Incident Database

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Liberty University obtains trespassing warrant against ProPublica reporter

Incident Details

Updated on: May 15, 2020
Date of incident: April 6, 2020
Location: Lynchburg, Virginia
Targets: Alec MacGillis (ProPublica)

Arrest status →: Charged without arrest
Arresting authority →: Liberty University Police Department
Charges →: Trespassing

April 6, 2020: Charges pending

May 15, 2020: Charges dropped
Unnecessary use of force? →: No

Legal orders →: warrant for other

April 6, 2020: Pending

May 15, 2020: Dropped
Legal order target →: Journalist
Legal order venue →: State

Florida journalist barred from governor’s COVID-19 briefing

Incident Details

Date of incident: March 28, 2020
Location: Tallahassee, Florida
Targets: Mary Ellen Klas (Miami Herald)

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

Illinois mayor threatens journalist for taking pictures, video on public street

Incident Details

Date of incident: March 26, 2020
Location: Bellmont, Illinois
Targets: John Kraft (Edgar County Watchdogs)

Chilling Statement

Illinois county drops subpoena for government watchdog’s communications

Incident Details

Date of incident: March 25, 2020
Location: Effingham County, Illinois
Targets: Edgar County Watchdogs

Legal orders →: subpoena for communications or work product

March 25, 2020: Pending

April 7, 2020: Dropped
Legal order target →: Institution
Legal order venue →: State

AP photographer ordered to delete photos, leave Liberty University campus

Incident Details

Date of incident: March 24, 2020
Location: Lynchburg, Virginia
Targets: Unidentified photojournalist 26 (The Associated Press)

Equipment damaged →: Work product, 1
Actor →: Private security

California community blog subpoenaed in ongoing lawsuit

Incident Details

Updated on: May 12, 2021
Date of incident: March 13, 2020
Location: Fullerton, California
Targets: David Curlee (Friends for Fullerton’s Future), Joshua Ferguson (Friends for Fullerton’s Future), Friends for Fullerton’s Future

Other Incident

WikiLeaks subpoenaed in defamation lawsuit

Incident Details

Date of incident: March 13, 2020
Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Targets: WikiLeaks

Legal orders →: subpoena for communications or work product

Jan. 24, 2020: Pending

March 29, 2021: Unknown
Legal order target →: Institution
Legal order venue →: Federal

Appellate judge rules California blog can publish — but not destroy — city records

Incident Details

Updated on: May 12, 2021
Date of incident: March 12, 2020
Location: Fullerton, California
Targets: Friends for Fullerton’s Future

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

Journalist subpoenaed for testimony about confidential sources in defamation suit

Incident Details

Date of incident: February 29, 2020
Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Targets: Seymour “Sy” Hersh (Independent)

Legal orders →: subpoena for testimony about confidential source

Feb. 29, 2020: Pending

April 23, 2020: Upheld

May 8, 2020: Pending

July 15, 2020: Carried out

March 29, 2021: Dropped
Legal order target →: Journalist
Legal order venue →: Federal

Five members of neo-Nazi group arrested for alleged targeted harassment of journalists

Incident Details

Updated on: January 11, 2022
Date of incident: February 26, 2020
Location: Multiple
Targets: ProPublica

Other Incident

Virginia circuit court quashes subpoena seeking investigative journalist’s voicemail

Incident Details

Date of incident: February 21, 2020
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Targets: Kerri O’Brien (WRIC-TV)

Legal orders →: subpoena for communications or work product

Feb. 1, 2020: Pending

Feb. 18, 2020: Objected to

Feb. 21, 2020: Quashed
Legal order target →: Journalist
Legal order venue →: State

Fresno Bee reporters barred from event with cabinet secretary, house representative

Incident Details

Date of incident: February 18, 2020
Location: Tulare, California
Targets: The Fresno Bee

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

State Department classifies five Chinese state-run outlets as ‘foreign missions’

Incident Details

Updated on: October 21, 2020
Date of incident: February 18, 2020
Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Targets: Beijing Review [China], CGTN Radio [China], China Central Television [China], China Daily [China], China Global Television Network [China], China News Service [China], China Social Sciences Press, Economic Daily [China], Global Times [China], Jiefang Daily [China], People’s Daily [China], Xinhua News Agency [China], Xinmin Evening News [China], Yicai Global [China]

Other Incident

FBI arrests man following threatening calls to investigative reporter

Incident Details

Updated on: November 9, 2021
Date of incident: February 12, 2020
Location: Buffalo, New York
Targets: Charlie Specht (WKBW-TV)

Other Incident

Chicago CBS affiliate ordered to turn over unedited interview footage

Incident Details

Date of incident: February 12, 2020
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Targets: Derek Dalton (WBBM-TV)

Legal orders →: subpoena for communications or work product

Feb. 12, 2020: Pending

Feb. 26, 2020: Objected to

Aug. 3, 2020: Quashed
Legal order target →: Institution
Legal order venue →: Federal

Chicago CBS2 reporter subpoenaed for aired and unpublished footage

Incident Details

Date of incident: February 12, 2020
Location: Chicago, Illinois
Targets: Dave Savini (WBBM-TV)

Legal orders →: national security letter for communications or work product

Feb. 12, 2021: Pending

Feb. 26, 2021: Objected to

Aug. 3, 2022: Partially upheld
Legal order target →: Journalist
Legal order venue →: Federal

NYPD arrests photojournalist, charges him with disorderly conduct

Incident Details

Updated on: April 9, 2025
Date of incident: February 11, 2020
Location: New York, New York
Case number: 1:21-cv-06610
Targets: Amr Alfiky (ABC News)
Case status: Settled
Type of case: Civil

Arrest status →: Arrested and released
Arresting authority →: New York City Police Department
Charges →: Obstruction: disorderly conduct

Feb. 11, 2020: Charges pending

May 17, 2020: Charges dropped
Unnecessary use of force? →: No

Equipment searched or seized →: Press identification, 1
Status of equipment →: Returned in full
Search warrant obtained →: No

Utah State Legislature suspends editor’s media credential

Incident Details

Date of incident: February 11, 2020
Location: Salt Lake City, Utah
Targets: Bob Bernick (Utah Policy)

Government agency or public official involved →: State government: Legislature
Type of denial →: Press credential or media list

Comstock’s former editor accused of deleting the magazine’s YouTube account

Incident Details

Updated on: July 19, 2021
Date of incident: February 10, 2020
Location: Sacramento, California
Targets: Comstock’s

Equipment damaged →: Social media account, 1
Actor →: Private individual

Subpoena issued for watchdog blog’s documents, communications

Incident Details

Updated on: April 11, 2024
Date of incident: February 7, 2020
Location: Stark County, Illinois
Targets: Edgar County Watchdogs

Legal orders →: subpoena for communications or work product

Feb. 7, 2020: Pending

March 1, 2020: Objected to

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

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