Incident Details
- Date of Incident
- March 12, 2018
- Location
- San Diego, California
- Targets
- Mike Gold (KGTV)
- Assailant
- Private individual
- Was the journalist targeted?
- Yes
Assault
- Equipment Broken
- Actor
- Private individual
Equipment Damage
On March 12, 2018, an unidentified man attacked KGTV 10News San Diego news photographer Mike Gold and reporter Bree Steffen while in the middle of a live shot.
Video of the attack, published on KGTV’s YouTube page, shows Steffen stopping mid-sentence and rushing out of the frame, to avoid a man who lunges toward her. The man, who briefly appears on the video, then knocks the camera to the ground.
At the time of the attack, the news crew was recording a live segment for KGTV’s 11 p.m. newscast about demonstrations ahead of President Donald Trump’s first visit to California since his election. KGTV later said that the attack was not related to the topic of the segment.
“While the man’s motive is unclear, the incident was not related to the content of the story,” the network reported. “Authorities were contacted and are handling the matter.”
Steffen later tweeted about the incident, reporting that her wrist was injured and the camera was broken. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker has documented Steffen’s assault here.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker catalogues press freedom violations in the United States. Email tips to [email protected].
