#press-freedom
8 entries with this tag
FBI Investigated NYT Reporter Who Wrote About Kash Patel's Girlfriend Getting an FBI SWAT Escort
FBI Director Kash Patel's bureau opened an investigation into New York Times reporter Elizabeth Williamson — who wrote about Patel giving his country singer girlfriend FBI security and transport — to determine if she broke federal stalking laws. FBI agents interviewed the girlfriend, searched databases for information on the reporter. DOJ officials killed the probe, finding no legal basis and calling it retaliation.
Judge Tosses Patel's Defamation Suit: Calling Him a "Nightclub Regular" Is "Rhetorical Hyperbole"
A federal judge dismissed FBI Director Kash Patel's defamation lawsuit against ex-FBI official Frank Figliuzzi, who said Patel was "visible at nightclubs far more than the seventh floor of" FBI HQ. The judge ruled it was "rhetorical hyperbole" — not defamation. The next day, Patel filed a new $250 million lawsuit against The Atlantic over its 26-source exposé on his drinking.
Pentagon Evicts All Reporters After Judge Strikes Down Press Rules
After a judge ruled the Pentagon's press restrictions unconstitutional — finding they were designed to weed out "disfavored journalists" — Hegseth retaliated by closing the Correspondents' Corridor and removing all media offices from the building.
Nashville Journalist Detained 16 Days by ICE for Covering Immigration — Stripped, Doused in Chemicals, Isolated
Estefany Rodríguez, a Spanish-language reporter who covers ICE for Nashville Noticias, was arrested without a warrant while her husband parked at a gym. She spent 16 days detained: 5 in isolation after guards falsely claimed lice, stripped naked and doused in chemicals.
MyPillow CEO's LindellTV Given White House and Pentagon Press Access — While Real Journalists Are Evicted
Mike Lindell's conspiracy-promoting LindellTV was given White House press room access and Pentagon press corps credentials — alongside Gateway Pundit and Epoch Times. Meanwhile, AP was banned, photographers were evicted, and the Pentagon closed its Correspondents' Corridor.
Defunded and Shut Down NPR/PBS
Trump signed an executive order targeting NPR and PBS, calling them "radical left monsters." Congress then eliminated all $1.1 billion in public broadcasting funding, and the Corporation for Public Broadcasting announced it would shut down.
Gutted Voice of America and International Broadcasting
Trump placed 1,300 VOA journalists on leave and terminated Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe, and Radio Marti — networks that beam independent news into authoritarian countries, reaching 427 million people.
Banned AP from White House Over "Gulf of Mexico"
The White House banned Associated Press reporters from Oval Office events because AP refused to rename the Gulf of Mexico as "Gulf of America." The U.S. dropped to 57th in the World Press Freedom Index — its lowest ranking ever.