffered a concussion after she was attacked by a group of people attending …
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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth announced July 13 that he and acting Attorney General Todd Blanche have created a joint task force to pursue and prosecute those leaking to the news media.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth targets news outlets, leakers
As the second year of President Donald Trump’s second term began, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth continued taking steps to intimidate …
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