Incident Database

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Media access restricted as historic impeachment trial begins

Incident Details

Date of incident: January 16, 2020
Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Targets: Media

Government agency or public official involved →: Federal government: Legislature
Type of denial →: Change in policy or practice

Fox News journalist subpoenaed for testimony in defamation lawsuit

Incident Details

Updated on: September 28, 2020
Date of incident: January 7, 2020
Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Targets: Malia Zimmerman (Fox News)

Legal orders →: subpoena for other testimony

Jan. 7, 2020: Pending

Jan. 8, 2020: Objected to

March 25, 2020: Upheld

April 22, 2020: Objected to

Sept. 28, 2020: Unknown
Legal order target →: Journalist
Legal order venue →: Federal

Court upholds subpoena of Richmond Times-Dispatch in civil lawsuit

Incident Details

Date of incident: January 7, 2020
Location: Richmond, Virginia
Targets: Richmond Times-Dispatch

Legal orders →: subpoena for communications or work product

Jan. 7, 2020: Pending

May 22, 2020: Upheld

May 29, 2020: Carried out
Legal order target →: Institution
Legal order venue →: Federal

Former Fox News reporter subpoenaed in defamation lawsuit

Incident Details

Date of incident: January 2020
Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Targets: Adam Housley (Fox News)

Legal orders →: subpoena for other testimony

Jan. 1, 2020: Pending

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

Trump DOJ obtained 2017 phone records of 3 Washington Post reporters

Incident Details

Date of incident: January 2020
Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Targets: Adam Entous (The Washington Post), Greg Miller (The Washington Post), Ellen Nakashima (The Washington Post)

Legal orders →: 2703(d) court order for communications or work product

Jan. 1, 2020: Carried out
Legal order target →: Third-party: Unknown (telecom company)
Legal order venue →: Federal

Trump Justice Department secretly obtained CNN Pentagon reporter’s email, phone records

Incident Details

Date of incident: January 2020
Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Targets: Barbara Starr (CNN)

Legal orders →: 2703(d) court order for communications or work product

Jan. 1, 2020: Carried out
Legal order target →: Third-party: Unknown (telecom company)
Legal order venue →: Federal

Trump Justice Department secretly obtained records of 4 New York Times reporters

Incident Details

Date of incident: January 2020
Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Targets: Matt Apuzzo (The New York Times), Adam Goldman (The New York Times), Eric Lichtblau (The New York Times), Michael S. Schmidt (The New York Times)

Legal orders →: 2703(d) court order for communications or work product

Jan. 1, 2020: Pending

Unknown date: Carried out
Legal order target →: Third-party: Unknown (telecom company)
Legal order venue →: Federal

Wife of Georgia county commissioner dumps drink on reporter’s head, soaking her and her equipment

Incident Details

Updated on: July 10, 2023
Date of incident: December 13, 2019
Location: Chattooga County, Georgia
Targets: Casie Bryant (AllOnGeorgia)

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

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

Subpoena issued for journalist’s Twitter communication

Incident Details

Updated on: June 18, 2020
Date of incident: December 12, 2019
Location: Charlottesville, Virginia
Targets: Charles Davis (Freelance)

Legal orders →: subpoena for communications or work product

Dec. 12, 2019: Pending

June 18, 2020: Dropped
Legal order target →: Third-party: Twitter (tech company)
Legal order venue →: Federal

Using obscure legal justification, NYPD subpoenas reporter's records

Incident Details

Date of incident: December 9, 2019
Location: New York, New York
Targets: New York Post

Legal orders →: subpoena for communications or work product

Dec. 9, 2019: Pending

Feb. 13, 2020: Dropped
Legal order target →: Third-party: Twitter (tech company)
Legal order venue →: State

TV stations in Washington state, Montana hit with cyberattack

Incident Details

Date of incident: December 8, 2019
Location: Multiple
Targets: Cowles Co.

Other Incident

Man arrested after assaulting reporter during live broadcast

Incident Details

Updated on: September 1, 2020
Date of incident: December 7, 2019
Location: Savannah, Georgia
Targets: Alex Bozarjian (WSAV-TV)

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

Police officer charged with leaking information to Florida newspaper

Incident Details

Date of incident: December 6, 2019
Location: Sunrise, Florida

Alleged recipient of leak →: South Florida Sun-Sentinel
Charged under Espionage Act →: No

Restauranteur steals reporter’s cellphones during interview

Incident Details

Date of incident: December 5, 2019
Location: Phoenix, Arizona
Targets: Priscilla Totiyapungprasert (Arizona Republic)

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

Equipment damaged →: Cellphone, 2
Actor →: Public figure

Indiana governor sends cease and desist letters to news outlets following investigative report

Incident Details

Date of incident: November 29, 2019
Location: Indianapolis, Indiana
Targets: Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting, The Indianapolis Star

Chilling Statement

Broadcast reporter attacked, camera damaged while reporting in Florida

Incident Details

Updated on: October 26, 2021
Date of incident: November 28, 2019
Location: North Fort Myers, Florida
Targets: Delia D’Ambra (WBBH-TV)

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

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

Spokesman-Review subpoenaed in defamation lawsuit

Incident Details

Date of incident: November 25, 2019
Location: Spokane, Washington
Targets: The Spokesman-Review

Legal orders →: subpoena for communications or work product

Nov. 25, 2019: Pending

June 1, 2021: Objected to

Jan. 10, 2023: Quashed

subpoena for communications or work product

Nov. 25, 2019: Pending

June 1, 2021: Objected to

Jan. 10, 2023: Upheld

Unknown date: Carried out
Legal order target →: Institution
Legal order venue →: State