first_published_at,last_published_at,title,slug,latest_revision_created_at,charges,legal_orders,updates,categories,links,equipment_seized,equipment_broken,targeted_journalists,authors,date,exact_date_unknown,city,state,latitude,longitude,body,introduction,teaser,teaser_image,primary_video,image_caption,arrest_status,arresting_authority,release_date,detention_date,unnecessary_use_of_force,case_number,case_statuses,case_type,status_of_seized_equipment,is_search_warrant_obtained,actor,border_point,target_us_citizenship_status,denial_of_entry,stopped_previously,did_authorities_ask_for_device_access,did_authorities_ask_about_work,assailant,was_journalist_targeted,charged_under_espionage_act,subpoena_type,subpoena_statuses,name_of_business,third_party_business,legal_order_target,legal_order_type,legal_order_venue,status_of_prior_restraint,mistakenly_released_materials,type_of_denial,targeted_institutions,tags,target_nationality,workers_whose_communications_were_obtained,politicians_or_public_figures_involved 2023-12-08 19:26:07.869950+00:00,2024-03-14 16:11:44.573800+00:00,Top state legal officers warn outlets against giving ‘material support’ to Hamas,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/top-state-legal-officers-warn-outlets-against-giving-material-support-to-hamas/,2024-03-14 16:11:44.488501+00:00,,,,Chilling Statement,,,,,,2023-12-04,False,Multiple,None,None,None,"
Over a dozen Republican state attorneys general sent a letter on Dec. 4, 2023, to the heads of The Associated Press, CNN, The New York Times and Reuters warning them that employing allegedly Hamas-affiliated freelancers would be a state and federal crime.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird was joined by her counterparts in Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Montana, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and West Virginia.
“We, the chief legal officers of our respective States, also remind you that providing material support to terrorists and terror organizations is a crime,” the letter read.
The letter cited “reports” alleging that the outlets had employed freelance journalists who had ties to the armed Palestinian militant group and prior knowledge of its Oct. 7 attack against Israel as the basis for the accusations, but only included a hyperlink to since-debunked claims pushed by pro-Israel watchdog group HonestReporting.
The attorneys general wrote that hiring stringers, correspondents, contractors or other employees with connections to Hamas is a means of funding terrorists, and asserted that the outlets have a “long record of paying terrorists and possible terrorists for their work.”
The letter also highlighted that “material support” for terrorist groups — both a federal and state crime — can include “writing and distributing publications supporting the organization.” It did not elaborate on what would be considered support, potentially chilling any reporting that does not unequivocally condemn Hamas or unilaterally support Israel.
The attorneys general urged the outlets to reevaluate hiring practices and warned that they would be watching.
“We will continue to follow your reporting to ensure that your organizations do not violate any federal or State laws by giving material support to terrorists abroad,” the letter stated. “Now your organizations are on notice. Follow the law.”
Sen. Tom Cotton, an Arkansas Republican, also alluded to HonestReporting’s claims in a Nov. 9 letter calling on the U.S. Justice Department to open a national security investigation into the news outlets.
Similarly, a group of a dozen House Republicans, joined by two Democrats, sent a letter to Reuters citing the claims on Nov. 21, and asked the outlet how its freelancers became aware of the Oct. 7 attack and whether the journalists or Reuters had prior knowledge of the planned assault.
On Dec. 7, a group of 15 House Republicans sent their own letter to the AP, CNN, the Times and Reuters citing the claims. The letter asked that the media organizations provide detailed information on each of the six journalists identified by HonestReporting — including their nationalities and employment status — as well as communications, phone logs and financial records between the freelancers and the outlets prior to and since Oct. 7.
The four news outlets previously denied having any prior knowledge of the Oct. 7 attack and defended their reporting. The Times stood by its decision to work with freelancer Yousef Masoud, stating that there was no basis for HonestReporting’s claims. However, CNN and the AP suspended their relationship with freelance photojournalist Hassan Eslaiah, according to the Times. Eslaiah told the outlet that he had no prior knowledge of the attack and had no ties to Hamas.
Freedom of the Press Foundation, which oversees the operation of the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, characterized HonestReporting’s claims as a “malicious disinformation campaign” that endangers the lives of journalists covering the war.
“It’s a virtual certainty that, despite HonestReporting’s about-face, its nonsense report will be cited to justify past and future attacks against journalists in what’s already by far the deadliest war for the press in modern memory,” FPF Advocacy Director Seth Stern wrote.
Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird, center, led a coalition of state attorneys general in a Dec. 4, 2023, letter putting four news outlets “on notice” that employing allegedly Hamas-affiliated freelancers constitutes “material support” for terrorists.
",None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,None,None,None,None,None,None,None,False,[],"CNN, Reuters, The Associated Press, The New York Times",Israel-Gaza war,,, 2023-11-13 20:28:18.796967+00:00,2024-03-14 16:11:02.217229+00:00,Senator calls on Justice Department to investigate news outlets,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/senator-calls-on-justice-department-to-investigate-news-outlets/,2024-03-14 16:11:02.138311+00:00,,,,Chilling Statement,,,,,,2023-11-09,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"Sen. Tom Cotton on Nov. 9, 2023, called for the Justice Department to investigate multiple news outlets for their alleged employment of Hamas-affiliated journalists in the Gaza Strip.
The Arkansas Republican, in a letter to the U.S. attorney general, alleged that The Associated Press, CNN, The New York Times and Reuters had employed freelance journalists who had ties to the armed Palestinian militant group and prior knowledge of its Oct. 7 attack against Israel. The senator cited unspecified “reports” as the basis for his accusations, in apparent reference to since-debunked claims pushed by pro-Israel watchdog group HonestReporting.
“Providing material support or assistance, including funding, to a terrorist organization such as Hamas is a federal crime,” Cotton wrote. “The Department of Justice must immediately open a national security investigation into these four media outlets to determine whether they or their leadership committed federal crimes by supporting Hamas terrorists.”
In additional letters to each of the news outlets, Cotton asked how many journalists employed by the news organizations were embedded with Hamas on Oct. 7 and how many are currently embedded. He also asked the outlets for an itemized total of their “funding” to Hamas and affiliates in Gaza over the past five years.
The four news outlets categorically denied having any prior knowledge of the Oct. 7 attack and defended their reporting. The Times stood by its decision to work with freelancer Yousef Masoud, writing in a statement that there was no basis for HonestReporting’s claims.
“Our review of his work shows that he was doing what photojournalists always do during major news events, documenting the tragedy as it unfolded,” the statement read. “We are gravely concerned that unsupported accusations and threats to freelancers endangers them and undermines work that serves the public interest.”
Both CNN and AP said, however, they have suspended their relationship with freelance photojournalist Hassan Eslaiah, according to the Times. Eslaiah told the outlet that he had no prior knowledge of the attack and had no ties to Hamas.
Freedom of the Press Foundation, which oversees the operation of the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, characterized HonestReporting’s claims as a “malicious disinformation campaign” that endangers the lives of journalists covering the war.
“It’s a virtual certainty that, despite HonestReporting’s about-face, its nonsense report will be cited to justify past and future attacks against journalists in what’s already by far the deadliest war for the press in modern memory,” FPF Advocacy Director Seth Stern wrote.
Cotton’s office did not respond to a voicemail requesting comment as of press time.
Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, seen here ahead of a briefing in Washington, D.C., in April 2023, wrote a Nov. 9 letter to the U.S. attorney general calling for an investigation into four news outlets for allegedly employing Hamas-affiliated freelancers.
",None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,None,None,None,None,None,None,None,False,[],"CNN, Reuters, The Associated Press, The New York Times",Israel-Gaza war,,, 2022-08-16 18:45:23.885706+00:00,2023-06-28 18:59:29.448184+00:00,Subpoena for CNN footage quashed in criminal case against Capitol rioter,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/subpoena-for-cnn-footage-quashed-in-criminal-case-against-capitol-rioter/,2023-06-28 18:59:29.320095+00:00,,LegalOrder object (192),,Subpoena/Legal Order,,,,,,2022-07-25,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"CNN was served a criminal trial subpoena on July 25, 2022, by a defendant facing charges stemming from his alleged participation in the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. The subpoena, which sought approximately two hours of raw footage from an interview with a Capitol Police officer, was subsequently quashed.
According to court filings reviewed by the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, defendant Kyle Fitzsimons is facing an 11-count indictment and is accused of having attacked multiple law enforcement officers near the Capitol’s Lower West Terrace.
CNN broadcasted an interview with two Capitol Police officers on June 4, one of whom is believed to have been assaulted by Fitzsimons. The subpoena — which was issued on July 20, 2022, and served five days later — requests “any and all raw footage” from the officer’s interview.
According to CNN’s motion to quash the subpoena, the officer does not mention Fitzsimons by name and Fitzsimons does not appear in any of the footage.
CNN attempted to narrow the request for only the telecast footage but Fitzsimons’ counsel declined. The outlet did not respond to requests for comment as of press time.
The outlet’s Aug. 10 motion to quash argued that the subpoena was a “fishing expedition,” and that Fitzsimons has no reason to believe that the outtakes from the interview will help his defense when the alleged acts were captured by Capitol surveillance cameras and the officers’ body cams.
“Allowing speculative discovery of the press here, on the basis that an unsworn statement in unpublished newsgathering information might theoretically become useful to the defense for purposes of impeachment, would expose a host of media organizations to similar speculative subpoenas in similar January 6 prosecutions,” the motion stated. “That would undeniably chill news reporting about this topic of clear national importance — the ‘violent breach of the Capitol’ that ‘was a grave danger to our democracy.’”
District Judge Rudolph Contreras ruled in favor of CNN on Aug. 14, finding that while Fitzsimons was able to specifically name the material sought, he failed to justify the request with more than hopes of what might be found in the outtakes.
Fitzsimons’ trial is scheduled to begin on Aug. 16.
A portion of the subpoena issued to CNN seeking approximately two hours of raw footage from an interview with a Capitol Police officer in connection with the criminal trial of a Capitol rioter.
",None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,journalist communications or work product,['QUASHED'],None,None,Institution,None,Federal,None,False,None,CNN,"election, Election 2020",,, 2022-06-03 17:38:14.481345+00:00,2022-06-14 19:26:59.606340+00:00,Journalists covering mass shootings report harassment and threats of arrest,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/journalists-covering-mass-shootings-report-harassment-and-threats-of-arrest/,2022-06-14 19:26:59.516145+00:00,,,,Other Incident,,,,"Julian Gill (Houston Chronicle), Shimon Prokupecz (CNN), Matthew Friedman (CNN), Connor Sheets (Los Angeles Times)",,2022-06-01,False,Multiple,None,None,None,"While covering the aftermath of two recent mass shootings, journalists have reported hurdles to their news coverage, including harassment and threats of arrest by law enforcement.
On May 24, a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. About a week after, on June 1, a CNN crew visited the Uvalde school district headquarters, where police officers told the journalists they were trespassing and threatened to arrest them if they stepped back on the property. Correspondent Shimon Prokupecz recorded the interaction with Producer Matthew Friedman and posted the video on Twitter:
The school district office called the police to ask the media to leave their property. pic.twitter.com/uhwWLZe3ya
— Shimon Prokupecz (@ShimonPro) June 1, 2022
The following day, on June 2, Houston Chronicle reporter Julian Gill tweeted a video showing members of Guardians of the Children biker club following and surrounding him outside of the funeral of one of the children killed in the shooting. Gill also reported that the individuals attempted to physically obstruct cameras within the designated areas.
Several members of this biker club, Guardians of the Children, just followed, blocked and surrounded me as I tried to approach the cemetery to meet a photographer. One member says they’re working with police: “They asked us to be here.”
— Julian Gill (@JulianGi11) June 2, 2022
Short post: https://t.co/OfZCAZbUZx pic.twitter.com/5d6wsLKQ0k
According to Newsweek, the Uvalde Police Department reportedly asked members of at least three biker groups to keep journalists “in line” during a funeral for one of the victims.
