Press Freedom Watch

Pentagon bans press photographers from briefings over ‘unflattering’ photos

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth banned news photographers from attending at least two press briefings after they published photos of him that he disliked, The Washington Post reported. The “unflattering” photos came from a March 2 briefing about the Iran War, in which photographers from multiple outlets including The Associated Press and Reuters were present. In two subsequent briefings, only Defense Department photographers were permitted to be in the room. This was not the first time Hegseth has limited press access to the Pentagon. In September, the Pentagon issued new press restrictions that drove out nearly all credentialed reporters there. A new group of journalists and content creators — many of whom worked with outlets sympathetic to President Donald Trump — agreed to the restrictions and moved in instead. 

More from Poynter:

• You won’t believe why the Pentagon barred photographers from its briefings

ICE detains journalist in company-marked car

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents detained Nashville Noticias journalist Estefany Rodríguez while she was sitting in a car marked with the outlet’s logo. The arrest came one day after Rodríguez covered an ICE raid at a residential complex. The Department of Homeland Security has accused Rodríguez, a Colombian national, of overstaying her visa. Rodríguez and her lawyers, however, state that she applied for asylum in 2021 while her visa was still active and that she has since obtained a valid work permit and applied for permanent residency. They also allege that the DHS targeted Rodríguez for her previous reporting on immigration. 

Federal Trade Commission warns Apple News against non-disclosure of ‘ideological favoritism’

Federal Trade Commission chair Andrew Ferguson sent Apple CEO Tim Cook a letter warning him that Apple News may be in violation of Section 5 of the FTC Act, which prohibits unfair or deceptive acts or practices. Apple News suppressed news articles from conservative outlets while promoting those from liberal publications, Ferguson alleged, citing a study conducted by a conservative media watchdog group. The suppression of certain ideological perspectives could be a violation of the FTC Act if it is “inconsistent with Apple’s terms of service or the reasonable expectations of consumers,” Ferguson wrote. This is not the first time President Donald Trump’s administration has used the FTC to investigate groups it perceives to have a leftist bias. In May, the FTC launched an investigation into Media Matters, a liberal nonprofit that produces reporting on conservative misinformation.

FCC launches investigation into ‘The View’

The Federal Communications Commission launched an investigation into ABC’s daytime talk show “The View” over a possible violation of the agency’s “equal time” rule. The rule requires that broadcast television stations provide equal air time to political candidates, and the investigation will examine whether Texas Democratic Senate candidate James Talarico’s appearance on “The View” constitutes a violation. Traditionally, talk shows have qualified for an exemption to the rule under the belief that interviews with political candidates constitute “bona fide” news. In January, however, FCC chair Brendan Carr issued new guidance stating that talk shows should not presume that they qualify for the exemption and must instead petition the FCC to grant it an exemption.  

Two journalists arrested for allegedly violating law while covering anti-ICE protest

Federal agents arrested independent journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort two weeks after they covered a protest in a Minneapolis church. On Jan. 18, the two had livestreamed from the church, where activists interrupted a service in protest of a pastor there who worked for Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Afterwards, the Department of Justice tried to bring charges against Fort, Lemon and one of Lemon’s producers for violating a law prohibiting people from interfering with places of religious worship, but a magistrate judge rejected the charges. A federal appeals court later affirmed the judge’s decision. However, agents took Lemon into custody Jan. 29 and Fort the day after. In a livestream, Fort said agents informed her they were detaining her after obtaining a grand jury indictment. Both Lemon and Fort have said they were at the protest as journalists, not activists.

More from Poynter:

• Federal agents arrest journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort in what press freedom groups say is an escalation
• This is what it looks like when a government tries to intimidate reporters

DOJ accuses Don Lemon of violating the law while covering protest

The Department of Justice attempted to charge independent journalist Don Lemon for violating a law prohibiting people from interfering with places of religious worship after he reported live from a protest in a Minneapolis church. Lemon had livestreamed a Jan. 18 protest targeting a pastor, who also worked for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, in the church. During the livestream, Lemon interviewed activists leading the anti-ICE protest, parishioners and a pastor. Two days later, the DOJ filed a criminal complaint accusing Lemon and others present at the scene, including activists, of breaking the law. (Another independent journalist, Georgia Fort, was also “briefly listed as a defendant in early court filings,” the Pioneer Press reported.) In his livestream, Lemon made it clear that he was not there as an activist participating in the protest but as a journalist. 

