Incident Database

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BuzzFeed receives first subpoena in ongoing Unsworth-Musk defamation lawsuit

Incident Details

Updated on: October 28, 2019
Date of incident: June 14, 2019
Location: San Francisco, California
Targets: BuzzFeed News

Legal orders →: subpoena for communications or work product

June 14, 2019: Pending

July 1, 2019: Objected to

Oct. 28, 2019: Quashed
Legal order target →: Institution
Legal order venue →: Federal

Journalist assaulted while covering protest in Memphis

Incident Details

Date of incident: June 12, 2019
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
Targets: Patrick Niedzwiedz (WATN-TV)

Assailant →: Private individual
Was the journalist targeted? →: Yes

Freelance photographer attacked after Stanley Cup by man yelling support of Trump

Incident Details

Date of incident: June 12, 2019
Location: Boston, Massachusetts
Targets: Scott Eisen (Freelance)

Assailant →: Private individual
Was the journalist targeted? →: Yes

Journalist assaulted, pushed to the ground while covering protest in Memphis

Incident Details

Date of incident: June 12, 2019
Location: Memphis, Tennessee
Targets: Luke Jones (WREG-TV)

Assailant →: Private individual
Was the journalist targeted? →: Yes

Marine Corps denies veteran and Newsweek reporter interview in apparent retaliation for prior reporting

Incident Details

Date of incident: June 7, 2019
Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Targets: James LaPorta (Newsweek)

Other Incident

Pennsylvania journalist barred from publishing document mistakenly made public, order vacated

Incident Details

Date of incident: May 30, 2019
Location: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Targets: Reid Frazier (The Allegheny Front), StateImpact Pennsylvania

Status of prior restraint →: Struck down
Mistakenly released materials? →: Yes

Broadcast journalist threatened at gunpoint in Texas

Incident Details

Updated on: August 21, 2025
Date of incident: May 30, 2019
Location: Killeen, Texas
Targets: Emani Payne (KCEN-TV)

Assailant →: Private individual
Was the journalist targeted? →: Yes

Reporters removed from Kansas Senate floor, threatened with loss of press passes

Incident Details

Date of incident: May 29, 2019
Location: Topeka, Kansas
Targets: Alec Gartner (KSNT), John Hanna (The Associated Press), Jonathan Shorman (The Kansas City Star), Sherman Smith (The Topeka Capital-Journal)

Government agency or public official involved →: State government: Legislature
Type of denial →: Government event

Miami freelancer has phone and camera seized by police

Incident Details

Date of incident: May 25, 2019
Location: Miami, Florida
Targets: Jacob Katel (Freelance)

Equipment searched or seized →: Cellphone, 1

Camera, 1
Status of equipment →: Returned in full
Search warrant obtained →: No

Freelance reporter stopped while crossing border; passport card photographed

Incident Details

Date of incident: May 24, 2019
Location: San Diego, California
Targets: Nate Abaurrea (Freelance)

Border point →: San Ysidro Port of Entry
Target nationality →: United States
US citizenship status of target →: U.S. citizen
Denied entry? →: No
Stopped previously? →: No
Asked for device access? →: No
Asked intrusive questions about work? →: Yes

Student journalist subpoenaed for documents and reporting materials as part of dispute between university, foundation

Incident Details

Updated on: April 23, 2024
Date of incident: May 22, 2019
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Targets: Euirim Choi (The [University of] Chicago Maroon)

Legal orders →: subpoena for communications or work product

May 22, 2019: Pending

June 3, 2019: Objected to

Unknown date: Dropped
Legal order target →: Journalist
Legal order venue →: Federal

Alaska radio reporter attacked while covering abortion demonstration

Incident Details

Date of incident: May 21, 2019
Location: Soldotna, Alaska
Targets: Jennifer Williams (KSRM)

Assailant →: Unknown
Was the journalist targeted? →: Unknown

Student newspaper subpoenaed for documents and reporting materials as part of $100 million dispute

Incident Details

Updated on: April 23, 2024
Date of incident: May 17, 2019
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Targets: The [University of] Chicago Maroon

Legal orders →: subpoena for communications or work product

May 19, 2019: Pending

Unknown date: Dropped
Legal order target →: Institution
Legal order venue →: Federal

Hawaii reporter denied access to cover Army meeting

Incident Details

Date of incident: May 16, 2019
Location: Hilo, Hawaii
Targets: Nancy Cook Lauer (West Hawaii Today)

Government agency or public official involved →: Law enforcement: Military
Type of denial →: Government event

Rolling Stone journalist stopped for secondary screening, has electronics searched while asked invasive questions about reporting

Incident Details

Date of incident: May 13, 2019
Location: Austin, Texas
Targets: Seth Harp (Rolling Stone)

Border point →: Austin-Bergstrom International Airport
Target nationality →: United States
US citizenship status of target →: U.S. citizen
Denied entry? →: No
Stopped previously? →: Yes
Asked for device access? →: Yes
Asked intrusive questions about work? →: Yes

Equipment searched or seized →: Cellphone, 1

Computer, 1

Work product, 1
Status of equipment →: Returned in full
Search warrant obtained →: No

Military prosecutor embeds secret tracking code in email to journalist, defense attorneys

Incident Details

Date of incident: May 12, 2019
Location: San Diego, California
Targets: Carl Prine (Navy Times)

Equipment searched or seized →: Work product, 1
Status of equipment →: In custody
Search warrant obtained →: No

San Francisco police use search warrant to raid home, office of independent journalist

Incident Details

Updated on: May 26, 2020
Date of incident: May 10, 2019
Location: San Francisco, California
Targets: Bryan Carmody (North Bay News)

Arrest status →: Detained and released without being processed
Arresting authority →: San Francisco Police Department
Unnecessary use of force? →: No

Equipment searched or seized →: Camera, 2

Cellphone, 12

Computer, 11

Storage device, 11

Work product, 3
Status of equipment →: Returned in full
Search warrant obtained →: Yes

Legal orders →: warrant for communications or work product

March 1, 2019: Pending

March 24, 2019: Carried out

May 30, 2019: Objected to

July 18, 2019: Quashed

warrant for communications or work product

March 16, 2019: Pending

May 29, 2019: Carried out

May 30, 2019: Objected to

Aug. 20, 2019: Quashed

warrant for testimony about confidential source

April 16, 2019: Pending

May 29, 2019: Carried out

May 30, 2019: Objected to

Aug. 2, 2019: Quashed
Legal order target →: Journalist
Legal order venue →: State