The Facts

Some play down the threats to journalists and press freedom. Here’s part of a brief fact list from the nonpartisan Committee to Protect Journalists:

• Four journalists and one media worker have been murdered (at the Capital Gazette)

• Another journalist, Zack Stoner, was killed in Chicago, but CPJ is still investigating whether the motive is related to his journalism.

• This is the deadliest year for journalists in the United States since CPJ began keeping records in 1992. At this point in 2018, the United States is the third deadliest country globally after Afghanistan and Syria.   

And according to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker:

• In 2018, at least 24 journalists faced physical attacks (ranging from being shoved or having their equipment damaged, to more serious physical assaults). In 2017, at least 45 journalists were physically attacked.

• In 2018, at least three journalists have been arrested in the United States in the course of their work. In 2017, at least 34 journalists were arrested. Most of the arrests took place during protests in St. Louis, North Dakota, and Washington, D.C.

• Since the beginning of 2017, the Department of Justice has issued indictments in at least four leak prosecutions. In at least one case, they subpoenaed the records of a journalist.