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Press Freedom

Rights Groups, Journalists, And Whistleblowers Call For Courtney Williams’ Release

May 18, 2026 Defending Rights and Dissent. , , ,
A coalition of more than two dozen press freedom and human rights groups, members of the media, military veterans, and ex-government whistleblowers, has authored an open letter calling for the immediate release of U.S. Army veteran Courtney Williams, who has been arrested and charged under the Espionage Act of 1917 for allegedly disclosing classified information when she spoke out against gender discrimination and sexual harassment in the U.S. military.  The coalition, led by civil liberties organization Defending Rights & Dissent and including PEN America, the Society of Professional Journalists, and the Freedom of the Press Foundation...

Trump Administration Issues Subpoenas To Stifle Reporting On War Against Iran

May 13, 2026 Kevin Gosztola, The Dissenter. , , , ,
On behalf of President Donald Trump, the Justice Department issued grand jury subpoenas that targeted Wall Street Journal reporters involved in covering the war against Iran.  “The government’s subpoenas to The Wall Street Journal and our reporters represent an attack on constitutionally protected newsgathering. We will vigorously oppose this effort to stifle and intimidate essential reporting,” stated Ashok Sinha, the chief communications officer for Dow Jones, the Journal’s publisher. According to the Journal, the subpoenas stemmed from a February 23 article that reported that “Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and others at the Pentagon warned the president about the risks of an extended military campaign against Iran.

American Press Freedom On The Brink

May 3, 2026 Clayton Weimers, Scheer Post. , , ,
As World Press Freedom Day (May 3) nears, it’s a good time to step back and assess how journalists and news outlets are faring in our current media climate. President Donald Trump came back to the White House and picked up right where he left off, insulting and attacking the press on an almost daily basis, suing media outlets, and taking a number of concrete actions to restrict press freedom. Against this backdrop, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) will release its 2026 World Press Freedom Index on April 30. Every year, RSF scores and ranks 180 countries and territories based on their level of press freedom.

Reporters Without Borders: 2026 Lowest Point For Press Freedom

April 30, 2026 News Desk, The Cradle. , , ,
In its 2026 World Press Freedom Index, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) reports that global press freedom has reached its lowest level in the index's 25-year history, with more than half of the world's countries now classified as “difficult” or “very serious” for journalistic freedom. “Journalists are still being killed and imprisoned for their work, but the tactics undermining press freedom are evolving. Journalism is being asphyxiated by hostile political discourse towards reporters, weakened by a faltering media economy, and squeezed by laws being used as weapons against the press,” the RSF report read.

Israeli Military Reportedly Bombed Lebanese Journalist, Blocked Rescuers

April 24, 2026 Kevin Gosztola, The Dissenter. , , , ,
The Israeli military reportedly targeted two Lebanese journalists, assassinating Amal Khalil who worked for the Al-Akhbar newspaper and seriously injuring freelance photographer Zeinab Faraj. Lebanese Red Cross volunteers rescued Faraj but were unable to rescue Khalil before she died because the Israeli military opened fire on them, which Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam called a “war crime.” “Israel’s targeting of media professionals in the South while they are performing their professional duties can no longer be viewed as a series of isolated incidents,” Salam declared.

US Military Partners In The Gulf Crack Down On Journalism During Iran War

April 19, 2026 Kevin Gosztola, The Dissenter. , , , ,
Kuwait is considered a “vital” partner of the United States military. Prior to the war on Iran, the Persian Gulf state hosted around 13,500 U.S. forces at Camp Arifjan and Ali al-Salem Air Base. “Only Germany, Japan, and South Korea host more U.S. forces than Kuwait does,” according to the Bureau of Political-Military Affairs for the U.S. State Department. Now, the Gulf state has arrested and charged Kuwaiti American journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin with violating one of the country’s censorship laws.  The State Department could easily demand Shihab-Eldin’s release, and the monarchy that rules Kuwait would set him free.

Kuwait Must Release The Journalist Ahmed Shihab-Eldin

April 14, 2026 Chris Hedges, Substack. , , ,
Ahmed Shihab-Eldin, a fearless Palestinian-American journalist whose writing and reports are defined by unparalleled integrity, depth and eloquence, was arrested on March 3 in Kuwait. He is charged with spreading false information and harming national security. His arrest took place following his reporting of the shooting down of three U.S. fighter planes by the Kuwaiti military in an act of friendly fire during the US-Israel war with Iran. Ahmed, along with other news outlets such as the BBC, published footage of a US F-15 E Strike Eagle crashing in al-Jahra west of Kuwait City.