Pentagon announces overhaul of Stars and Stripes to eliminate ‘woke distractions’

Department of Defense leaders announced they will overhaul the Stars and Stripes, a department-owned outlet covering the armed forces, so that it includes more government releases and less “woke” content. Pentagon spokesperson Sean Parnell posted on X that the Stripes would stop reprinting content from The Associated Press and focus on “warfighting, weapons systems, fitness, lethality, survivability, and ALL THINGS MILITARY” instead of “woke distractions that syphon morale.” The new Stripes will also feature content written by active-duty service members instead of civilian journalists, and half of the Stripes website will be devoted to material created by Defense staff, such as photos from combat cameras, The Daily Wire reported. Stripes journalists have objected to the overhaul, which they fear will interfere with the paper’s mandate from Congress to be editorially independent. 

DOJ subpoenas The Washington Post and executes search of reporter’s home

FBI agents conducted an early morning search of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s home in connection with a media leak investigation. That same morning, the Post received a subpoena seeking any materials related to the investigation, which targets government contractor Aurelio Perez-Lugones, who has been accused of mishandling classified materials. Among the items seized during the search were a work laptop, a personal laptop, a work cellphone, a work voice recorder, a portable hard drive and a Garmin watch. A few weeks prior to the search, Natanson — who covers President Donald Trump’s reshaping of the government and its effects — wrote a personal essay stating that she’d developed more than 1,100 confidential sources over the course of her reporting. Press freedom advocates highlighted the extreme nature of the search, which some said violated the law and the First Amendment.

More from Poynter:

• Why the FBI’s raid on a Washington Post reporter crosses a dangerous line
• The FBI’s search of a Washington Post reporter’s home is rare — and part of a growing pattern

Multiple journalists injured by federal agents while covering Minnesota ICE operations

At least six journalists reported being teargassed, shot at with pepper balls and stun grenades and otherwise physically assaulted by federal agents while covering immigration operations in Minnesota. Starting in early January, at least 3,000 officers from multiple federal agencies have been sent to Minneapolis and the surrounding area as part of what the Trump administration has called the “largest immigration operation ever.” Since then, several journalists have been hit with crowd control munitions while covering immigration protests. In one case, a reporter suffered a concussion and had to be hospitalized. In another, a photojournalist was tackled by federal agents, handcuffed and detained. Multiple journalists also reported having their reporting equipment damaged by federal agents.

More from Poynter:

• How bystander video and newsroom analysis undercut the White House narrative on Alex Pretti
• How exhausted Minneapolis journalists are covering a prolonged federal crackdown
• What’s happening in Minneapolis? Hear it from the journalists who live there.
• Abandoned cars, long days and no clear end for Minneapolis reporters
• How the Minnesota Star Tribune prepared its newsroom to cover Operation Metro Surge

Trump sues the BBC

President Donald Trump sued the BBC for defamation over a 2024 documentary the British public broadcaster produced that featured an edited clip of a speech he made on Jan. 6, 2021. The lawsuit, which demands $10 billion in damages and was filed in federal court in Miami, also accuses the BBC of violating state laws prohibiting “deceptive and unfair trade practices” and claims the outlet sought to influence the 2024 presidential election. The documentary in question splices two segments of Trump’s speech, giving the impression that he had directly encouraged his supporters to engage in violence. The BBC had previously apologized for the edit, and top officials at the organization resigned in November. Trump had previously sued The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal for defamation.  