In a statement to the outlet, a board member of Guardians of the Children, one of the groups gathered outside Rushing-Estes-Knowles Mortuary, denied the group obstructed anyone or that they were asked to be there by law enforcement.
On June 3, the Texas Tribune reported that Uvalde City Hall locked its doors during regular business hours and refused to “immediately provide any public records to reporters.” According to the Tribune, the move came as residents and journalists aim to hold Pete Arredondo, the chief of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Department, accountable for waiting more than an hour for backup instead of immediately ordering officers to charge the gunman inside Robb Elementary School.
Nearly two weeks before the Uvalde school shooting, a gunman killed 10 people in a Buffalo, New York, supermarket. Los Angeles Times reporter Connor Sheets said he was in Conklin, New York, a few days after the shooting when Sheriff’s deputies escorted him away from the alleged shooter's high school. The next day, deputies demanded that he also leave the school district’s central office and once again escorted him away from the building. "This restriction of media access seems to be part of the post-mass-shooting playbook," Sheets wrote in a tweet.
Two days after the Buffalo shooting, police demanded I leave and escorted me away from the alleged shooter's (closed) high school. They did so again the next day at the school district office. This restriction of media access seems to be part of the post-mass-shooting playbook. https://t.co/EpzgoZu8Hu
— Connor Sheets (@ConnorASheets) June 2, 2022
“These kinds of practices limit access to public information and can make it harder for journalists to do their jobs,” Sheets told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker.
A media area is designated during a May 28, 2022, gathering to remember victims of a mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas. Journalists report harassment and threats of arrest while covering the aftermath of gun violence.
",None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,None,,,,, 2021-10-22 14:03:33.476822+00:00,2022-08-04 21:39:26.921165+00:00,Man who threatened CNN and ABC anchors pleads guilty to federal charge,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/man-who-threatened-cnn-and-abc-anchors-pleads-guilty-to-federal-charge/,2022-08-04 21:39:26.784942+00:00,,,"(2021-12-20 12:46:00+00:00) Man who threatened CNN and ABC anchors, politicians sentenced to three years in prison",Other Incident,,,,"George Stephanopoulos (ABC News), Brian Stelter (CNN), Don Lemon (CNN)",,2021-10-15,False,New York,New York (NY),None,None,"A California man pleaded guilty on Oct. 15, 2021 to a federal charge of sending threatening messages to a family member of a journalist reported to be George Stephanopoulos of ABC News. His indictment revealed the man had also messaged nearly 50 politicians and journalists, among them Brian Stelter of CNN.
According to the Department of Justice, Robert Lemke was arrested and charged on Jan. 26 by federal prosecutors with making threatening interstate communications to multiple victims from November 2020 through early January 2021.
Prosecutors said Lemke was angered by the results of the 2020 presidential election and allegedly sent threatening text messages to reporters, their family members and to Democratic New York Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, among others.
“Rather than peaceably disagree, Lemke allegedly threatened to harm those individuals’ families, demanding they retract their statements,” Manhattan U.S. Attorney Audrey Strauss said.
Prosecutors said Lemke used at least three different phone numbers and various electronic accounts in an attempt to mask his identity when sending the threatening messages.
Following Lemke’s guilty plea, Stelter revealed on his CNN talk show Reliable Sources on Oct. 17 that he was who prosecutors had labeled as “victim-1” in Lemke’s indictment. According to Stelter, Lemke sent him and his brother a series of text messages, including one that read, “You can either choose to dig the hole deeper or stop digging. Because we're not fu***** around.”
Stelter said on his program that in addition to those messages, Lemke sent voice messages and a picture of his father's gravesite before moving on to other victims, which Stelter said included other CNN journalists, politicians and a nonprofit CEO. He did not respond to a request for comment.
In thanking the FBI and prosecutors for their work, Stelter said harassment of journalists was pervasive.
“Threats and harassment hinder a free press,” he said. “So many reporters have stories like this one. They’re usually all bottled up, never shared with the public and never prosecuted by authorities. But this case, with dozens of victims, can be a statement.”
While the indictment does not name ABC chief anchor and Good Morning America co-host Stephanopoulos as one of Lemke’s victims, The New York Times reported that Lemke sent text messages to a relative of Stephanopoulos that read “Your brother is putting your entire family at risk with his lies and other words. We are armed and nearby your house.”
Lemke's sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 14, 2021. He faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
CNN senior national correspondent Miguel Marquez and his news team were harassed and assaulted by a group of individuals while documenting protests in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, on April 14, 2021. The journalists ultimately had to leave the area.
Demonstrators had gathered in front of the Brooklyn Center Police Department to demand justice in the killing of Daunte Wright, a Black man, who was fatally shot by a white police officer on April 11.
CNN’s public relations office declined to make Marquez or members of the news crew available for comment, but Marquez spoke about the incident during a segment on Reliable Sources, the outlet’s weekly program about the media hosted by Brian Stelter.
“There were a few protesters at the gates to the police station yelling at the police,” Marquez said. “And also then there was the phalanx of law enforcement behind the gates, and we wanted to sort of show all of that in our live shots.”
The crew had moved over, Marquez said, to accommodate the wishes of some of the protesters who said they did not want to be filmed.
“And then another smaller group of protesters came around and started sort of shouting us down,” he said. “They wanted us to move to a place where we couldn’t see the protesters that were taunting the police, and that’s when this water bottle gets thrown at one of our guys.”
Washington Examiner reporter Nicholas Rowan captured that moment in a clip, which he posted to Twitter shortly before 8 p.m.
Protesters throw a water bottle at a CNN crew member and hit him square on the head. They mock him when he falls down. pic.twitter.com/cBfRN9DJOj
— Nic Rowan (@NicXTempore) April 15, 2021
After the bottle hits the crew member squarely in the head, he stumbles backward and appears to trip on the curb, falling to the ground. At least one individual can be heard mocking him for falling, while another calls for a medic.
“We started trying to figure out how to make an exit because it was just getting too intense there. But we didn’t want to look like we were running,” Marquez said. “That’s when somebody hit me with a water bottle and then we just started moving toward our cars.”
Marquez said that as the news crew left, multiple individuals continued to pelt them with whatever objects that they could find until they were able to get into their cars and leave the area. Rowan continued to film as the crew left just after 8 p.m.; in his clip, individuals can be seen throwing objects, including what appear to be eggs, at the crew.
In a tweet posted at 9:45 p.m., Marquez wrote that he and his team were fine and that they would continue to cover the response to Wright’s death.
My team and I are fine and I appreciate your concern. I hope for equal justice under the law and will continue to report on this vital story as it unfolds.
— Miguel Marquez (@miguelmarquez) April 15, 2021
“I cannot blame them for being angry,” Marquez told Stelter. “But a lot of people are very angry, suspicious of the press, the corporate media. All those things come into it at these places.”
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker documents journalists assaulted, arrested, struck by crowd control ammunition or tear gas or who had their equipment damaged in the course of reporting. Find all incidents related to Black Lives Matter and anti-police brutality protests here.
CNN producer Carolyn Sung was thrown to the ground and arrested by Minnesota State Patrol troopers while documenting protests in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, on April 13, 2021.
Demonstrators had gathered in front of the Brooklyn Center Police Department to demand justice in the killing of Daunte Wright, a Black man, who was fatally shot by a white police officer on April 11.
According to a letter sent by attorneys to Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and other local officials and signed by more than two dozen news and advocacy organizations, Sung had been attempting to comply with a dispersal order when “troopers grabbed Sung by her backpack and threw her to the ground, zip-tying her hands behind her back.”
“Sung did not resist and repeatedly identified herself as a journalist working for CNN and showed her credentials,” the letter continued. Troopers also reportedly ignored her complaints that the zip ties were too tight on her wrists.
At one point, the letter alleges, a trooper yelled at Sung, “Do you speak English?”
“Sung, whose primary language is English, was placed in a prisoner-transport bus and sent to the Hennepin County Jail, where she was patted down and searched by a female officer who put her hands down Sung’s pants and in her bra, fingerprinted, electronically body-scanned, and ordered to strip and put on an orange uniform before attorneys working on her behalf were able to locate her and secure her release, a process that took more than two hours,” the letter said.
The letter also stated that a security guard accompanying Sung was briefly detained, but was released upon showing his credentials.
CNN’s public relations office declined to make Sung available for comment, and the Minnesota State Patrol did not respond to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker’s emailed request for comment as of press time. The status of her arrest and any charges remain unknown.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker documents journalists assaulted, arrested, struck by crowd-control ammunition or tear gas or who had their equipment damaged in the course of reporting. Find all incidents related to Black Lives Matter and anti-police brutality protests here.
Law enforcement at a protest on April 13, 2021, in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, after the killing of Daunte Wright by a police officer. CNN producer Carolyn Sung was violently arrested while documenting the protest.
",detained and released without being processed,Minnesota State Patrol,None,None,True,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,law enforcement,unknown,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,[],,"Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter 1 year, Black Lives Matter 2021, protest",,, 2021-01-18 17:06:20.607328+00:00,2022-08-04 21:31:02.340810+00:00,CNN correspondent says he was pushed by senator’s aide,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/cnn-correspondent-says-he-was-pushed-by-senators-aide/,2022-08-04 21:31:02.211142+00:00,,,,Assault,,,,Manu Raju (CNN),,2021-01-06,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"CNN Senior Congressional Correspondent Manu Raju was pushed aside in the Senate chamber by a senator’s aide while covering the insurrection in and around the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
President Donald Trump spoke at a noon rally that day in front of the White House, promoting false claims of election fraud and calling for his supporters to march to the Capitol where lawmakers were certifying the victory of President-elect Joe Biden, reported the New York Times. Following the rally, pro-Trump supporters violently stormed the Capitol, disrupting congressional action and occupying several areas within the building.
Raju, who had been tweeting about Georgia's Senate runoffs the day prior, was covering events in the Senate chamber when Georgia Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler entered the room. According to Raju's tweet at 1:03 p.m., "[Loeffler] wouldn’t answer my question about whether she thought it was a free and fair election last night.” He wrote her aide then elbowed and pushed him out of the way.
Kelly Loeffler entered Senate chamber and wouldn’t answer my question about whether she thought it was a free and fair election last night. Her aide elbowed me and pushed me out of way.
— Manu Raju (@mkraju) January 6, 2021
A Capitol police officer reprimanded the aide, who initially lied and said he didn’t push me
Loeffler lost her reelection to Rev. Raphael Warnock earlier that day.
When Raju confronted the aide, he said he did not push Raju, but a Capitol police officer said, "Yes you did. I saw you. You can’t just push someone out of the way,” according to Raju's second tweet about the incident. The aide then apologized.
CNN video producer DJ Judd confirmed Raju's account in a tweet at 1:05 p.m., "When reprimanded by Capitol Police, the aide lied, said he didn’t push Manu."
An aide to Sen Loeffler just pushed @mkraju out of the way after she refused to answer if the election she lost last night was free & fair— when reprimanded by Capitol Police, the aide lied, said he didn’t push Manu. When Capitol Police told aide they saw him, the aide apologized
— DJ Judd (@DJJudd) January 6, 2021
Raju and Sen. Loeffler’s office did not respond to emailed requests for comment.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is documenting assaults, arrests and other incidents involving journalists covering protests across the country. Find election-related coverage here.
CNN photojournalist Ronnie McCray was assaulted by a rioter while covering the insurrection in and around the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, according to a news report.
Trump spoke at noon at a rally in front of the White House in response to the congressional certification of President-elect Joe Biden, promoting false claims of election fraud and calling for his supporters to march to the Capitol. After the rally, thousands of pro-Trump supporters waving Confederate and Trump flags violently stormed the Capitol, disrupting and occupying several areas within the building.
CNN reporter Alexander Marquardt tweeted shortly after 3 p.m. that “protesters swarmed and mobbed” his news team — including McCray — after discovering that they worked for CNN.
Protesters swarmed and mobbed my team at the Capitol after figuring out who we are. Extremely aggressive, had to get out fast.
— Alexander Marquardt (@MarquardtA) January 6, 2021
The Daily Beast reported that at one point a member of the mob assaulted McCray and smacked his camera; another individual got between the CNN team and the mob and told them they should leave before they got hurt.
