Analysis

Original analyses on press freedom trends and monthly incident roundups written by U.S. Press Freedom Tracker staff with features on First Amendment issues published by our partner organizations.

Featured

Protecting journalism, without federal police reforms

People take part in a candlelight vigil on the fifth anniversary of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Earlier that week, the Department of Justice announced it was dropping federal oversight programs for police reform in the state.

Published

May 30, 2025

Written by

Kirstin McCudden
Trump, allies pursue multipronged campaign against the press

Published

May 23, 2025

Written by

Stephanie Sugars
In 100 days, a laundry list of attacks on the media

From limiting media access to investigating journalists, the Trump administration’s first 100 days have targeted the media on multiple fronts

Published

April 30, 2025

Written by

Kirstin McCudden

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Latest

As America’s press freedom declines, the world is watching

Published

July 31, 2017

Written by

Delphine Halgand and Margaux Ewen
Reporter Aaron Cantu still faces Inauguration charges in D.C.

Aaron Cantu could face up to 75 years in prison

Published

July 24, 2017

Written by

Emily Miller
U.S. Senate report on leaks and national security is deeply flawed

Published

July 10, 2017

Written by

Alex Ellerbeck
CPJ to use $50,000 Gianforte donated as part of body slam settlement to track other assaults on press

Published

June 27, 2017

Written by

Joel Simon
Obama used the Espionage Act to put a record number of reporters' sources in jail, and Trump could be even worse

The Obama administration prosecuted eight people for sharing information with journalists.

Published

June 21, 2017

Written by

Peter Sterne
How the Espionage Act morphed into a dangerous tool used to prosecute sources and threaten journalists

Since the Nixon administration, the federal government has tried to use the Espionage Act of 1917 as a tool against the press several times.

Published

June 19, 2017

Written by

Peter Sterne
America's 'Official Secrets Act' — the long, sad history of the 100 year-old Espionage Act

When President Woodrow Wilson advocated for press censorship during World War I, Congress responded by passing the Espionage Act of 1917. One hundred years later, the law still poses a serious threat to journalists' First Amendment rights.

Published

June 15, 2017

Written by

Peter Sterne
Edward Snowden on Trump administration's recent arrest of an alleged journalistic source

Published

June 6, 2017

Written by

Edward Snowden

Analysis

Featured

Protecting journalism, without federal police reforms

Trump, allies pursue multipronged campaign against the press

In 100 days, a laundry list of attacks on the media

Latest

As America’s press freedom declines, the world is watching

Reporter Aaron Cantu still faces Inauguration charges in D.C.

U.S. Senate report on leaks and national security is deeply flawed

CPJ to use $50,000 Gianforte donated as part of body slam settlement to track other assaults on press

Obama used the Espionage Act to put a record number of reporters' sources in jail, and Trump could be even worse

How the Espionage Act morphed into a dangerous tool used to prosecute sources and threaten journalists

America's 'Official Secrets Act' — the long, sad history of the 100 year-old Espionage Act

Edward Snowden on Trump administration's recent arrest of an alleged journalistic source