Dear Press Freedom Supporter,
Following the raid, CPJ U.S. and Canada Program Coordinator Katherine Jacobsen traveled to Marion to offer support to the newsroom as they worked to print their latest edition. You can read more about Jacobsen’s time on the ground
here and see not only how important the work of the paper is to its local community, but also how powerfully this assault on press freedom resonated across the country—and indeed the world.
We are pleased to say that the equipment belonging to the newspaper, including personal cell phones, has been returned. Citing insufficient evidence to merit the search, the prosecutor’s office has withdrawn the warrant, and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation has taken over the case that led to the raid.
We will continue to push for a full investigation and call for longer-term protections to ensure such a raid never happens again. As the paper wrote on its front-page following the raid: “SEIZED… but not silenced,” journalists don’t stop—and neither will CPJ.
Thank you for your crucial support and for standing with CPJ and the Marion County Record amid these attacks on the press.
Best,
John D. Weis
Director of Development & Outreach