In footage captured by McCray and posted on Twitter by Marquardt on Jan. 8, rioters can be heard booing the news team and shouting, “Get out of here, motherfuckers,” “Traitors” and “There’s more of us than you… We could absolutely fucking destroy you.”
“I was very afraid for my safety and my team’s,” Marquardt told The Daily Beast. “We were vastly outnumbered, surrounded, with no real escape route. We’re lucky we got out physically unscathed, just shaken, and our camera was hit. I’ve covered parliaments stormed, foreign coups, riots and protests across the Middle East and this was by far the most universally hostile crowd I’ve been in. In the city that I call home.”
As of press time, McCray had not responded to a message requesting comment.
The Tracker documents assaults, arrests and other incidents involving journalists covering protests across the country. Find election-related coverage here.
A CNN news crew was harassed and its camera damaged while filming unrest in Atlanta, Georgia, on June 13, 2020.
Correspondent Natasha Chen and her crew were filming that evening outside a Wendy’s in South Atlanta, the site where 27-year-old Rayshard Brooks had been fatally shot by Atlanta police the night before and the impetus for reignited protests in the city against police violence and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement.
When Chen, a producer, two photojournalists and a security guard arrived at the Wendy’s, she told CNN anchor Wolf Blitzer in an on-air segment later that night, several people were throwing objects at the restaurant’s windows, while another attempted to set fire to an umbrella on the restaurant’s patio area. With the windows smashed, Chen reported, some people were also entering the restaurant.
“We were trying to get video of what was happening and there were protesters very angry that we were recording this and tried to block our cameras,” she told Blitzer.
When contacted for comment, CNN referred the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker to Chen’s on-air statements made in the incident’s aftermath.
In a video Chen posted on Twitter of the scene, people can be heard shouting, “Block the camera,” while one waves their hand in front of the lens to try to obstruct filming. In her tweet, Chen wrote that the people trying to block the photojournalists ended up “taking a skateboard to that camera.”
More from the moments right after that, when people had broken in. pic.twitter.com/H3N5yLz5MT
— Natasha Chen (@NatashaChenCNN) June 14, 2020
Speaking to Blitzer, Chen described the camera as “broken” following the assault. Footage broadcast by CNN during Chen’s call with Blitzer showed hands holding a skateboard trying to block a camera before the camera began to shake wildly.
“I was trying to record cellphone video while the photojournalist was recording video on his camera. The next thing I know, I’m turning around, I see these two protesters really going after the camera and that’s when I was told that we should get out of there,” she said.
Following the incident, Chen and her crew left the Wendy’s. That night, the restaurant was set on fire. In July, it was torn down.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is documenting several hundred incidents of journalists being assaulted, arrested, struck by crowd control ammunition or tear gas or having their equipment damaged while covering protests across the country. Find these incidents here.
A Wendy’s fast food restaurant burns in Atlanta on June 13, 2020, following a rally against racial inequality and the police shooting death of Rayshard Brooks.
",None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,private individual,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,None,CNN,"Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter 1 year, Black Lives Matter 2020, protest",,, 2020-12-22 19:13:18.776513+00:00,2022-03-10 20:49:40.787096+00:00,National Guard uses pepper spray against CNN reporter covering DC protests,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/national-guard-uses-pepper-spray-against-cnn-reporter-covering-dc-protests/,2022-03-10 20:49:40.723409+00:00,,,,Assault,,,,Alexander Marquardt (CNN),,2020-06-03,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"CNN journalists Alexander Marquardt and Josh Replogle were pepper sprayed by National Guard troops on June 3, 2020, while covering early-morning protests in Washington, D.C., near Lafayette Square.
Marquardt and Replogle were covering one of the many protests that erupted in Washington and other U.S cities following the May 25 death of George Floyd while he was in custody of Minneapolis police.
Marquardt, senior national security correspondent for CNN, tweeted on June 3 that a group of individuals attempted just after 12:30 a.m. to push down a fence erected around Lafayette Square. National Guard troops at the scene “responded with pepper spray and rounds,” Marquardt tweeted, without explaining what types of rounds the troops used.
“An otherwise peaceful day that ends with unrest,” Marquardt tweeted. “I really don’t know how that helped anything.”
Replogle was operating a camera for CNN’s reporting from the scene. Marquardt said in a tweet thread that troops fired pepper spray at his team despite the fact that the journalists weren’t standing near protesters.
Another angle that shows how separated from agitators we were and how obvious it was we were press. @Joshrepp and I were with @JayMcMichaelCNN and @cnnjamie. https://t.co/IhU2x5K2x7
— Alexander Marquardt (@MarquardtA) June 3, 2020
He also said that because he was holding a microphone, and Replogle was holding a large camera, it should have been clear that they were press, covering the protest.
“3 hours later my arm was still burning,” Marquardt tweeted. “Others got it far worse.”
Mark Irons, a correspondent for the Catholic-themed Eternal Word Television Network, tweeted that National Guard troops fired rubber bullets at the crowd gathered at Lafayette Square around the time that Marquardt and Replogle were hit with pepper spray.
Irons also posted a video depicting troops firing pepper spray at protesters who lowered themselves to their knees and raised their hands.
Marquardt and Replogle didn’t respond to requests by the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker for comment and CNN didn’t comment on the incident further. The District of Columbia National Guard also didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Two days earlier, on June 1, President Trump had used St. John’s Episcopal Church at Lafayette Square as the backdrop for a controversial photo op. National Guard troops used tear gas and pepper balls to clear protesters from the area before Trump posed for cameras while holding up a Bible. Tall fences were erected in the park after protesters were expelled, but the protesters later returned to the park area.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker documents journalists assaulted, arrested, struck by crowd-control ammunition or tear gas or who had their equipment damaged in the course of reporting. Find all incidents related to Black Lives Matter and anti-police brutality protests here.
CNN journalists Josh Replogle and Alexander Marquardt were pepper sprayed by National Guard troops on June 3, 2020, while covering early-morning protests in Washington, D.C. near Lafayette Square.
Replogle and Marquardt were covering one of the many protests that erupted in Washington and other U.S cities following the May 25 death of George Floyd while he was in custody of Minneapolis police.
Marquardt, senior national security correspondent for CNN, tweeted on June 3 that a group of individuals attempted just after 12:30 a.m. to push down a fence erected around Lafayette Square. National Guard troops at the scene “responded with pepper spray and rounds,” Marquardt tweeted, without explaining what types of rounds the troops used.
Replogle was operating a camera for CNN’s reporting from the scene. Marquardt said in a tweet thread that troops fired pepper spray at his team despite the fact that the journalists weren’t standing near protesters.
He also said that because he was holding a microphone, and Replogle was holding a large camera, it should have been clear that they were press, covering the protest.
Mark Irons, a correspondent for the Catholic-themed Eternal Word Television Network, tweeted that National Guard troops fired rubber bullets at the crowd gathered at Lafayette Square around the time that Marquardt and Replogle were hit with pepper spray.
Irons also posted a video depicting troops firing pepper spray at protesters who lowered themselves to their knees and raised their hands.
Replogle and Marquardt didn’t respond to requests by the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker for comment and CNN didn’t comment on the incident further. The District of Columbia National Guard also didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Two days earlier, on June 1, President Trump had used St. John’s Episcopal Church at Lafayette Square as the backdrop for a controversial photo op. National Guard troops used tear gas and pepper balls to clear protesters from the area before Trump posed for cameras while holding up a Bible. Tall fences were erected in the park after protesters were expelled, but the protesters later returned to the park area.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker documents journalists assaulted, arrested, struck by crowd-control ammunition or tear gas or who had their equipment damaged in the course of reporting. Find all incidents related to Black Lives Matter and anti-police brutality protests here.
Multiple journalists said they were assaulted by law enforcement during a chaos-filled night of protests in Washington, D.C., on May 31, 2020, the third evening of widespread demonstrations in the nation’s capital after the death of George Floyd.
The protests were held in response to a video showing a white police officer kneeling on the neck of Floyd, a Black man, during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on May 25. Floyd was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Protests against police brutality and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement have been held across the United States since the end of May.
Josh Replogle, a journalist with CNN, tweeted early the following morning that at one point the night before he’d been pinned by officers and struck with a baton by another. He tweeted: “I was supporting a CNN cam had my creds on police knew I was media,” adding “I’m hurt but ok.”
video of police hurting me in DC. I was supporting a CNN cam had my creds on police knew I was media. I was on the side out of the way trying to let cops pass me. police pinned me, an officer hits my knee with a baton while another officer had me pinned. I’m hurt but ok. @mkraju pic.twitter.com/1alqVa3LK8
— Josh Replogle CNN (@Joshrepp) June 1, 2020
CNN did not respond to a request for comment on this incident as of press time.
D.C. is notable for the large number of different police forces that operate within its borders. Requests for comment from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Park Police were not returned.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker documents journalists assaulted, arrested, struck by crowd-control ammunition or tear gas or who had their equipment damaged in the course of reporting. Find all incidents related to Black Lives Matter and anti-police brutality protests here.
A protester stands in front of law enforcement during a May 31, 2020, demonstration in Washington, D.C.
",None,None,None,None,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,law enforcement,yes,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,None,,"Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter 1 year, Black Lives Matter 2020, protest",,, 2020-05-29 19:54:05.344754+00:00,2021-10-14 15:38:03.140321+00:00,"CNN correspondent, news crew arrested on-air while documenting Minneapolis protests",https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/cnn-news-crew-arrested-air-while-documenting-minneapolis-protests/,2021-10-14 15:38:03.071993+00:00,,,,Arrest/Criminal Charge,,,,Omar Jimenez (CNN),,2020-05-29,False,Minneapolis,Minnesota (MN),44.97997,-93.26384,"CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez was arrested with two other members of his CNN news crew while covering protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the early morning of May 29, 2020.
Protests in Minneapolis and across the nation were sparked by a video showing a police officer kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, a black man, during an arrest on May 25. Floyd was later pronounced dead at a hospital. Thousands gathered around the convenience store where Floyd had been detained and at the police department’s Third Precinct building in the days that followed.
At least five journalists were hit with crowd control ammunition while covering the Minneapolis protests on May 26 and May 27 as police officers launched tear gas, stun grenades and less lethal ammunition into the crowd. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is documenting several hundred incidents of journalists assaulted, arrested, struck by crowd control ammunition or tear gas or had their equipment damaged while covering these protests across the country. Find these incidents here.
Just after 5 a.m. on May 29, CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez was reporting live a few blocks from the Third Precinct, which had been set on fire by protesters the night before, CNN reported.
In the live footage, Minnesota State Patrol troopers can be seen approaching the news crew and asking them to move.
Jimenez calmly shows the officers his CNN identification and is heard telling the troopers, “We can move back to where you’d like. We are live on the air at the moment.”
Soon after, two officers in riot gear approached Jimenez and told him he was under arrest. The officers did not appear to respond to the reporter’s questions about why he was being taken into custody.
CNN’s camera continued to film as Jimenez was cuffed and led away from his crew. Shortly after, other officers detained photojournalist Leonel Mendez and producer Bill Kirkos as well. The crew’s camera — which was still rolling — was also seized by the troopers.
Soon after the arrests, CNN posted a statement on Twitter condemning the arrests as a violation of the journalists’ First Amendment Rights and demanding that the news crew be released.
A CNN reporter & his production team were arrested this morning in Minneapolis for doing their jobs, despite identifying themselves - a clear violation of their First Amendment rights. The authorities in Minnesota, incl. the Governor, must release the 3 CNN employees immediately.
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) May 29, 2020
The three journalists were released from the Hennepin County Public Safety facility in downtown Minneapolis at around 6:40 a.m., CNN reported.
In an on-air recounting of events after his release, Jimenez said, “As far as the people who were leading me away — there was no animosity there, they weren’t violent with me. We were having a conversation about how crazy this week has been for every part of the city.”
The local chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists released a joint statement condemning the arrests.
