Reporters have been arrested and assaulted at an unprecedented rate during the recent protests over racial justice. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker recorded over 500 incidents since the May 25 killing of George Floyd including 114 attacks. (Voice of America, July 20, 2020, by Eric Neugeboren)
A coalition of news news media organizations is asking Congress to revive the Journalist Protection Act that would “make it a federal crime to intentionally cause bodily injury or threaten a journalist in a manner designed to intimidate him or her from gathering or reporting the news.” In letters to Congress, the coalition said, “It is troubling that, during this time of incredible turmoil and crisis, journalists’ First Amendment rights have been disregarded and many have been assaulted and threatened while doing their jobs.” (Broadcasting & Cable, July 21, 2020, by John Eggerton)