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Israel must stop arresting journalists — whether American or Palestinian
Israel, one of the world’s leading jailers of journalists, on Oct. 9 detained Jeremy Loffredo, an American journalist who writes for the controversial outlet, The Grayzone. He’s out now, but is barred from leaving the country as Israeli authorities attempt to build their case.
Israel reportedly charged Loffredo with aiding and providing information to the enemy, apparently for his reporting on Iranian strikes. If journalists commit a crime every time an enemy reads their reporting, that criminalizes a whole lot of journalism, and puts every outlet reporting on Israel’s wars at risk, not just The Grayzone.
We wrote for The Guardian that the U.S. should not only demand its ally explain Loffredo’s arrest, but pressure it to release the 43 Palestinian journalists who remain in custody if it can’t prove they committed a crime.
For more, listen to our X Space (recorded before Loffredo’s arrest) discussing Israel’s targeting of journalists and how the U.S. should be pressuring its ally to respect press freedom.
Time to drop journalist prosecutions
New guidance from the Department of Justice is making even clearer what every police officer should already know: Even when police can disperse protesters who break the law, they can’t disperse journalists.
This new guidance is the perfect opportunity for prosecutors to do the right thing with open cases against journalists for failing to disperse: drop them. Read our article calling out six prosecutors who should dismiss cases against journalists right away — and contact their offices to tell them to do so.
Heritage Foundation sends lots of FOIAs. That shouldn’t be a problem
The Heritage Foundation sends a lot of Freedom of Information Act requests about progressive issues, and it’s causing a stir.
Reporting how a right-wing foundation may use FOIA responses to gut the federal workforce is a worthy endeavor. But implying that FOIAs are illegitimate when the goal is partisan could give other agencies an excuse to deny requests they don’t like, including from journalists. Read more on our website.
DeSantis weaponizes trash disposal laws against free press
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration has threatened television stations that air ads supporting abortion rights with criminal liability under the state’s “sanitary nuisance” law.
Seth Stern, director of advocacy of Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) said in our statement: “A governor who is confident in his policies and secure in his leadership would welcome debate and correct statements he believes are misleading rather than trying to weaponize trash disposal laws against the free press. But DeSantis is not that governor.”
Anti-speech lawmakers continue targeting nonprofits
For months now, pandering U.S. lawmakers have set their sights on silencing nonprofit organizations — potentially including media outlets and press freedom groups.
They haven’t gotten their way yet, but the fight’s not over. Read more on our website about the ongoing efforts by FPF and others to push back against these cynical attempts to weaponize the IRS against free speech.
What we’re reading
San Jose City Hall abuses its power by asking for confidential sources (San José Spotlight). “It’s stunning that officials in the highest positions of power at San Jose City Hall are more concerned about finding 'leaks' than whether their elected official allegedly sexually abused minors."
ACLU SoCal demands LAPD officers stop obstructing L.A. Taco reporter from filming homeless ‘sweeps’ (L.A. Taco). Threatening a reporter with arrest for documenting police in public violates the First Amendment, plain and simple. Is the Los Angeles Police Department this ignorant of the law, or does it just not care?
Freedom of the press is waning. The next president can fix that (Poynter). Reporters Without Borders lists 10 ideas to improve the state of press freedom in the United States — including passing the PRESS Act to protect journalist-source confidentiality.
The visual-journalist crackdown (Columbia Journalism Review). Photos and videos by journalists are powerful, and the police know it. When police arrest and assault journalists covering protests, they keep the world from watching and holding them accountable.
Secrecy over officers’ names, pay keeps Virginians in the dark (Virginia Mercury). If a state’s public records law is so weak that police can keep secret the names and salaries of every officer who “might” go undercover someday, it’s time to rewrite the law.
Prison confiscates incarcerated journalist’s typewriter after she writes for New York Focus (New York Focus). "A week after incarcerated journalist Sara Kielly published an article criticizing the prison system for its solitary confinement practices, officers ransacked her cell." Retaliation against incarcerated journalists is unconstitutional.
Come see us in Washington or London
The Double Exposure Festival & Symposium, Nov. 7-10 in Washington, D.C., will have panels, workshops, and master classes focused on investigative storytelling. Don’t miss our Director of Advocacy Seth Stern, who will discuss dangerous government efforts to limit who is a journalist — such as by excluding documentary filmmakers. Purchase your tickets or passes here.
Or come see us in London, where we’re co-hosting Source! the London Logan Symposium with The Centre for Investigative Journalism Nov. 14-15. Hear from journalists from all over the world about press freedom issues and the challenges they face in protecting themselves and their sources. Register to attend here.
Follow us on TikTok and Instagram
FPF is now live on Instagram and TikTok. Click the links to follow us and see our latest posts about press freedom.
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