The statement reads, in part: “Police, State Patrol and other law enforcement officers should be well aware of the importance of the media whose job it is to document and report on breaking news for the benefit of the general public. We implore the responding parties to alert their officers on the rights of the press and the necessity of their presence as they continue to report on the current unrest.”
Freedom of the Press Foundation, the Committee to Protect Journalists and other press advocacy groups also released statements condemning the arrests.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz apologized for the arrests during a press conference a few hours after the journalists were released, stating that it should not have happened.
“This one is on me and I own it,” Walz said. “I am a teacher by trade and I have spent my time as governor highlighting the need to be as transparent as possible and to have the media here: I failed you last night in that.”
Walz added that ensuring that there is a safe place for journalists to report during such incidents is vital, and that the arrest of journalists can increase fear in affected communities.
“We will continue to strive to make sure that that accessibility is maintained,” Walz added. “The protection and security and safety of the journalists covering this is a top priority, not because it’s a nice thing to do, because it’s a key component of how we fix this.”
Neither CNN nor the Minnesota State Patrol responded to multiple emailed requests for comment about the incident.
This incident was updated on July 22, 2020, to separate each crew member's arrest into its own accounting. Find all arrests here.
CNN correspondent Omar Jimenez is arrested while reporting live from protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The mayor later apologized for the arrest of Jimenez and two other members of the CNN crew.
",detained and released without being processed,Minnesota State Patrol,2020-05-29,2020-05-29,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,None,,"Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter 1 year, Black Lives Matter 2020, protest",,, 2020-06-22 14:00:32.627732+00:00,2022-03-10 19:49:14.053055+00:00,"CNN reporter hit with a projectile, tear-gassed during live coverage of Minneapolis protest",https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/cnn-reporter-hit-projectile-tear-gassed-during-live-coverage-minneapolis-protest/,2022-03-10 19:49:13.991655+00:00,,,,Assault,,,,Miguel Marquez (CNN),,2020-05-29,False,Minneapolis,Minnesota (MN),44.97997,-93.26384,"Miguel Marquez, a national correspondent for CNN, was hit with a projectile and tear-gassed on live TV while reporting from protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota, for Cuomo Prime Time on May 29, 2020.
The protests were part of several days of demonstrations that began in response to a video of a white police officer in Minneapolis kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, a black man, during an arrest. Floyd was pronounced dead at the hospital.
Marquez was covering protests near the Fifth Precinct headquarters where demonstrators refused to comply with warnings from law enforcement and the National Guard that they were breaking curfew and would be removed, Marquez reported. “That’s when things got very, very intense here,” he said in a video of the incident.
Marquez went on to say that protesters were firing bottle rockets and fireworks at the precinct, while law enforcement was responding with tear gas and flash-bang grenades. At one point in the video, the CNN reporter lets out an exclamation after being struck with a canister or a rock, and host Chris Cuomo advises him and his crew to retreat from the action.
While describing the action in front of him — which included protesters “using the fireworks as weapons” — Marquez wound up in the line of tear gas, telling his cameraperson to “watch yourself” as they moved away. In the video, he can be heard coughing.
“That’s a healthy dose,” he said, before continuing to report. ““They fired a hell of a volley of tear gas into the crowd to get them out,” he said.
A CNN spokesperson declined to make Marquez available for an interview, noting that he had not specifically been targeted by tear gas but was merely “in the area where the tear gas was being shot.”
A Minneapolis police department spokesperson did not respond immediately to a question about why tear gas was deployed or the type of projectile that struck Marquez.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is documenting several hundred total incidents of journalists assaulted, arrested, struck by crowd control ammunition or tear gas or had their equipment damaged while covering protests across the country related to the death of George Floyd while in police custody. Find these incidents here.
Demonstrators chant outside the Fifth Precinct on May 29, 2020.
",None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,unknown,unknown,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,None,,"Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter 1 year, Black Lives Matter 2020, chemical irritant, protest, shot / shot at",,, 2020-07-22 16:12:55.313880+00:00,2021-10-14 15:38:14.102595+00:00,"CNN photojournalist, crew arrested on-air while documenting Minneapolis protests",https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/cnn-photojournalist-crew-arrested-air-while-documenting-minneapolis-protests/,2021-10-14 15:38:14.025304+00:00,,,,Arrest/Criminal Charge,,,,Leonel Mendez (CNN),,2020-05-29,False,Minneapolis,Minnesota (MN),44.97997,-93.26384,"CNN photojournalist Leonel Mendez was arrested with two other members of a CNN news crew while covering protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the early morning of May 29, 2020.
Protests in Minneapolis and across the nation were sparked by a video showing a police officer kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, a Black man, during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25. Floyd was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. Thousands gathered around the convenience store where Floyd had been detained and at the police department’s Third Precinct building in the days that followed.
At least five journalists were hit with crowd control ammunition while covering the Minneapolis protests on May 26 and May 27 as police officers launched tear gas, stun grenades and less lethal ammunition into the crowd. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is documenting several hundred incidents of journalists assaulted, arrested, struck by crowd control ammunition or tear gas or had their equipment damaged while covering protests across the country. Find these incidents here.
Just after 5 a.m. on May 29, the CNN news crew — comprised of Mendez, correspondent Omar Jimenez and producer Bill Kirkos — was reporting live a few blocks from the Third Precinct, which had been set on fire by protesters the night before, CNN reported.
In the live footage, Minnesota State Patrol troopers can be seen approaching the news crew and asking them to move.
Jimenez calmly shows the officers his CNN identification and is heard telling the troopers, “We can move back to where you’d like. We are live on the air at the moment.”
Within minutes, officers in riot gear approach and arrest each member of the news crew in turn while the camera continues to broadcast live.
Soon after the arrests, CNN posted a statement on Twitter condemning the arrests as a violation of the journalists’ First Amendment Rights and demanding that the news crew be released.
A CNN reporter & his production team were arrested this morning in Minneapolis for doing their jobs, despite identifying themselves - a clear violation of their First Amendment rights. The authorities in Minnesota, incl. the Governor, must release the 3 CNN employees immediately.
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) May 29, 2020
The three journalists were released from the Hennepin County Public Safety facility in downtown Minneapolis at around 6:40 a.m., CNN reported.
The local chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists released a joint statement condemning the arrests.
The statement reads, in part: “Police, State Patrol and other law enforcement officers should be well aware of the importance of the media whose job it is to document and report on breaking news for the benefit of the general public. We implore the responding parties to alert their officers on the rights of the press and the necessity of their presence as they continue to report on the current unrest.”
Freedom of the Press Foundation, the Committee to Protect Journalists and other press advocacy groups also released statements condemning the arrests.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz apologized for the arrests during a press conference a few hours after the journalists were released, stating that it should not have happened.
“This one is on me and I own it,” Walz said. “I am a teacher by trade and I have spent my time as governor highlighting the need to be as transparent as possible and to have the media here: I failed you last night in that.”
Walz added that ensuring that there is a safe place for journalists to report during such incidents is vital, and that the arrest of journalists can increase fear in affected communities.
“We will continue to strive to make sure that that accessibility is maintained,” Walz added. “The protection and security and safety of the journalists covering this is a top priority, not because it’s a nice thing to do, because it’s a key component of how we fix this.”
Neither CNN nor the Minnesota State Patrol responded to multiple emailed requests for comment about the incident.
The camera operated by CNN photojournalist Leonel Mendez continues to broadcast from Minneapolis, Minnesota as Mendez and two other members of the CNN news crew are arrested live on-air on May 29, 2020.
",detained and released without being processed,Minnesota State Patrol,None,None,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,None,,"Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter 1 year, Black Lives Matter 2020, protest",,, 2020-07-22 16:16:58.135257+00:00,2021-10-14 15:38:29.463734+00:00,"CNN producer, crew arrested on-air while documenting Minneapolis protests",https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/cnn-producer-crew-arrested-air-while-documenting-minneapolis-protests/,2021-10-14 15:38:29.399159+00:00,,,,Arrest/Criminal Charge,,,,Bill Kirkos (CNN),,2020-05-29,False,Minneapolis,Minnesota (MN),44.97997,-93.26384,"CNN Producer Bill Kirkos was arrested with two other members of his CNN news crew while covering protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in the early morning of May 29, 2020.
Protests in Minneapolis and across the nation were sparked by a video showing a police officer kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, a Black man, during an arrest in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 25. Floyd was later pronounced dead at a local hospital. Thousands gathered around the convenience store where Floyd had been detained and at the police department’s Third Precinct building in the days that followed.
At least five journalists were hit with crowd control ammunition while covering the Minneapolis protests on May 26 and May 27 as police officers launched tear gas, stun grenades and less lethal ammunition into the crowd. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is documenting several hundred incidents of journalists assaulted, arrested, struck by crowd control ammunition or tear gas or had their equipment damaged while covering protests across the country. Find these incidents here.
Just after 5 a.m. on May 29, the CNN news crew — comprised of Kirkos, correspondent Omar Jimenez and photographer Leonel Mendez — was reporting live a few blocks from the Third Precinct, which had been set on fire by protesters the night before, CNN reported.
In the live footage, Minnesota State Patrol troopers can be seen approaching the news crew and asking them to move.
Jimenez calmly shows the officers his CNN identification and is heard telling the troopers, “We can move back to where you’d like. We are live on the air at the moment.”
Within minutes, officers in riot gear approach and arrest each member of the news crew in turn while the camera continues to broadcast live.
Soon after the arrests, CNN posted a statement on Twitter condemning the arrests as a violation of the journalists’ First Amendment Rights and demanding that the news crew be released.
A CNN reporter & his production team were arrested this morning in Minneapolis for doing their jobs, despite identifying themselves - a clear violation of their First Amendment rights. The authorities in Minnesota, incl. the Governor, must release the 3 CNN employees immediately.
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) May 29, 2020
The three journalists were released from the Hennepin County Public Safety facility in downtown Minneapolis at around 6:40 a.m., CNN reported.
The local chapters of the Society of Professional Journalists and the National Association of Black Journalists released a joint statement condemning the arrests.
The statement reads, in part: “Police, State Patrol and other law enforcement officers should be well aware of the importance of the media whose job it is to document and report on breaking news for the benefit of the general public. We implore the responding parties to alert their officers on the rights of the press and the necessity of their presence as they continue to report on the current unrest.”
Freedom of the Press Foundation, the Committee to Protect Journalists and other press advocacy groups also released statements condemning the arrests.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz apologized for the arrests during a press conference a few hours after the journalists were released, stating that it should not have happened.
“This one is on me and I own it,” Walz said. “I am a teacher by trade and I have spent my time as governor highlighting the need to be as transparent as possible and to have the media here: I failed you last night in that.”
Walz added that ensuring that there is a safe place for journalists to report during such incidents is vital, and that the arrest of journalists can increase fear in affected communities.
“We will continue to strive to make sure that that accessibility is maintained,” Walz added. “The protection and security and safety of the journalists covering this is a top priority, not because it’s a nice thing to do, because it’s a key component of how we fix this.”
Neither CNN nor the Minnesota State Patrol responded to multiple emailed requests for comment about the incident.
CNN producer Bill Kirkos is arrested with two other members of the news crew during a live broadcast from protests in Minneapolis, Minnesota on May 29, 2020.
",detained and released without being processed,Minnesota State Patrol,None,None,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,None,,"Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter 1 year, Black Lives Matter 2020, protest",,, 2020-08-04 13:27:05.745128+00:00,2023-11-03 17:29:54.434493+00:00,CNN headquarters in Atlanta vandalized during protest,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/cnn-headquarters-atlanta-vandalized-during-protest/,2023-11-03 17:29:54.336306+00:00,,,,Equipment Damage,,,building: count of 1,,,2020-05-29,False,Atlanta,Georgia (GA),33.749,-84.38798,"On May 29, 2020, CNN’s headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, was targeted by individuals who threw objects, broke windows and graffitied the large “CNN” logo out front.
The crowd had gathered in Centennial Park earlier in the day, CNN reported, but by about 7 p.m. individuals were damaging the news organization’s headquarters.
