Plus, six years since the deadliest single attack on journalists in U.S. history
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Friends of the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker:
Welcome back to your newsletter around press freedom violations in the United States. Find archived editions here ([link removed]) , and get this newsletter directly in your inbox by signing up here ([link removed]) .
A snapshot of all assaults documented in the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker so far this year. Credit: U.S. Press Freedom Tracker
Attacks on journalists across the U.S.
In last newsletter ([link removed]) , I wrote how the number of journalists arrested or detained was already more than the last two years — combined.
This month, I want to highlight how the number of journalists assaulted ([link removed]) that we’ve documented or are actively reporting on will surpass the total number of assaults from all of last year — and the year is only half over.
The assailants, or those who are shoving ([link removed]) , kicking ([link removed]) and spraying chemical irritants ([link removed]) on journalists, are about evenly split between law enforcement ([link removed]) and members of the public ([link removed]) . The vast majority — more than 85% — are occurring at Israel-Gaza war protests
([link removed]) across the nation.
Remembering the victims of the Capital Gazette attack
This Friday, June 28, marks six years since a man armed with a shotgun entered the Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland, and killed four journalists and a newsroom employee. It was the deadliest single attack on journalists in U.S. history ([link removed]) ; the gunman was later sentenced in 2021 to six life sentences plus 345 years in prison, all to be served consecutively.
Last year, the families of the victims plus five survivors reached a settlement agreement ([link removed]) with The Baltimore Sun and Tribune Publishing, the outlet’s parent companies, as part of two lawsuits. Phil Davis, a former crime reporter for the Gazette who survived the shooting, told Tracker Senior Reporter Stephanie Sugars that he discourages the idea that the end of the lawsuit means closure.
“Everyone wants closure, because closure is what makes everything easier to understand. It gives people a way to endnote things,” Davis said. “I hope people realize that it doesn’t create a new chapter for anyone.”
All journalists killed in or present for the attack ([link removed]) are documented in the Tracker’s Assault category; damage to the building during the shooting ([link removed]) is captured in the Equipment Damage category.
A copy of the Capital Gazette is displayed in a newspaper box the day after a gunman killed five people and injured several others at the publication's offices in Annapolis, Maryland, on June 29, 2018. — FILE/REUTERS/JOSHUA ROBERTS
Resources
Talking about assaults can feel overwhelming. Use or share these resources to keep journalists safe:
* Resources for journalists covering protests ([link removed]) (Committee to Protect Journalists)
* First steps for online safety ([link removed]) (Freedom of the Press Foundation)
* Strategies for Safely Covering Civil Unrest ([link removed]) (International Women’s Media Foundation)
More in the Tracker
For the latest on press freedom aggressions across the U.S., explore the database ([link removed]) and follow the Tracker on social media — we’re on X ([link removed]) and Instagram ([link removed]) . Your support is crucial to this work; donate today ([link removed]) .
Best,
Kirstin McCudden
Managing Editor, U.S. Press Freedom Tracker
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