New guide helps journalists know their rights when police come knocking
Marion County Record
Searches of newsrooms and seizures of journalists’ materials chill reporting.
Police searches of newsrooms and seizures of journalists' communications, electronic devices, notes, and other reporting materials intimidates journalists and sources and chill reporting. Searches and seizures can reveal confidential sources and transform reporters into tools of law enforcement.
Numerous laws protect reporters from searches and seizures, but police routinely violate them. Too often, courts rubber-stamp requests for searches and seizures involving journalists. In some instances, officials even appear to have obtained illegal search warrants to intimidate and silence journalists and news outlets who criticize them.
Featured Items
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Outrageous raids on journalists in Australia and elsewhere threaten press freedom
Recent raids on journalists and newsrooms in Australia are the latest in a string of instances — in no way limited to Australia — of government targeting of journalists for their reporting.
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Unanswered questions on the San Francisco police raid of a journalist’s home
The SF police chief finally apologized, but many questions remain unanswered.
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The US government is increasingly targeting journalists at the US-Mexico border
Numerous journalists covering the migrant caravan have been subjected to secondary screenings at the US-Mexico border, questioned, and searched. It’s not the first time CBP has targeted the press.
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Expanding the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker two years after launch
We're expanding our US Press Freedom Tracker project, which systematically tracks press freedom violations in the United States.
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Canadian police block journalists from covering pipeline protest in British Columbia
The Royal Mounted Canadian Police are preventing journalists from covering members of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation’s opposition to the construction of a natural gas pipeline that would run through British Columbia.Members of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation—including the hereditary leaders—began running checkpoints that block access to the planned construction site …
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Important new report sheds light on the US government’s border stops of journalists
A new report by the Committee to Protect to Journalists details officials’ unacceptable targeting of reporters at the border, including interrogating them about their work and pressuring them to hand over devices and passwords.
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Supreme Court rules police need a warrant for your cell phone location data
Law enforcement can no longer claim people have no right to privacy when using a cell phone, and must obtain a warrant to collect historical location data, the Supreme Court ruled today in the long-awaited Carpenter v. United States. This ruling marks a victory for the First and Fourth Amendments, and for journalism.
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Vindication: High court in New Zealand rules police raid on journalist Nicky Hager was illegal
In a huge victory for press freedom, New Zealand’s High Court has ruled decisively in favor of independent journalist Nicky Hager in his case against the New Zealand government for raiding his house and seizing his family’s possessions in 2014. The court’s decision, which was released on December 17, …
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Announcing a new crowd-funding campaign to help local independent journalists hold police accountable
UPDATE: Thanks to a generous donation from the Dodge Foundation, the next $3,000 in donations will be matched. So go here to donate and see the amount double! Today Freedom of the Press Foundation is proud to announce a new crowd-funding campaign that will fund local journalists around the United …
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Laura Poitras lawsuit against the US for repeated searches at the border hightlights critical press freedom issue
Awarding-winning filmmaker and journalist Laura Poitras sued the Department of Homeland Security and several other federal agencies under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) yesterday, demanding an explanation for the dozens of times the US government detained and questioned her traveling over the border from 2006-2012. Poitras, who is also …