The protests in Atlanta were part of a national response to a video showing a white police officer kneeling on the neck of George Floyd, a Black man, during an arrest in Minneapolis on May 25. Floyd was pronounced dead at a local hospital. Protests against police violence and in support of the Black Lives Matter movement have been held across the U.S. since the end of May.
As the crowd became rowdier on May 29, they set an Atlanta Police Department vehicle on fire and a SWAT team was called in, CNN reported. As police faced off with protesters, someone threw either a firework or a flash-bang grenade over a line of officers. It detonated in front of CNN correspondent Nick Valencia and his crew as they reported from the scene.
Despite that dramatic incident, no CNN employees were harmed, according to a CNN spokesperson.
“The protests were not directed at CNN and they were not protesting us/CNN, but our office in downtown Atlanta is a landmark location,” Bridget Leininger, CNN senior director of communications said.
A CNN report did note that some protesters were “chanting anti-media rhetoric.” In one social media video someone can be clearly heard yelling, “Fuck CNN!”
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is documenting several hundred incidents of journalists assaulted, arrested, struck by crowd control ammunition or tear gas or had their equipment damaged while covering protests across the country. Find these incidents here.
Protesters stand in front of a vandalized CNN logo at the CNN Center in Atlanta, Georgia, on May 29, 2020.
",None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,private individual,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,None,CNN,"Black Lives Matter, Black Lives Matter 1 year, Black Lives Matter 2020, protest",,, 2021-04-22 16:29:23.522140+00:00,2023-03-25 23:55:22.118311+00:00,CNN ordered to produce source communications in defamation lawsuit,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/cnn-ordered-to-produce-source-communications-in-defamation-lawsuit/,2023-03-25 23:55:21.963819+00:00,,LegalOrder object (102),,Subpoena/Legal Order,,,,,,2020-05-19,False,West Palm Beach,Florida (FL),26.71534,-80.05337,"The Fourth District Court of Appeal in Florida upheld a trial court’s May 2020 decision ordering CNN to produce emails and text messages with a source for a 2015 investigation.
The network’s investigative report focused on the pediatric heart surgery program at St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. The report said that infants who underwent open heart surgery at St. Mary's had a mortality rate three times higher than the national average.
After the story ran, Dr. Michael Black, head of the hospital’s heart surgery unit, filed a lawsuit in 2016, alleging he had been defamed and asserting that “the preconceived goal of the June 1, 2015 article and video report was to manufacture an outrageous, headline-grabbing story.”
The lawsuit named six defendants, including CNN lead reporter Elizabeth Cohen; anchor Anderson Cooper; producer John Bonifield and employee Dana Ford; as well as Kelly Robinson, who was the key source for the CNN stories and “was motivated to defame respondent because of her association with another children’s hospital and surgeon,” the lawsuit charged.
During the discovery phase of the trial, plaintiff Black learned that a substantial amount of communication occurred between Robinson and the CNN defendants. The plaintiff sought the communications from Robinson, but she testified that she had deleted the emails and text messages in order to keep them confidential. Subsequently, Black sought the same communications from the CNN defendants.
CNN argued that the correspondence was shielded by Florida laws that reporters are not required to reveal the identity of sources, according to The Palm Beach Post.
But in May 2020 a trial court ruled that exceptions in the shield law applied in this case. It ordered CNN to turn over its communications with Robinson and noted that it “found a compelling interest for disclosure because of the unique circumstances of the case: 1) the need for the defamation plaintiff to prove malice; 2) the centrality of Robinson’s role as a source of CNN’s reporting; and 3) the fact that Robinson, a co-defendant, deleted her own copies of the communications and was not protected by journalist privilege.”
That decision was upheld on Oct. 7, by the Fourth District Court of Appeal, which ruled that “while the journalist privilege must be protected, it is a qualified privilege.”
Neither CNN’s lawyers nor Black’s counsel responded to a request from the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker for updated information or comment on the case.
CNN reported that the outlet was excluded from participating in the annual presidential lunch with broadcast and cable anchors ahead of President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address on Feb. 4, 2020.
CNN Business’ Brian Stelter reported that the event — hosted by Trump like presidents before him — is an off-the-record opportunity for anchors to gain insight into the topics the president will cover during the evening’s speech as well as his state of mind.
According to CNN, “This is the first time in recent memory that a president has singled out one network and opted to not invite any anchors from there.” Stelter noted anchor Wolf Blitzer has attended the lunch for more than 20 years.
When asked to confirm whether CNN was banned from the luncheon, White House Principal Deputy Press Secretary Hogan Gidley said he could not.
“I can tell you that anybody who has a private lunch that’s off the record can invite whomever they see fit,” Gidley said.
When pressed whether it was right for CNN to be excluded, Gidley responded that the president wants to have a conversation with news outlets about what he plans to discuss and his accomplishments. “And if that has a place for opinion journalism than it does, if it doesn’t, it doesn’t,” Gidley said.
He didn’t answer further questions on referring to the major news network as “opinion journalism.”
Ahead of last year’s luncheon, Politico reported that despite Trump’s persistent attacks on the media in rallies and tweets, he has typically continued such traditions.
Trump has directed his ire at CNN more than 100 times during his tenure as president, denigrating or insulting the outlet or its reporters in 140 tweets and declining all interview requests. His administration also suspended the press credentials of chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta in November 2018 until a federal court ruled in CNN’s favor.
On Capitol Hill, a television is tuned to CNN for the 2019 State of the Union address by President Donald Trump. This year, anchors from the news outlet were excluded from a traditional pre-event luncheon.
",None,None,None,None,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,None,CNN,,,, 2020-01-31 17:41:00.594493+00:00,2021-10-05 20:07:42.868647+00:00,"Tennessee lawmaker introduces bill to declare CNN, Washington Post ‘fake news’",https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/tennessee-lawmaker-introduces-bill-to-declare-cnn-washington-post-fake-news/,2021-10-05 20:07:42.821349+00:00,,,,Chilling Statement,,,,,,2020-01-29,False,Nashville,Tennessee (TN),36.16589,-86.78444,"A Republican State Representative in Tennessee filed a joint resolution declaring CNN and The Washington Post “fake news” for introduction on Jan. 29, 2020.
The resolution was introduced by Tennessee State Rep. Micah Van Huss, and co-sponsored by Reps. Dennis Powers, Bruce Griffey and Mike Sparks. A brief description of the statement of intent or position on the official assembly website reads, “Recognizes CNN and the Washington Post as fake news and condemns them for denigrating our citizens.”
Van Huss told News Channel 11 he had a list of articles and outlets that were “very hypocritical,” but limited the scope of the bill to the Post and CNN. The bill specifically cites the two outlets’ reviews of the same book, “The Cult of Trump,” by Steven Hassan.
Announcing the bill on Twitter, Van Huss wrote, “The State of Tennessee recognizes CNN and The Washington Post as fake news and part of the media wing of the Democrat Party. I’ve filed HJR 779 on behalf of a constituency that’s tired of fake news and Republicans who don’t fight.”
The State of Tennessee recognizes CNN and The Washington Post as fake news and part of the media wing of the Democrat Party.
— Micah Van Huss (@MicahVanHuss) January 29, 2020
I've filed HJR 779 on behalf of a constituency that's tired of fake news and Republicans who don't fight.
Follow it's progress: https://t.co/7qp6E7q9LT pic.twitter.com/XyqQETtLKy
The language used in Van Huss’ tweet closely mirrors that used in President Donald Trump’s negative tweets about the media. Trump has used the epithet “fake news” in 630 tweets as president, and has targeted CNN and the Post or their reporters in 228 and 116 tweets, respectively.
Brad Batt, who plans to challenge Van Huss for his House seat, told News Channel 11 the bill is “a waste of time and taxpayer money.”
“We should be focused on addressing real problems,” Batt said in his statement.
Once the bill is introduced it must be passed by both the Tennessee House and Senate before going before the governor.
A man wears a 'CNN is fake news' T-shirt at a 2018 California rally for President Trump. A Tennessee state representative has introduced a resolution to recognize CNN and The Washington Post as ‘fake news’ outlets.
,None,None,None,None,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,None,"CNN, The Washington Post",,,, 2021-06-16 13:43:27.367253+00:00,2024-02-29 19:47:37.752546+00:00,"Trump Justice Department secretly obtained CNN Pentagon reporter’s email, phone records",https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/trump-justice-department-secretly-obtained-cnn-pentagon-reporters-email-phone-records/,2024-02-29 19:47:37.672102+00:00,,LegalOrder object (81),,Subpoena/Legal Order,,,,Barbara Starr (CNN),,2020-01-01,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"The U.S. Department of Justice informed CNN Pentagon correspondent Barbara Starr on May 13, 2021, that under the Trump administration, the agency secretly obtained her work and personal phone and email records, CNN reported.
According to CNN, prosecutors obtained Starr’s records from June 1 to July 31, 2017, including records from her phone extension at the Pentagon, the CNN Pentagon booth phone, Starr’s home and work numbers, and both her work and personal email accounts.
The phone information obtained included “toll records” for each number, which detail the numbers of calls to and from the line and the duration of each. Similarly, prosecutors obtained “non-content information” for Starr’s email addresses: the recipient, sender and timestamp of each email but not the contents, the outlet reported. CNN said the records were obtained without notifying Starr or her employer.
It is unclear what investigators were looking for, CNN reported, as well as when the investigation was opened and whether it was by Attorney General Jeff Sessions or Attorney General William Barr, both appointed by former President Trump. Neither Starr nor CNN responded to requests for comment.
Anthony Coley, DOJ’s director of public affairs and a senior advisor to Attorney General Merrick Garland, said in a statement to CNN that the decision to subpoena Starr’s communications was approved by the Trump administration in 2020.
“Department leadership will soon meet with reporters to hear their concerns about recent notices and further convey Attorney General Garland’s staunch support of and commitment to a free and independent press,” Coley said.
“CNN strongly condemns the secret collection of any aspect of a journalist’s correspondence, which is clearly protected by the First Amendment,” said CNN President Jeff Zucker in a statement to the outlet. “We are asking for an immediate meeting with the Justice Department for an explanation.”
The revelation about Starr’s records was one in a series of recent disclosures about the Trump administration’s efforts to use the seizure of journalists’ communications to identify leakers or critics of the administration.
CNN reported that DOJ regulations for issuing media subpoenas were changed under the Obama administration in 2015, to require that the attorney general authorize any such legal orders related to journalists’ communications or work product. While the regulations mandated that the journalist and outlet be notified of the seizures, the policy set no clear timetable for notification.
On May 21, 2021, President Joe Biden condemned such seizures as “simply, simply wrong” following the revelations about Starr’s records, The Associated Press reported. In keeping with Biden’s sentiments, the DOJ announced on June 5 that it will no longer seize journalists’ records during leak investigations, according to the AP.
“This announcement is a potential sea change for press freedom rights in the United States,” Trevor Timm, executive director of Freedom of the Press Foundation, said in a statement. “While we’re encouraged to see this announcement ending this invasive and disturbing tactic, the devil is — of course — in the details. The Justice Department must now write this categorical bar of journalist surveillance into its official ‘media guidelines,’ and Congress should also immediately enshrine the rules into law to ensure no administration can abuse its power again.”
Attorney General Merrick Garland met with executives from CNN as well as those from The New York Times and The Washington Post on June 14, and affirmed the planned policy changes.
California Congressman Devin Nunes said that he plans to sue CNN and The Daily Beast for defamation during an interview on Fox News on Nov. 24, 2019.
Host Maria Bartiromo asked the ranking member of the House Intelligence Committee whether he had met with former Ukrainian Prosecutor General Victor Shokin in Austria in 2018, as had been reported by CNN and Daily Beast over the weekend.
Nunes did not answer the question, and instead dismissed the articles as “fake news” and alleged that it is “very likely” that the outlets committed crimes while reporting the story. He also said he intends to take the outlets to federal court after Thanksgiving, arguing that it’s the only way to hold the "corrupt" media accountable.
"So we hope that CNN and Daily Beast will cooperate with the court," Nunes said. "They should comply with the subpoenas once we file this and go through different depositions. It should be fun."
