U.S. Press Freedom Tracker
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Screenshot of anonymous New York Times op-ed
  • Chilling Statement

Trump tells DOJ to investigate author of anonymous op-ed criticizing him

September 7, 2018
“I would say [Attorney General Jeff Sessions] should be investigating who the author of that piece was,” Trump told reporters on Air Force One.
Russia Today logo
  • Other Incident

RT America compelled to register as ‘foreign agent’ by Department of Justice

November 10, 2017
RT America, an American cable channel that is part of a global television network funded by the Russian government, was …
Jeff Sessions speaks at briefing on leaks
  • Chilling Statement

Attorney general considers making it easier to subpoena journalists

August 4, 2017
‘We respect the important role that the press plays, and we’ll give them respect, but it is not unlimited,’ Sessions said. ‘They cannot place lives at risk with impunity.’
sessions
  • Chilling Statement

Attorney General has repeatedly refused to rule out prosecuting or jailing journalists

April 21, 2017
After the Justice Department indicated it planned on pursuing WikiLeaks and its publisher with criminal charges, Attorney General Jeff Sessions …
REUTERS/Eric Thayer
  • Chilling Statement

The Justice Department and CIA threatens legal action against WikiLeaks for publishing

April 20, 2017
After reports in April 2017 indicated that the Justice Department would seek to prosecute WikiLeaks and its editor Julian Assange …
Donald Trump greets James Comey
  • Chilling Statement

Trump reportedly urges FBI director James Comey to jail journalists

February 14, 2017
During an Oval Office meeting on Feb. 14, 2017, President Trump allegedly asked James Comey, then the FBI director, to …

Category Results

Total Results 6
Journalists affected 0
Institutions affected 3

Planning to cite the Tracker?

Using U.S. Press Freedom Tracker incidents or number counts in an article or paper? We’re happy to answer questions about methodology and guide you through the database so you get the most accurate information for your needs. Email: [email protected]

How we track Arrests And Criminal Charges

Journalists arrested and taken into custody and/or charged with a crime. Journalists who are still facing charges as of August 2, 2017 are included in this category even if the charges were filed in a previous year. 

How we track Border Stops

Journalists stopped at the border and subjected to prolonged, invasive questioning or who have their electronic devices searched or are asked to provide passwords. We count border stops even if we are unable to draw a direct connection between the stop and the journalist’s work activities, because the resistance of U.S. authorities to provide information makes it extremely difficult to identify the motive and because invasive questioning or device searches could jeopardize source confidentiality no matter the motive. Not every stop at the border is a press freedom violation, but we believe it is essential to capture patterns related to these stops. This category also includes cases where journalists are prevented from entering the country if it appears that their inability to enter the country is related to their work.

How we track Subpoenas And Legal Orders

Subpoenas or legal orders requiring journalists to testify in court or produce journalistic records or work product. This category also includes orders targeted at third parties who have access to journalistic records or work product. Because many subpoenas are not publicly reported and legal orders for journalist records are conducted with high levels of secrecy, the numbers in this category are likely to underestimate actual cases.

How we track Leak Cases

Government employees or contractors investigated or prosecuted for disclosing information to journalists or media platforms. This category does not include leak cases where information was not leaked to the media.

How we track Equipment Searches And Seizures

Journalists’ equipment searched or seized by law enforcement in the course of their work.

How we track Physical Attacks

Journalists who face physical violence, either as the result of a targeted attack by a public or private individual or in the course of their work. If a journalist is hit by rubber bullets or bean bag rounds, it will be counted in this category.

Damage to equipment is counted in a separate "Equipment Damage" category, but may be also listed in this Physical Attack category if the damage occurs with an attack.

Journalists affected by tear gas, pepper spray, or other mass riot control agents will be counted if the individual suffers serious injury or appears to have been specifically targeted. Incidents that fall outside these parameters and in which multiple journalists were affected by riot control agents may be counted in the “Other” category.

How we track Denials Of Access

Denial of access to government events that are traditionally open or attended by the press and where the denial of access either deprives the public of significant information, appears to be retaliatory, or is done without meaningful justification. Concrete changes in policy or practice to restrict or deny access may also be included in this category.

Denial of access to individuals in some cases, such as where the available space limits the number of journalists allowed to attend or where individuals arguing for access do not meet reasonable standards for credentials, can be seen as meaningful justifications and will not be included.

How we track Chilling Statements

Selected public threats made to reporters and media organizations by U.S. politicians and other public figures, which can have a chilling effect on journalism.

FEATURED STORY

From ‘fake news’ to ‘enemy of the people’: An Anatomy of Trump’s tweets

From June 16, 2015, when Donald Trump declared his candidacy for president, to today, where he sits as leader of the free world, every tweet in which he mentions the media, individual journalists, news outlets, or journalistic sources in a negative tone is being tracked in a database.


Contributor Stephanie Sugars, who created that database with the Committee to Protect Journalists and manages its ongoing accounting, explored rhetoric from the first two years of Trump’s presidency in a blog post.

As the president continues to communicate through Twitter, this live database offers a continued tracking.

How we track Other Incidents

Incidents that fall outside of the other categories, but reach a threshold of interest as determined by editorial discretion. Incidents that may be counted in this category include threats, harassment, detentions that do not result in charges or arrest, clearly abusive lawsuits, and vandalism.

How we track Prior Restraints

News organizations or journalists who are ordered by a judge not to publish information under threat of punishment

How we track Equipment Damage

Damage to a journalist's equipment or property, either as the result of a targeted attack by a public or private individual or in the course of their work.

All Categories

  • Arrest / Criminal Charge
  • Border Stop
  • Chilling Statement
  • Denial of Access
  • Equipment Search or Seizure
  • Equipment Damage
  • Leak Case
  • Physical Attack
  • Prior Restraint
  • Subpoena / Legal Order
  • Other Incident

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is led by the Freedom of the Press Foundation and the Committee to Protect Journalists, in collaboration with leading press freedom groups.

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