Incident Database

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Yahoo News investigative reporter subpoenaed for documents in defamation suit

Incident Details

Date of incident: April 23, 2020
Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Targets: Michael Isikoff (Yahoo News)

Legal orders →: subpoena for communications or work product

Aug. 18, 2019: Pending

April 23, 2020: Dropped
Legal order target →: Journalist
Legal order venue →: Federal

Fox 11 News photojournalist held at knifepoint over footage of California shelter-in-place protest

Incident Details

Updated on: July 13, 2023
Date of incident: April 17, 2020
Location: Huntington Beach, California
Targets: Unidentified photojournalist 1 (KTTV)

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

Georgia woman charged with kidnapping after hijacking news van with reporter inside

Incident Details

Updated on: January 29, 2024
Date of incident: April 14, 2020
Location: Atlanta, Georgia
Targets: Iyani Hughes (WANF)

Assailant →: Private individual
Was the journalist targeted? →: No

Equipment damaged →: Vehicle, 1
Actor →: Private individual

Police seize drone as photojournalist documents mass graves in New York

Incident Details

Updated on: August 18, 2020
Date of incident: April 14, 2020
Location: New York, New York
Targets: George Steinmetz (Freelance)

Arrest status →: Arrested and released
Arresting authority →: New York City Police Department
Charges →: Avigation

April 14, 2020: Charges pending

Aug. 1, 2020: Charges dropped
Unnecessary use of force? →: No

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

White House accuses Voice of America of spreading propaganda

Incident Details

Updated on: April 30, 2020
Date of incident: April 10, 2020
Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Targets: Voice of America

Other Incident

Liberty University obtains trespassing warrants against two journalists

Incident Details

Updated on: May 15, 2020
Date of incident: April 6, 2020
Location: Lynchburg, Virginia
Targets: Julia Rendleman (The New York Times)

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

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]

Incident Database

Yahoo News investigative reporter subpoenaed for documents in defamation suit

Incident Details

Fox 11 News photojournalist held at knifepoint over footage of California shelter-in-place protest

Incident Details

Georgia woman charged with kidnapping after hijacking news van with reporter inside

Incident Details

Police seize drone as photojournalist documents mass graves in New York

Incident Details

White House accuses Voice of America of spreading propaganda

Incident Details

Liberty University obtains trespassing warrants against two journalists

Incident Details

Liberty University obtains trespassing warrant against ProPublica reporter

Incident Details

Florida journalist barred from governor’s COVID-19 briefing

Incident Details

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

Incident Details

Illinois county drops subpoena for government watchdog’s communications

Incident Details

AP photographer ordered to delete photos, leave Liberty University campus

Incident Details

California community blog subpoenaed in ongoing lawsuit

Incident Details

WikiLeaks subpoenaed in defamation lawsuit

Incident Details

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

Incident Details

Journalist subpoenaed for testimony about confidential sources in defamation suit

Incident Details

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

Incident Details

Virginia circuit court quashes subpoena seeking investigative journalist’s voicemail

Incident Details

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

Incident Details

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

Incident Details

FBI arrests man following threatening calls to investigative reporter

Incident Details