A spokesperson from Daily Beast told The Hill that they “stand by our reporting and are happy to defend it.” The Hill said CNN declined to comment.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker will document any resulting subpoenas under our Subpoena/Legal Order category.
Nunes has pursued libel suits against the media before. In April, he targeted The McClatchy Company, which owns The Fresno Bee, in a $150 million defamation lawsuit, arguing that its reporting on the congressman constituted “character assassination.” According to The Hill, Nunes also has an ongoing $75 million lawsuit against journalist Ryan Lizza and Hearst Magazines filed in October.
Ranking House Intelligence Committee Member Devin Nunes (R-CA) participates in an impeachment inquiry on Nov. 21. A few days later on Fox News, Nunes outlined his plans to sue two more media organizations for their reporting.
",None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,None,"CNN, The Daily Beast",,,, 2019-10-15 13:39:22.838152+00:00,2024-02-29 19:50:21.421471+00:00,Army soldier indicted for disclosing bomb-making techniques mentioned news media as targets,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/army-soldier-indicted-disclosing-bomb-making-techniques-mentioned-news-media-targets/,2024-02-29 19:50:21.348855+00:00,,,,Other Incident,,,,,,2019-09-21,False,Fort Riley,Kansas (KS),None,None,"A U.S. Army soldier stationed at Fort Riley, Kansas, was arrested on Sept. 21, 2019, on allegations that he distributed information online about making explosives and discussed attacking multiple targets, including a local news station and a major American news network.
According to the criminal complaint, Jarrett William Smith, 24, engaged in conversations on multiple platforms about his desire to join a violent far-right paramilitary group in Ukraine, about killing members of the anti-fascist group known as antifa and about techniques for building bombs and other explosives.
In an Aug. 19 conversation in an online chat group, Smith told a confidential FBI source about his plans for domestic terrorism, including killing members of antifa and destroying nearby cell towers or a local news station. In a conversation with the confidential source a few days later, Smith gave the headquarters of a major American news network as a potential target, describing how a car bomb could be used.
While the network was not named in the affidavit, two unnamed sources told CNN that it was the CNN headquarters in New York that was targeted.
In the criminal complaint, FBI Special Agent Brandon LaMar wrote, “[Smith] admitted that he provides this information even to individuals who tell him they intend to use the information to cause harm to others.” According to LaMar, Smith said he does so to cause “chaos.”
Smith was indicted by a federal grand jury on Sept. 25, and charged with two counts of distributing explosives information and a third alleging he sent interstate threats about setting the home of an antifa member on fire.
Smith pleaded not guilty to the charges during a hearing on Sept. 26, The Associated Press reported, and a federal magistrate ordered him detained until his trial. He faces 45 years in prison, a $500,000 fine, or both if convicted on all three counts, according to the indictment.
CNN’s New York headquarters, housed in the Time Warner building in Manhattan, was reported to be a target of a U.S. Army soldier who was indicted for distributing information about explosives.
",None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,[],CNN,bomb / bomb threat,,, 2019-03-25 17:06:27.177663+00:00,2023-12-21 17:07:01.529386+00:00,"Department of State bars press pool from briefing call, allowing only “faith-based media”",https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/department-state-bars-press-pool-briefing-call-allowing-only-faith-based-media/,2023-12-21 17:07:01.452197+00:00,,,,Denial of Access,,,,,,2019-03-18,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"The State Department barred the department’s press corps from a briefing call with Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on March 18, 2019, stating that only “faith-based media” were permitted to participate. The department also took the unusual step of refusing to release a full transcript or a list of attendees.
The phone briefing was to discuss “international religious freedom” ahead of the secretary’s five-day trip to Beirut, Jerusalem, and Kuwait City. CNN reported that one member of the department’s press corps was invited, but was un-invited after RSVPing. CNN also attempted to RSVP to the call, but received no reply from the department.
Despite repeated inquiries and complaints from members of the press corps, The State Department announced that it would not provide a transcript of the call, a list of the faith-based media outlets allowed to participate, the criteria used to determine which outlets would be invited nor answer if the media outlets invited included a range of faiths.
Religion News Service reported that it was invited to participate in the call, though it stated that the publication “is not a faith-based media organization, but rather a secular news service that covers religion, spirituality and ethics.”
RNS also included a list of publications that asked questions during the briefing call: the Jewish Telegraphic Agency, Algemeiner (which covers Jewish and Israel news), World Magazine (which publicizes its content as “reporting the news from a Christian worldview”), America Magazine (“the Jesuit perspective on news, faith and culture”) and The Leaven, the newspaper of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas. CNN reported that a reporter with EWTN Global Catholic Television said the outlet was not originally invited but asked permission to participate.
In a statement sent to CNN, a State Department spokesperson said that while some press engagements, including department press briefings, teleconferences, briefings and sprays are open to any interested domestic or international press, that is not always the case. “Other engagements are more targeted or designed for topic, region, or audience-specific media. This has always been the case,” they said.
Former State Department spokesperson John Kirby, now a global affairs analyst for CNN, told the outlet that he has “certainly seen times when particular journalists or columnists have been targeted for inclusion on given topics.” However, “to exclude beat reporters from something as universally relevant as religious freedom in the Middle East strikes me as not only self-defeating but incredibly small-minded.”
Kirby also tweeted in response to news that no transcript of the briefing would be released. “This is absolutely not OK. Cabinet officials are public servants. They work for us. When they speak to reporters on the record everything they say—in its entirety—needs to be released at the earliest appropriate time,” he wrote.
This is absolutely not OK. Cabinet officials are public servants. They work for us. When they speak to reporters on the record everything they say — in its entirety — needs to be released at the earliest appropriate time. That’s proper accountability. That’s what we deserve. https://t.co/OBJht2BaAK
— John Kirby (@johnfkirby63) March 19, 2019
Standard norms are that when it concerns Cabinet-level officials like Pompeo, the department is expected to provide a transcript of the meeting remarks and a list of who attended to any interested journalist.
The same day the State Department barred members of the press corps from an earlier briefing call with him, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks to the media on his plane after departing for the Middle East.
",None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,['GOVERNMENT_EVENTS'],"CNN, Press Corps",,,,Federal government: Agency 2019-03-06 14:37:22.879277+00:00,2024-01-11 17:59:08.876435+00:00,"Media figures, politicians among alleged targets of Coast Guard officer indicted for firearm and drug possession",https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/media-figures-politicians-among-alleged-targets-coast-guard-officer-indicted-firearm-and-drug-possession/,2024-01-11 17:59:08.758088+00:00,,,(2020-01-31 11:40:00+00:00) Former Coast Guard officer sentenced to 13 years in jail for planned attack that included media,Other Incident,,,,"Chris Hayes (MSNBC), Joe Scarborough (MSNBC), Don Lemon (CNN), Chris Cuomo (CNN), Van Jones (CNN)",,2019-02-15,False,Silver Spring,Maryland (MD),38.99067,-77.02609,"A Coast Guard officer was indicted by a grand jury on Feb. 27, 2019, following a search of his apartment that uncovered a cache of weapons and a hit list of “traitors” that he intended to attack, including prominent politicians and media figures.
Federal authorities said that Christopher Paul Hasson, a Coast Guard lieutenant who has served for more than two decades, was taken into custody at work on Feb. 15. A computer program used to identify insider threats flagged suspicious activity on his work computer last fall, Lieutenant Commander Scott McBride, a service spokesman, told the Baltimore Sun.
McBride said that Hasson was arrested once Federal Bureau of Investigation and Coast Guard investigators were “confident in the strength of the evidence supporting the criminal complaint and warrant,” The Sun reported.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant on his basement apartment in the Washington, D.C. suburb of Silver Spring, Maryland, and seized 15 firearms, two silencers, over 100 pills of the opioid painkiller tramadol, and more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition. Officers also found a spreadsheet listing potential targets, including MSNBC’s Chris Hayes and Joe Scarborough and CNN’s Don Lemon, Chris Cuomo and Van Jones.
Prosecutors say Hasson used his government computer to plot an assault, researching potential locations to target politicians and studying the writings of domestic terrorists including the Unabomber and the Virginia Tech shooter, The Washington Post reported.
In documents recovered from Hasson’s computer, he described himself as a “long time White Nationalist.” The Post reported that according to court documents, Hasson called for “focused violence” to “establish a white homeland.”
“The sheer number and force of the weapons recovered from Mr. Hasson’s residence in this case, coupled with the disturbing nature of his writing, appear to reflect a very significant threat to the safety of our community,” Robert Hur, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, told The Sun, “particularly given the position of trust that Mr. Hasson held with the United States government.”
A grand jury indicted Hasson on Feb. 27 on charges of illegal possession of firearm silencers, possession of firearms by a drug addict and unlawful user, and possession of a controlled substance. His court hearing has not yet been scheduled, but Hasson has been detained since his arrest on Feb. 15.
Prosecutors told The Post that Hasson could face up to 31 years in prison if convicted: 10 years for each of the weapons charges and one year for the possession of tramadol.
A cache of guns and ammunition was uncovered in February by U.S. federal investigators in the home of U.S. Coast Guard lieutenant Christopher Paul Hasson in Silver Spring, Maryland.
",None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,[],,,,, 2018-11-08 17:31:51.317799+00:00,2023-12-21 17:12:19.563500+00:00,White House suspends CNN reporter Jim Acosta's press credentials and falsely accuses him of manhandling intern,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/white-house-suspends-cnn-reporter-jim-acostas-press-credentials-and-falsely-accuses-him-manhandling-intern/,2023-12-21 17:12:19.427566+00:00,,,"(2018-11-19 17:44:00+00:00) CNN ends lawsuit as White House restores Acosta's credentials, (2018-11-16 10:00:00+00:00) Judge orders Acosta's press pass reinstated, (2018-11-13 18:00:00+00:00) CNN sues Trump administration",Denial of Access,,,,Jim Acosta (CNN),,2018-11-07,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"On Nov. 7, 2018, the White House suspended CNN reporter Jim Acosta's press pass, banning him from setting foot on the White House grounds indefinitely.
The unprecedented move came a few hours after a tense presidential press conference, during which Trump repeatedly insulted Acosta (and other members of the White House press corps) and a White House intern tried to physically remove Acosta's microphone out of his hand. White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders later tried to justify the decision to suspend Acosta's press pass by false claiming that Acosta had inappropriately "placed his hands" on the White House intern. The press secretary also tweeted a video of the altercation that had been doctored to make it appear that Acosta had hit the White House intern.
On the morning of Nov. 7, the day after the 2018 midterm elections, Trump held a contentious press conference in the East Room of the White House. CNN's Jim Acosta, a member of the White House press corps who often verbally spars the president during press conferences, asked Trump about why he had stoked fears of a migrant "invasion" of the United States. After a bit of back-and-forth, Acosta tried to ask Trump a second question, about the Russia investigation.
As Trump tried to cut Acosta off and call on NBC News' Peter Alexander, a young woman — later identified as a White House intern — approached Acosta and tried to take the microphone out of his hands.
"Pardon me, ma'am," he told her. "I'm trying..."
"That's enough!" Trump said, cutting him off.
The intern grabbed the microphone that Acosta was holding, but Acosta would not let go of it, so the intern eventually gave up and sat back down.
Acosta continued to ask Trump about the Russia investigation, and Trump finally gave a cursory answer — "I'm not worried about the Russia investigation because it's a hoax" — and told Acosta to sit down.
"That's enough," Trump said, as Acosta tried to ask yet another follow-up question. "Put down the mic."
Trump started to walk away from the lectern, suggesting that he might end the press conference if Acosta did not stop asking questions. Acosta reluctantly let the White House intern take the microphone and then sat down. Trump returned to the lectern and the intern brought the microphone to Peter Alexander of NBC News. But before Alexander could ask a question, Trump went off on a rant about Acosta.
"I'll tell you what, CNN should be ashamed of itself having you working for them," the president said, pointing at Acosta. "You are a rude, terrible person. You shouldn't be working for CNN. ... You're a very rude person. The way you treat [press secretary] Sarah Huckabee is horrible, and the way you treat other people are horrible. You shouldn't treat other people that way."