A German Journalist’s ‘Civil Death’

March 31, 2026 Patrick Lawrence, Consortium News. , , ,
Hüseyin Dogru is not given to histrionics or self-dramatizations, if this is what you’re thinking. He has been on the E.U.’s (increasingly long) sanctions list since May 20 of last year. While Dogru joins others dedicated to the truth of our time and the defense of their own integrity, he is the first E.U. citizen to be sanctioned and the first journalist to land on the list because of his work.  What is Dogru’s crime? Don’t ask: He has not committed one, has not been charged with one, and has not been permitted any opportunity to respond in court to those accusing him of … of practicing his profession and exercising his rights to free expression. 

Judge Slaps Down Pentagon’s Anti-Press Policy

March 22, 2026 Kevin Gosztola, The Dissenter. , , , , ,
A United States judge ruled that the Pentagon’s restrictions imposed on reporters are unconstitutional and “vacated” the “challenged provisions” of the policy. He defended the right of members of news media to solicit information from sources and upheld the public’s right to know information about their government.  “[I]n light of the country’s recent incursion into Venezuela and its ongoing war with Iran, it is more important than ever that the public have access to information from a variety of perspectives about what its government is doing,” Judge Paul Friedman declared.

How Will Corporate Lobbyists Fix Healthcare?

March 22, 2026 John Canham-Clyne, Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting. , , , ,
Corporate media political reporting has always been a clubby endeavor, but a recent reporting experience suggests that the insider culture in Washington, DC, is more insular than ever. It’s often a challenge for independent media to get responses from Washington insider sources—especially on stories critical of powerful actors—but it’s become increasingly difficult even to pose the questions to those sources. Corporate news sources now issue press releases without bothering to include any information about who to contact with follow-up questions, as if the source is handing the truth down from on high.

Trump Administration Threatens Media Licenses And Treason Charges

March 17, 2026 Jordan Atwood, Nation of Change. , , , , ,
The Trump administration is facing growing criticism after the chair of the Federal Communications Commission suggested that television broadcasters could lose their licenses if they air reporting about the ongoing war with Iran that the administration considers inaccurate. The warning came as President Donald Trump also escalated his attacks on news organizations, suggesting that media outlets reporting information he disputes about the conflict could face treason charges. Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr posted a message on social media Saturday that appeared to warn broadcasters about how they cover the war.

Press Freedom Groups Call For Release Of Journalist Arrested by ICE

March 16, 2026 Defending Rights and Dissent. , , , , ,
On Tuesday, a coalition of 41 press-freedom groups demanded that the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement immediately release journalist Estefany Rodriguez. ICE failed to produce a warrant when Rodriguez, a Colombian-born reporter, was arrested on March 4, 2026. She has been in ICE custody since, moving between detention facilities with her current whereabouts likely in Alabama but unclear. Rodriguez had fled to the United States in 2021 after facing threats for her coverage of Colombia’s armed militia groups. She has since applied for political asylum in the United States, and has a pending green card application through her husband, who is a U.S. citizen.

EU Sanctions Journalist In Shocking First Over Gaza Reporting

February 19, 2026 Ali Abunimah, The Electronic Intifada. , , ,
In January, a post I saw on Twitter/X shocked me. “URGENT: As of now, I have ZERO access to any money,” Hüseyin Dogru wrote. “I can’t provide food for my family, including two newborns, due to EU sanctions.” Dogru is a journalist, a German citizen living in Berlin. After reading his post, I sent him a private message offering to order groceries and have them sent to his home. The reply shocked me even more. “Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to accept any financial or material support,” Dogru wrote. Dogru is the first European Union citizen known to be living inside the EU to face extrajudicial sanctions imposed by Brussels – robbing him of fundamental civil and humanitarian rights.

US Prosecutor Faces ‘Disciplinary Complaint’ Over FBI Raid Of Reporter

February 15, 2026 Kevin Gosztola, The Dissenter. , , ,
The Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) filed a "disciplinary complaint" against the federal prosecutor who signed off on the search warrant, which led to the FBI raid against Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson.  “Assistant United States Attorney Gordon Kromberg and the government omitted a federal law that should have prohibited the raid of Hannah Natanson’s home when applying for a search warrant,” declared FPF advocacy director Seth Stern. “That choice now threatens to expose Natanson’s sources and cripple her ability to report, while also sending a warning shot to journalists and whistleblowers nationwide.”

FBI Spied On Washington Post Reporter Prior To Raiding Their Home

February 3, 2026 Kevin Gosztola, The Dissenter. , , , ,
The FBI spied on Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson prior to raiding her home in Virginia. The bureau also obtained search warrants that allowed agents to force Natanson to unlock her devices if they were biometrically secured and depicted her as a reporter involved in a criminal conspiracy. On January 14, the FBI seized Natanson’s work laptop, personal laptop, iPhone, a terabyte hard drive, and Garmin running watch. The search warrants indicated that the raid was connected to an Espionage Act prosecution against Pentagon contractor Aurelio Perez-Lugones, one of Natanson’s alleged sources who had contacted her via the Signal messaging app. 
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