Stop Arresting Journalists

Cops on horseback in a crowd

Courtesy Joseph Rushmore

Too often, police arrest journalists for doing their jobs. These arrests and prosecutions chill important reporting.

Arrests and prosecutions of journalists often violate the First Amendment, and they undermine the public’s right to learn about newsworthy events.

Data from the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker shows that journalists are at heightened risk of arrest while covering protests. But police have also arrested reporters just for gathering news or asking questions. Journalists should never be arrested for doing their jobs.

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    Another ‘ag-gag’ law struck down as a First Amendment violation, yet several states still have them in place

    Prior Restraint Article

    Despite a long history of journalists going undercover to investigate and shed light on secretive industries like the animal agriculture industry, several states have statutes—commonly known as ‘ag gag’ laws—that criminalize reporting on animal abuse at farms. Last Wednesday, a federal judge ruled Iowa’s such law unconstitutional on the grounds …