Physical Attack

Category Summary

Total cases	114
Journalists attacked in 2018	43
Journalists attacked in 2017	46

Broadcast reporter attacked, camera damaged while reporting in Southwest Florida

December 5, 2019

Delia D’Ambra, a broadcast reporter for NBC2 News in Southwest Florida, was assaulted and her camera damaged while working on …

Photographer knocked to ground, camera damaged at football game

December 9, 2019

A photographer for the Honolulu Star-Advertiser says that he was assaulted during a University of Hawaii football game on Nov. …

NYC building owner assaults reporter, breaks station camera equipment

December 5, 2019

Michael Herzenberg, a reporter for Spectrum News NY1, was assaulted and a NY1 camera damaged in an altercation with a …

Journalist alleges bodyguard pushed, assaulted him outside San Francisco courthouse

November 15, 2019

Multimedia journalist Phelim McAleer told the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker that he was assaulted by a bodyguard for Planned Parenthood …

Kentucky journalist harassed, kissed on cheek during live broadcast

October 7, 2019

WAVE 3 News broadcast reporter Sara Rivest was harassed and kissed by a stranger while reporting outside a music festival …

North Carolina state senator damages reporter’s phone in physical altercation

September 19, 2019

Investigative reporter for NC Policy Watch, Joe Killian, said North Carolina State Sen. Paul Lowe assaulted him and threw his …

Man robs and briefly kidnaps NBC affiliate reporter at gunpoint

September 4, 2019

A reporter for NBC Right Now in Kennewick, Washington, was robbed and briefly kidnapped at gunpoint while covering a local teachers strike on Aug. 27, 2019.An undisclosed reporter had set up her video camera in the parking lot of the Kennewick School District ahead of a planned teachers strike, YakTriNews reported. At around 5:45 a.m., as she was sitting in her news vehicle waiting for the rally to begin, a man got into the backseat of her car, pointed a …

Private security guard assaults journalist, confiscates camera during summit

August 13, 2019

Charlie Kratovil, founder and editor of New Brunswick Today, filed a police report alleging assault by a private security guard …

More Incidents

How we track Physical Attacks

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

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

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

Physical Attack

Category Summary

How we track Physical Attacks

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