About
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is a nonpartisan news website and database providing reliable and contextualized information on the number of press freedom violations in the United States — from journalists facing charges to reporters assaulted or stopped at the U.S. border and asked to hand over their electronics. As a centralized repository for research, the data we gather informs journalism, legal action and is the backbone of advocacy efforts for major press freedom groups.
Our goal is to gather and disseminate information about the state of press freedom in our democracy so that an accurate record is created and the public is informed. Constant vigilance and honest accounting of the country’s track record on press freedom is an essential part of our democracy.
The Tracker is based on a coalition that shares knowledge about threats to press freedom across the country. Freedom of the Press Foundation is the editorial lead and manages the day-to-day operations of the site. The Committee to Protect Journalists chairs an advisory board that includes the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and Reporters Without Borders.
A larger group of more than three dozen partners also includes professional societies, news organizations and free expression advocates. This work would not be possible without their contributions.
The Tracker is an open source database with a downloadable API. All other original content is licensed under a Creative Commons 4.0 Attribution International License.
Updated April 2024
Editorial Staff
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Kirstin McCuddenManaging Editor
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Stephanie SugarsSenior Reporter
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Sophie HagenResearch Reporter
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker website is supported by the web team and other staff at Freedom of the Press Foundation.
Contact
Advisory Board
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Arlene Getz (Chair)Editorial Director, Committee to Protect Journalists
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Trevor TimmExecutive Director, Freedom of the Press Foundation
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Katie FallowSenior Staff Attorney, Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University
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Grayson ClaryStaff Attorney, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
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Clayton WeimersExecutive Director, Reporters Without Borders USA