Local Oregon Newspaper Wins Major Public Records Battle
The Malheur Enterprise, a local newspaper, requested documents last October as part of its ongoing investigation into whether a state legislator was using his official position to help his private business. On February 5th, the county's district attorney ordered the government agency to disclose the unredacted documents.
Incarcerated Journalist Claims Prison Officials Punished Him for Reporting on COVID-19 Outbreak
Private prison officials at a halfway house in California seized an incarcerated journalist’s phone and delayed his release after he texted a colleague about a COVID-19 outbreak at the facility, according to a lawsuit filed in federal court on February 2nd.
Pro-Trump Mobs Attack the Reporters Covering Protests Outside U.S. Capitol
On January 6th, a large group of pro-Trump supporters, motivated by President Donald Trump’sunsubstantiated claims of election fraud, stormed the Capitol building. Over the course of the day, reporters on the ground described multiple incidents in which rioters called for violence against the media.
New Report Shows Acute Rise in Arrests of Journalists in the U.S.
Drawing on data collected by the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, the report showed at least 117 verified cases of journalists arrested in 2020. The number represents a 1200% increase from 2019 when only nine cases were confirmed.
Federal Judge Orders Pack to Stop Interfering in VOA’s Editorial Decisions
Howell did not go as far as to agree that journalists employed by the state are granted all of the same protections as private-sector journalists, but she did reject Pack’s argument that federal journalists have no First Amendment rights. Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press's Grayson Clary called the ruling a "victory."
Ninth Circuit Reinstates Injunction Barring Federal Agents from Assaulting Journalists
The ninth circuit reinstated a lower court's injunction exempting journalists and legal observers from general dispersal orders. Many reporters say they have been assaulted by federal agents despite remaining several feet away from protests.
Trump Supporter Attacks Reporter Ahead of Trump Rally in Minnesota
A supporter of President Donald Trump attacked a photojournalist on September 30th, a few hours prior to a Trump rally in Duluth, Minnesota. Dymanh Chhoun, a reporter on assignment for CBS local channel WCCO-TV, was covering a gathering of Trump and Biden supporters on a public road outside of Duluth.
Reporter Tackled and Arrested by LA County Sheriff’s Deputies While Covering a Protest
Josie Huang, a reporter with NPR affiliate KPCC, was tackled and arrested while covering a protest on Saturday, September 12th. Huang had been attending a press conference about the shooting of two Sheriff’s deputies in Compton earlier that day.