Incident Database

Download dataset

Download full dataset 2,528 incidents Download your filtered data 53 incidents

Category

General

Search terms

Took place after

Took place before

City

State

Targeted any of these journalists

Targeted institutions

Has any of these tags

Case number

Legal case statuses

Type of case

Arrest/Criminal Charge

Arrest status

Status of charges

Charges

Unnecessary use of force?

Yes

No

Arresting authority

Assault

Assailant

Was journalist targeted?

Unknown

Yes

No

Border Stop

Border point

Stopped previously?

Yes

No

Target nationality

US citizenship status

Denied entry?

Yes

No

Did authorities ask intrusive questions about journalist's work?

Unknown

Yes

No

Did authorities ask for device access?

Unknown

Yes

No

Denial of Access

Government agency or public official involved

Type of denial

Equipment Damage

Equipment broken

Actor

Equipment Search or Seizure

Status of equipment

Equipment searched or seized

Search warrant obtained?

Yes

No

Leak Case

Alleged recipient of leak

Charged under Espionage Act?

Yes

No

Prior Restraint

Status of prior restraint

Mistakenly released materials?

Yes

No

Subpoena/Legal Order

Legal order type

Legal order target

Information requested in legal order

Legal order status

Legal order venue

Third party business

53 incidents recorded for ‘COVID.’

Sort by

⇅ Newest incident date

Incident

Incident Details

Category Details

Knoxville News Sentinel says reporter barred from coronavirus Zoom press briefing in apparent retaliation

Incident Details

Date of incident: May 8, 2020
Location: Knoxville, Tennessee
Targets: Vincent Gabrielle (Knoxville News Sentinel)

Government agency or public official involved →: Local government: Agency
Type of denial →: Government event

Photojournalist cited for blocking the road while covering LA homeless camp cleanup

Incident Details

Date of incident: May 7, 2020
Location: Los Angeles, California
Targets: Glenna Gordon (The New York Times Magazine)

Arrest status →: Arrested and released
Arresting authority →: Los Angeles Police Department
Charges →: Traffic violation: blocking a roadway

May 7, 2020: Charges pending

Aug. 4, 2020: Charges dropped
Unnecessary use of force? →: No

Vice President's office reportedly threatens censure over tweet

Incident Details

Date of incident: April 30, 2020
Location: Washington, District of Columbia
Targets: Steve Herman (Voice of America)

Chilling Statement

Judge rules in favor of Minnesota journalist barred from COVID-19 briefing calls

Incident Details

Date of incident: April 28, 2020
Location: St. Paul, Minnesota
Targets: Scott Johnson (Power Line)

Government agency or public official involved →: State government: Agency
Type of denial →: Change in policy or practice, Government event, Press credential or media list

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

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

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

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

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

Court denies motion to quash subpoena against journalist working on book about 1993 NY murder

Incident Details

Updated on: November 16, 2021
Date of incident: January 29, 2020
Location: Lockport, New York
Targets: Samantha Christmann (Freelance)

Legal orders →: subpoena for other testimony

Jan. 29, 2020: Pending

June 1, 2020: Objected to

Jan. 21, 2021: Upheld

Nov. 16, 2021: Dropped
Legal order target →: Journalist
Legal order venue →: State

Journalists subpoenaed in criminal case involving intimidation, blackmail of the news organizations

Incident Details

Updated on: April 15, 2021
Date of incident: September 10, 2019
Location: Independence, Kansas
Targets: Andy Taylor (Montgomery County Chronicle), Josh Umholtz (Independence Daily Reporter), Independence Daily Reporter

Legal orders →: subpoena for other testimony

Sept. 10, 2019: Pending

April 15, 2021: Dropped
Legal order target →: Journalist
Legal order venue →: State

Treasury employee charged with leaking details of Manafort's suspicious bank transactions to BuzzFeed News

Incident Details

Updated on: January 24, 2022
Date of incident: October 16, 2018
Location: Washington, District of Columbia

Alleged recipient of leak →: Jason Leopold (BuzzFeed News)
Charged under Espionage Act →: No

Capital Gazette doors shattered by armed gunman

Incident Details

Date of incident: June 28, 2018
Location: Annapolis, Maryland
Targets: Capital Gazette

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