More from Poynter:

• BBC resignations over a Trump speech edit show the high cost of editorial mistakes in a polarized era

State Department orders officers to deny H-1B visas to those working in fact-checking

The State Department sent a memo to its consular officers ordering them to review the resumes and LinkedIn profiles of H-1B visa applicants and their accompanying family members for any evidence that they have worked in “areas that include activities such as misinformation, disinformation, content moderation, fact-checking, compliance and online safety, among others,” Reuters reported. H-1B visas are granted to foreign nationals seeking to work in the United States. The aim of the new policy is to identify and deny visas to anyone who engages in “censorship or attempted censorship of protected expression,” according to the memo. That justification echoes a common conservative talking point that fact-checking and identifying misinformation and disinformation is an act of censorship — one that journalists working in the fact-checking space deny. The Trump administration has previously revoked visas of people who engage in speech the administration disfavors including, most prominently, university students who have expressed support for Palestine and its people.

University of Alabama suspends two student publications, citing federal anti-DEI memo

The University of Alabama suspended two student magazines, saying it could no longer fund them because they engaged in “unlawful” discrimination through their targeting of specific audiences. The publications, Alice Magazine and Nineteen Fifty-Six, primarily cover women’s lifestyle topics and Black student life, respectively. Though both magazines regularly hire staff who are not part of their target audiences, university administrators said the publications run afoul of a federal memo issued by Attorney General Pam Bondi in July, prohibiting discrimination on the basis of protected characteristics like sex and race. The memo — which highlights diversity, equity and inclusion programs as a potential source of discrimination — states that even “facially neutral criteria” like “lived experience” can violate the law “if designed or applied with the intention of advantaging or disadvantaging individuals based on protected characteristics.” The university said it would help launch a new magazine that features “a variety of voices and perspectives,” but critics said its silencing of the two outlets is a violation of the First Amendment.

Stars and Stripes asks job applicants about support for Trump’s policies

Since at least November, candidates applying for jobs at Stars and Stripes through a federal portal have faced questions about how they would advance President Donald Trump’s agenda, according to The Washington Post. Though the Stripes is editorially independent, it is owned by the Department of Defense, which contributes half of the publication’s funding. Job seekers must apply through the federal government’s employment portal, which asks applicants questions like, “How would you advance the President’s Executive Orders and policy priorities in this role?” and, “Identify one or two relevant Executive Orders or policy initiatives that are significant to you, and explain how you would help implement them if hired.” Stripes leaders said the Office of Personnel Management added the questions without consulting them and that answering the questions is optional. They added that the paper remains committed to its goal of objectivity in covering the United States armed forces. 

White House launches ‘media bias portal’

The White House launched a webpage with a list of media outlets and journalists it alleges have published “false and misleading” stories. Each entry in the list includes an article the White House claims is false, the names of the journalist who wrote it and the outlet they work for, a correction from the White House and a source for the correction — oftentimes a link to a statement from a member of the administration. The list includes large national newsrooms, like The Washington Post and CBS News, as well as smaller local outlets like Wisconsin Public Radio and the New Jersey Monitor. The website also includes a form allowing users to submit “tips” — links to “biased” articles. The list aims to “combat the baseless lies, purposely omitted context, and outright left-wing lunacy of the Fake News Media,” according to the White House.

Voice of America closes six overseas bureaus

U.S. Agency for Global Media adviser Kari Lake informed Congress that international broadcaster Voice of America, which USAGM funds, will close six bureaus, four marketing offices and six transmitting stations overseas. The closures include spaces in Indonesia, Thailand, Pakistan, Kenya, Botswana, Djibouti, Germany and the Czech Republic. The closures mark the latest attempt by the Trump administration to stifle Voice of America, which it has called biased and a waste of federal resources. Critics, however, say that the broadcaster is a vital source of reliable information and news for audiences living in authoritarian countries that lack a free press. USAGM, under Lake’s direction, has previously executed multiple rounds of mass layoffs at Voice of America — actions that are now subject to a federal lawsuit.

More from Poynter:

• ‘I am angry most of the time’: Inside a small VOA cohort’s return to work
• What the attempted dismantling of Voice of America means for press freedom in the US and the world
• Trump gutted Voice of America. Six staff members are fighting back.
• President Trump’s latest press target: Voice of America