Alexander stood up for Acosta.
"In Jim's defense, I've traveled with him and watched him," he said. "He's a diligent reporter."
"Well, I'm not a big fan of yours either, to be honest," Trump deadpanned, prompting scattered laughter.
Acosta stood back up and called out the president for continuing to demonize journalists as the "enemy of the American people," even after a Trump supporter had sent pipe bombs to the network.
"When you report fake news, which CNN does a lot, you are the enemy of the people," Trump response.
CNN condemned the president's response.
"This President’s ongoing attacks on the press have gone too far," the network said in a statement. "They are not only dangerous, they are disturbingly un-American. While President Trump has made it clear he does not respect a free press, he has a sworn obligation to protect it. A free press is vital to democracy, and we stand behind Jim Acosta and his fellow journalists everywhere."
Even as mainstream journalists came to Acosta's defense, far-right media and political figures began to adopt a different narrative — that Acosta had been violent toward the intern who tried to grab his microphone.
Paul Joseph Watson, an editor at far-right conspiracy news site Infowars, tweeted an altered video of the altercation between Acosta and the White House intern that appeared to show Acosta striking the intern, which did not actually happen. (In an interview with BuzzFeed News, Watson claimed that he did not deliberately alter the video.)
Although this narrative began on the far-right conspiratorial fringe, it soon moved into the mainstream.
At 7:46 p.m., Acosta tweeted that he had been denied access to the White House grounds and ordered to give up his permanent White House press pass, known as a "hard pass."
I’ve just been denied entrance to the WH. Secret Service just informed me I cannot enter the WH grounds for my 8pm hit
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) November 8, 2018
The US Secret Service just asked for my credential to enter the WH. As I told the officer, I don’t blame him. I know he’s just doing his job. (Sorry this video is not rightside up) pic.twitter.com/juQeuj3B9R
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) November 8, 2018
Minutes later, White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced on Twitter that the White House had decided to indefinitely suspend Acosta's White House press credentials.
To justify the suspension of Acosta's press credentials, Sanders falsely accused him of "placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern."
President Trump believes in a free press and expects and welcomes tough questions of him and his Administration. We will, however, never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern.This conduct is absolutely unacceptable. It is also completely disrespectful to the reporter’s colleagues not to allow them an opportunity to ask a question. President Trump has given the press more access than any President in history.
Contrary to CNN’s assertions there is no greater demonstration of the President’s support for a free press than the event he held today. Only they would attack the President for not supporting a free press in the midst of him taking 68 questions from 35 different reporters over the course of 1.5 hours including several from the reporter in question. The fact that CNN is proud of the way their employee behaved is not only disgusting, it‘s an example of their outrageous disregard for everyone, including young women, who work in this Administration.
As a result of today’s incident, the White House is suspending the hard pass of the reporter involved until further notice.
Sarah Huckabee Sanders statement on Jim Acosta
"This is a lie," Acosta tweeted in response.
In an interview with CNN's Anderson Cooper, Acosta described what happened at the press conference.
"This intern came up to me — they're describing her as an intern, I don't really know who she is — and attempted to take the microphone away from me," he said. "All I can say at that point is I was trying to hang on to the microphone, so I could continue to ask the president questions. Obviously, you know, I didn't put my hands on her or touch her as they're alleging, and it's just unfortunate that the White House is saying this. You know, we all try to be professionals over there, and I think I handled myself professionally."
CNN released a statement reiterating its support for Acosta.
The White House announced tonight that it has revoked the press pass of CNN's Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta. It was done in retaliation for his challenging questions at today's press conference. In an explanation, Press Secretary Sarah Sanders lied. She provided fraudulent accusations and cited an incident that never happened. This unprecedented decision is a thread to our democracy and the country deserves better. Jim Acosta has our full support.
CNN statement
Oliver Knox, the president of the White House Correspondents Association, also released a statement criticizing the White House's decision.
The White House Correspondents Association strongly objects to the Trump Administration's decision to use US Secret Service security credentials as a tool to punish a reporter with whom it has a difficult relationship. Revoking access to the White House complex is a reaction out of line to the purported offense and is unacceptable.
Journalists may use a range of approaches to carry out their jobs and the WHCA does not police the tone or frequency of the questions its members ask of powerful senior government officials, including the President. Such interactions, however uncomfortable they may appear to be, help define the strength of our national institutions.
We urge the White House to immediately reverse this weak and misguided action.
We encourage anyone with doubts that this reaction was disproportionate to the perceived offense to view the video of the events from earlier today.
White House Correspondents Association statement
Later that night, Sanders tweeted out a copy of the doctored video that had previously been shared by Infowars. Journalists immediately pointed out that the video had been doctored, and CNN spokesman Matt Dornic Sanders of sharing "actual fake news."
We stand by our decision to revoke this individual’s hard pass. We will not tolerate the inappropriate behavior clearly documented in this video. pic.twitter.com/T8X1Ng912y
— Sarah Sanders (@PressSec) November 8, 2018
this is literally edited and came from Infowars; here’s a quick clip from CSPAN’s own video: https://t.co/rGgywCbfqy https://t.co/8JqUHCAV82
— Claudia Koerner (@ClaudiaKoerner) November 8, 2018
This is a video that Infowars made. They sped it up so that it seems more violent than it is. https://t.co/FH1tsGSSaU
— Nicole Goodkind (@NicoleGoodkind) November 8, 2018
Absolutely shameful, @PressSec. You released a doctored video - actual fake news. History will not be kind to you. https://t.co/v1w9Lj9TlK
— Matt Dornic (@mdornic) November 8, 2018
A White House intern reaches for the microphone held by CNN's Jim Acosta as he questions U.S. President Donald Trump during a news conference at the White House on November 7, 2018.
",None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,"['CHANGE_IN_POLICY', 'PRESS_CREDENTIAL']",,Donald Trump,,,Federal government: White House 2018-11-27 21:13:07.863476+00:00,2023-10-20 20:52:17.775513+00:00,Arkansas man arrested after threatening to kill CNN anchor Don Lemon,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/arkansas-man-arrested-after-threatening-kill-cnn-anchor-don-lemon/,2023-10-20 20:52:17.671730+00:00,,,,Other Incident,,,,,,2018-11-06,False,Mountain Home,Arkansas (AR),36.33534,-92.38516,"On Nov. 6, 2018, the Baxter County Sheriff's Office in Arkansas arrested 39-year-old Benjamin Craig Matthews for allegedly making "terroristic threats" toward CNN employees. According to a police report, Matthews is suspected of making more than 40 threatening phone calls to CNN headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia, between Oct. 31 and Nov. 2, 2018.
In an affidavit, Sgt. Brad Hurst of the Baxter County Sheriff’s Office wrote that many of Matthews threats targeted CNN anchor Don Lemon, who is referred to as "DL" in the affidavit. In one phone call, Matthews allegedly said, "could I be directed to DL's dead body hanging from a tree?" In another call, he allegedly asked, "is DL dead yet, can you help me kill that [redacted]?"
According to Hurst, CNN was not Matthews’ only target.
"He has made calls to MSNBC, US Representative Maxine Waters, US Senator Chuck Schumer, Attorney Michael Avenatti, Washington Speakers Bureau, and Planned Parenthood, suggesting a pattern of harassment towards certain political affiliations," Hurst wrote in the affidavit.
On Nov. 10, 2018, Matthews was released on $15,000 bail. He faces 18 counts of terroristic threatening and harassing communications, including five Class D felonies, each of which are punishable by up to six years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
On Nov. 15, Matthews pleaded not guilty to the charges.
On Oct. 24, 2018, CNN’s New York bureau was evacuated after a pipe bomb was found in the mailroom of the Time Warner Center, which houses CNN’s New York offices.
The package containing the bomb, which also contained an unknown white powder that authorities later determined was part of the bomb, was addressed to “John Brenan, Time Warner Center (CNN).” John Brennan, the former CIA director, is now a paid commentator on MSNBC but has previously appeared as a guest on CNN.
Authorities said that the bomb sent to CNN was similar to explosive devices sent to former president Barack Obama, former vice president Joe Biden, former attorney general Eric Holder, former secretary of state Hillary Clinton, Democratic congresswoman Maxine Waters, and major Democratic donor George Soros.
Shortly after 10 a.m. on Oct. 24, as CNN’s Jim Sciutto and Poppy Harlow were anchoring a live segment about the suspicious packages mailed to the Obamas and Clinton, a fire alarm went off inside the CNN newsroom.
“There’s a fire alarm, you might have heard it in the background, we’re going to find out what the latest is here at CNN, and we’re going to be right back,” Sciutto said.
Time Warner Center – where CNN's New York offices are located – was just evacuated. The alarm went off as @jimsciutto and @PoppyHarlowCNN were on air reporting the packages sent to the Clintons and Obamas. @ShimonPro reporting it was over "a suspicious package." pic.twitter.com/EYBsytil0o
— 💀andrew👻kaczynski🎃 (@KFILE) October 24, 2018
As CNN’s New York bureau evacuated, the network switched its broadcast to the Washington bureau. But Poppy, Harlow, and other CNN reporters in New York were soon back on the air, using cellphones to offer live reports from the street outside the Time Warner Center.
The NYPD bomb squad removed the device from the Time Warner Center mailroom shortly before noon, but CNN employees were not allowed to re-enter the building until the NYPD had finished sweeping every floor in the building for the white powder. Finally, CNN employees were able to return to their desks around 3:30 p.m.
President Trump criticized the pipe bomb attacks in very broad terms during an unrelated bill-signing ceremony at the White House on Oct. 24.
“We have to unify,” he said. “We have to come together. Acts or threats of political violence of any kind have no place in the United States of America. This egregious conduct is abhorrent to everything we hold dear. We’re extremely angry, upset, unhappy about what we witnessed this morning and we will get to the bottom of it.”
The president did not mention CNN or any of the other bomb targets by name.
“There is a total and complete lack of understanding at the White House about the seriousness of their continued attacks on the media,” CNN chief executive Jeff Zucker said in a statement released a few hours later. “The President, and especially the White House Press Secretary, should understand their words matter. Thus far, they have shown no comprehension of that.”
When a pipe bomb forced the evacuation of CNN's New York bureau, anchors Poppy Harlow and Jim Sciutto used cellphones to report on the situation from a street corner outside CNN's offices.
",None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,[],CNN,bomb / bomb threat,,, 2018-07-26 00:11:11.047325+00:00,2023-12-21 17:14:31.701011+00:00,White House bans CNN reporter from event for 'inappropriate' questions,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/white-house-bans-cnn-reporter-event-asking-inappropriate-questions/,2023-12-21 17:14:31.600713+00:00,,,,Denial of Access,,,,Kaitlan Collins (CNN),,2018-07-25,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"On July 25, 2018, the White House press office told CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins that she was not allowed to attend an event in the Rose Garden that was otherwise open to the press, CNN reports.
Collins said that Bill Shine, the White House deputy chief of staff for communications, and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, the White House press secretary, told her that she had been banned from the event in retaliation for trying to ask President Trump a question during a photo-op.
Earlier in the day, President Trump and European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker had sat for a so-called "pool spray" — a photo opportunity attended by a small subset of the White House press corps. Collins was the designated TV pool reporter, which meant that she was responsible for reporting on what happened during the pool spray and then relaying that information to her colleagues in the White House press corps.
During the pool spray, Collins tried to ask Trump if he had any comment on two major news stories — the revelation that Trump's lawyer had secretly taped some of his phone conversations, and Trump's invitation to Russian president Vladimir Putin to have a meeting in Washington, D.C.
Trump ignored both questions.
It is standard practice for pool reporters like Collins to shout out questions to the president during photo opportunities. Trump often mostly ignores such questions, but occasionally provides off-the-cuff answers, which instantly make news.
"It wasn't anything different from any other pool spray," Collins told CNN.
But the White House press office, which in the past has criticized pool reporters for asking questions during pool sprays, decided to make an example out of Collins.
