Cases dropped against reporters arrested for covering protests
Photo courtesy of Stephanie Keith
Journalists have the right to cover protests and demonstrations.
Protests are one of the most dangerous places for journalists in America. Journalists are routinely prevented from gathering the news, illegally arrested, and attacked by law enforcement and demonstrators.
Journalists have a First Amendment right to cover public protests. Protecting and expanding that right ensures that the public can learn what’s happening at protests and how they are policed.
Featured Items
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Bodycam footage confirms Asheville police targeted journalists
Footage of arrests released following FPF court petition
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Journalist arrests down but reporters covering protests still at risk
Report shows 14 journalists arrested for doing their jobs in 2022.
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Journalism on trial in North Carolina
Latest prosecution for routine newsgathering follows a wave of unconstitutional charges against local journalists.
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Supreme Court ruling limits paths for journalists to hold federal officers accountable
In a Supreme Court term packed with controversial cases, one of the more-overlooked rulings has alarmed press freedom advocates as it gutted the legal mechanism used to hold federal officers liable for violating individuals’ constitutional rights.
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FPF, dozens of groups condemn LA County sheriff’s retaliatory statements against reporter
The Los Angeles County sheriff’s public threat of retaliatory investigation into a reporter is an outrageous press freedom violation, and Freedom of the Press Foundation has joined over two dozen groups last week in a letter condemning that action.
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What’s worse than NYPD press credentialing? An unfair mayor’s office process
New York City Hall is out of line in demanding information about the criminal backgrounds and open cases of journalists applying for press credentials.
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Arizona moves to restrict recordings of police with unconstitutional proposal
A misguided Arizona bill would make it illegal to take photos or video of the police in certain circumstances, running directly against long-established constitutional protections for such recordings. Freedom of the Press Foundation has joined a coalition of two dozen media and press freedom groups opposing the proposal.
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Landmark order protecting press freedom from Minnesota police should be a model around the country
Court ordered settlement requires Minnesota State Patrol to stop arresting and assaulting journalists.
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Another record year for press-freedom violations in the US
While we did not see the scope of national social-justice protests of 2020—a year in which journalists were arrested or assaulted on average more than once a day—2021 still outpaced the years before it for press-freedom violations. We systematically capture this data in the US Press Freedom Tracker, where Freedom of the Press Foundation, in partnership with the Committee to Protect Journalists and other press freedom groups, has documented aggressions against journalists in the United States since 2017.
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More than 60 journalists have sued police after protest arrests or assaults
More than 60 journalists have sued police after arrests or assaults at protests, according to new analysis from the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker. That total amounts to 82% of the lawsuits filed by journalist or media outlet plaintiffs against public officials.
