Physical Attack

Editor’s Note: With an unprecedented number of journalists assaulted in 2020, we’re working behind the scenes to make the Tracker database as detailed and user-friendly as possible. Email: [email protected] with questions about methodology and using the database.

Category Summary

Total cases	810
Journalists assaulted in 2021	134
Journalists assaulted in 2020	422
Journalists assaulted in 2019	39
Journalists assaulted in 2018	41
Journalists assaulted in 2017	50
Journalists assaulted, pending pre-2017	1

Fox News cameraman shoved by Roy Moore campaign official in Alabama

November 27, 2017

An unidentified Fox News cameraman was shoved by Tony Goolsby, a campaign official with the Senate campaign of Alabama Republican …

Santa Clara reporter has finger broken while filming in court records room

November 14, 2017

While filming a police interaction at Santa Clara County Superior Court on Nov. 14, 2017, independent courts reporter Susan Bassi …

KAPP-KVEW reporter Maria Leal threatened with knife, had camera damaged

October 30, 2017

Maria Leal, a reporter for local TV station KAPP-KVEW, was chased and threatened by a knife-wielding man in Yakima, Washington, …

KIMA Action News journalist Trisha McCauley threatened with knife, had camera damaged

October 30, 2017

Trisha McCauley, a reporter for local TV station KIMA, was chased and threatened by a knife-wielding man in Yakima, Washington, …

Shareblue Media reporter Mike Stark arrested while covering Republican candidate for Virginia governor

October 28, 2017

Mike Stark, a reporter for the liberal news site Shareblue Media, was arrested in Fairfax County, Virginia on Oct. 28, …

RebZ.tv livestream of shield attack in Shelbyville

Jon Ziegler attacked by white nationalist protesters in Tennessee

October 28, 2017

Independent journalist Jon Ziegler, who livestreams under the handle RebZ.tv, was reporting on a white nationalist rally in Shelbyville, Tennessee, …

Independent livestreamer, Heather DeMian, pepper sprayed by St. Louis police

September 29, 2017

Heather DeMian, an independent livestreamer, was pepper sprayed by St. Louis police while filming a protest.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter knocked to ground by police and arrested

September 17, 2017

Faulk is now suing the City of St. Louis and the police officers who assaulted and pepper-sprayed him.

More Incidents

Search Results Summary

Total Results	50
Journalists affected	50
Institutions affected	28

How we track Physical Attacks

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

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

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