Later in the day, Trump and Juncker announced a surprise press conference in the Rose Garden. The event was open to all members of the press — at least, all members of the press except for Kaitlan Collins.
Shortly before the Rose Garden press conference began, Shine and Sanders pulled Collins aside and told her that she was not allowed to attend.
"They said 'You are dis-invited from the press availability in the Rose Garden today,'" Collins recalled in an interview with CNN. "They said that the questions I asked were inappropriate for that venue. And they said I was shouting."
"We're not banning your network," Collins recalled Shine and Sanders telling her. "Your photographers can still come. Your producers can still come. But you are not invited to the Rose Garden today."
In response, Collins said, she told Shine and Sanders, "You're banning me from an event because you didn't like the questions I asked."
CNN was quick to defend Collins.
"Just because the White House is uncomfortable with a question regarding the news of day doesn't mean the question isn't relevant and shouldn't be asked," CNN said in a statement. "This decision to bar a member of the press is retaliatory in nature and not indicative of an open and free press. We demand better."
Bill Shine, newly hired as Deputy Chief of Staff for Communications, talks with White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and counselor Kellyanne Conway, in the East Room of the White House, on July 9, 2018.
",None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,['GOVERNMENT_EVENTS'],,,,,Federal government: White House 2018-01-23 04:51:53.385272+00:00,2020-03-19 19:14:39.466294+00:00,Man arrested after threatening to kill CNN staffers,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/man-arrested-after-threatening-kill-cnn-staffers/,2020-03-19 19:14:39.389272+00:00,,,,Other Incident,"Unsealed criminal complaint and FBI agent's affidavit (https://www.scribd.com/document/369707813/Metro-Detroit-man-threatens-CNN-multiple-times), Feds: Man threatened to kill CNN employees (http://www.cbs46.com/story/37323169/feds-man-threatened-to-kill-cnn-employees) via WGCL-TV, CNN statement on threats (https://twitter.com/brianstelter/status/955649229308997632)",,,,,2018-01-22,False,Atlanta,Georgia (GA),33.749,-84.38798,"A man in Michigan was arrested by the FBI and accused of threatening to murder CNN employees, Atlanta news station WGCL-TV reported on Jan. 22, 2018.
The man allegedly made 22 threatening calls to CNN's headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia on Jan. 9 and 10, according to an unsealed criminal complaint.
"Fake news. I'm coming to gun you down," the man allegedly said during one call.
"I have a gun and I am coming to Georgia right now to go to the CNN headquarters to fucking gun every single last one of you," he allegedly said during another call. "I have a team of people. It's going to be great, man ... You gotta get prepared for this one, buddy."
The FBI arrested Brian Griesemer, and he was charged in connection with the threats against CNN employees. He was also accused of making threats against a mosque in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
"We take any threats to CNN employees or workplaces, around the world, extremely seriously," CNN said in a statement. "This one is no exception. We have been in touch with local and federal law enforcement throughout, and have taken all necessary measures to ensure the safety of our people."
President Donald Trump has repeatedly targeted CNN, referring to the network and its journalists as "fake news" and even re-tweeting memes that made light of threats of violence against CNN reporters.
CNN chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta said that White House aides shouted at him as he tried to ask questions of President Trump in the Oval Office on Jan. 16, 2018.
Acosta, along with other members of the press, covered a meeting at the White House between Trump and President Nursultan Nazarbayev of Kazakhstan. During the meeting, Acosta asked Trump, “Did you say you want more people to come into the country from Norway, Mr. President?”
Trump responded, “I want them to come in from everywhere … everywhere. Thank you very much, everybody.”
Acosta later tweeted that White House aides shouted in his face and drowned him out as he continued to ask the president questions.
At a photo opportunity in the Oval Office, Acosta again asked Trump if he preferred that only white immigrants come to the United States.
In response, Acosta said, Trump pointed at him and told him, “Out.”
On Jan. 17, Acosta participated in a panel discussion on press freedom at the Newseum in Washington, D.C. During the panel discussion, Acosta said that he considers being kicked out of the Oval Office for asking the president if he was a racist to be a badge of honor.
Acosta is an outspoken critic of the Trump administration, and particularly its treatment of the press. Trump frequently criticizes Acosta on Twitter, often labeling both him and CNN as "fake news."
In Oval Office pool spray, I asked why Trump wants more people to come in from Norway. He said he wants people to come in from everywhere. Verbatim coming.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 16, 2018
As I attempted to ask questions in Roosevelt Room of Trump, WH press aides shouted in my face to drown out my questions. I have never encountered that before.
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 16, 2018
When I tried to follow up on this in the Oval Office, Trump told me to get "out." We then went to the Roosevelt Room where WH aides obstructed us from asking questions. https://t.co/vuEIv1jvso
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) January 16, 2018
CNN’s @Acosta was kicked out of the Oval Office for asking the president if he was a racist - “and I consider that a badge of honor” #USPressFreedom
— Newseum (@Newseum) January 18, 2018
White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer waits for CNN correspondent Jim Acosta to finish speaking on camera before he starts the daily press briefing at the White House, on March 9, 2017.
",None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,['OTHER'],,Donald Trump,,,Federal government: White House 2017-12-06 10:44:58.989298+00:00,2022-09-21 19:05:32.307793+00:00,President Trump says that CNN International is 'fake news',https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/president-trump-says-cnn-international-fake-news/,2022-09-21 19:05:32.248447+00:00,,,,Other Incident,CNN hits back at Trump after criticism of foreign reporting (https://www.politico.com/story/2017/11/27/cnn-trump-news-feud-261021) via Politico,,,,,2017-11-25,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"President Donald Trump criticized CNN International on Twitter on Nov. 25, 2017, calling the network “fake news” and accusing it of misrepresenting the United States to the world. CNN's PR team quickly replied to the tweet.
It's not CNN's job to represent the U.S to the world. That's yours. Our job is to report the news. #FactsFirst 🍎
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) November 25, 2017
Two days later, CNN’s PR team tweeted praise for the network’s foreign correspondents. The tweet noted that reporters working abroad face enormous risks while doing their jobs and included a compilation of clips depicting CNN and CNN International journalists reporting in dangerous situations around the world.
For nearly four decades, @CNN has been a constant here in the United States and around the world. Our journalists, in front of and behind the camera, risk their lives in the most dangerous of places, every day, so you know the truth. #FactsFirst 🍎https://t.co/tFIGl34ZzI
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) November 27, 2017
Overseas reporting is inherently dangerous, and journalists have been arrested, imprisoned, and killed for reporting in countries that lack strong press freedom guarantees. While news organizations within the United States are protected by domestic legislation and the First Amendment, American news organizations working abroad rely on the influence of entities such as the White House to cover news uninhibited.
Joel Simon, the executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, told Politico that Trump’s suggestion that CNN International was “fake news” could provide an excuse for foreign countries to clamp down on journalists’ rights. (CPJ is a founding partner of the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker.)
“To the extent that sentiment echoes the views of authoritarian leaders, it empowers them,” he said. “That authoritarian leaders who have policies that undermine and restrict press freedom don’t feel that their actions potentially undermine their relationships to the United States — that’s an important point of leverage that no longer exists.”
White House advisers reportedly discussed using the multibillion-dollar merger between AT&T and Time Warner as leverage over cable news network CNN to sway its coverage of President Donald Trump and his administration, according to an article in The New York Times.
The article, published on July 5, 2017, cited an unnamed senior administration official. CNN’s parent company is Time Warner, and the Justice Department has been investigating the antitrust implications of this merger. CNN President Jeff Zucker said that the merger had not affected his journalistic or management choices, according to the article. Trump’s relationship with CNN is extremely contentious. He has repeatedly called the network “fake news” and “garbage journalism.”
A Time Warner Cable truck returns to its office in San Diego, California, U.S., November 2, 2016.
",None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,None,CNN,,,, 2017-08-01 12:17:20.534748+00:00,2022-09-22 16:54:57.726705+00:00,Trump tweets video of him wrestling 'CNN',https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/trump-tweets-video-him-wrestling-cnn/,2022-09-22 16:54:57.646458+00:00,,,,Chilling Statement,"Trump's tweet (https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/881503147168071680), Why pro wrestling is the perfect metaphor for Donald Trump's presidency (http://www.cnn.com/2017/07/02/politics/trump-wrestling-tweet/index.html) via CNN",,,,,2017-07-02,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"President Trump tweeted a short video from @realDonaldTrump on July 2, 2017, that showed him wrestling a figure whose head had been replaced by the CNN logo.
The video, which had been posted on Reddit earlier, uses footage from the 2007 WrestleMania, an annual professional wrestling event, during which Trump participated in a mock "battle of the billionaires." CNN's logo in the edited video was superimposed on the head of WWE President Vince McMahon. The tweet was tagged "#FraudNewsCNN" and "#FNN", which stands for "Fake News Network."
The official presidential account @potus retweeted the video the same day.
#FraudNewsCNN #FNN pic.twitter.com/WYUnHjjUjg
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 2, 2017
Image of tweet from @readlDonaldTrump
",None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,None,CNN,Donald Trump,,, 2017-08-02 06:11:40.032611+00:00,2023-12-21 21:05:30.375079+00:00,Reporters excluded from press briefing,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/reporters-excluded-press-briefing/,2023-12-21 21:05:30.259671+00:00,,,,Denial of Access,,,,,,2017-02-24,False,Washington,District of Columbia (DC),38.89511,-77.03637,"Aides to White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer barred 11 news outlets from attending an informal briefing known as a “gaggle” held in lieu of a daily press briefing on Feb. 24, 2017. When reporters tried to enter Spicer's office for the briefing, they were told that they were not on the list of attendees. The press pool was invited to attend along with several handpicked outlets.
CNN, The New York Times, Politico, The Hill, the BBC, the Daily Mail, the Guardian, BuzzFeed, Huffington Post, the Los Angeles Times, and New York Daily News were excluded.
White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders claimed that the briefing had taken place in a smaller office and that the press pool had been invited.
“We invited the pool so everyone was represented. We decided to add a couple of additional people beyond the pool. Nothing more than that," she said.
The pool consisted of Hearst Newspapers and CBS. NBC, ABC, Fox News, One America News Network, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Breitbart, McClatchy and The Washington Times were also invited and attended.
Reporters from The Associated Press, Time and USA Today declined to attend.
Journalists work in the briefing room at the White House on Feb. 24, 2017. Several major news organizations were excluded from an off camera "gaggle" meeting with White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer.
",None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,False,None,None,None,False,False,None,None,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,['GOVERNMENT_EVENTS'],"BBC News, BuzzFeed News, CNN, Daily Mail, HuffPost, Los Angeles Times, New York Daily News, Politico, The Guardian, The Hill, The New York Times",,,,Federal government: White House 2017-05-18 06:59:58.775743+00:00,2024-01-16 19:37:50.379935+00:00,CNN producer detained in Atlanta airport,https://pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incidents/cnn-producer-detained-atlanta-airport/,2024-01-16 19:37:50.273337+00:00,,,(2017-08-11 00:00:00+00:00) CNN producer’s lawsuit dismissed following changes to executive order,Border Stop,,,,Mohammed Tawfeeq (CNN),,2017-01-29,False,Atlanta,Georgia (GA),33.749,-84.38798,"Mohammed Tawfeeq, a CNN editor and producer, was detained Sunday at Atlanta’s Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and subjected to secondary screening while returning from an assignment on Jan. 29, 2017.
Tawfeeq, an Iraqi who is a legal permanent resident of the U.S., has filed a lawsuit in federal court alleging that the president's executive order was used to unlawfully detain him, reports said.
A traveler arriving from overseas is fingerprinted while his paperwork is checked by a border patrol official at the passport control line in Newark International Airport Aug. 24, 2009 in Newark, New Jersey.
",None,None,None,None,False,1:17-cv-00353,['DISMISSED'],Civil,None,False,None,Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport,U.S. permanent resident (green card),False,False,unknown,yes,None,None,False,None,[],None,None,None,None,None,None,False,[],,,Iraq,,