Violence against journalists in the US draws advocacy group calls

 JournalismPakistan.com |  Published: 13 January 2026 |  JP Global Monitoring Desk

Press freedom groups report hundreds of incidents of violence, harassment and wrongful arrests of journalists covering protests in the United States. They have urged federal agencies, including DHS, to formalise protections and clear protocols for reporters.

Summary

WASHINGTON — Journalists in the United States are reporting a marked increase in violence, harassment, and wrongful arrests while covering protests and other events, prompting domestic press freedom organisations to call on federal officials to adopt stronger protections for media workers. Recent tracking data indicates hundreds of incidents of aggression or interference with press coverage over the past year, many occurring at demonstrations related to immigration enforcement and federal policies. Verified reports show that law enforcement officers and, in some cases, protesters have physically assaulted, detained, or impeded journalists carrying out their work, raising concerns among advocates about the safety of reporters and the future of press freedom in the country.

Context for the concerns includes documented cases from protests this year where journalists were struck by police crowd control weapons, had equipment damaged, and were arrested despite clearly identifying themselves as members of the press. These incidents have been logged by organisations that monitor violations of journalists’ rights in the United States.

Press groups demand federal action and policy changes

Advocacy organisations, including the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and the Freedom of the Press Foundation, have written to federal authorities urging the Department of Homeland Security and other agencies to formalise protocols that recognise and protect journalists covering demonstrations and enforcement actions. These groups say inconsistent application of protections and insufficient training for law enforcement contribute to unnecessary confrontations, particularly at protests involving Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities.

News organizations urge training and accountability

In their communications with officials, press freedom advocates have highlighted the need for improved law enforcement training on interacting with journalists and clearer guidelines for managing press access during protests and enforcement operations. They argue that acknowledging the constitutional protections afforded to journalists and ensuring that officers respect those rights would reduce violent clashes and wrongful detentions. Critics say that without explicit protocols and accountability measures, reporters will continue to face undue risks while documenting events of public significance.

Broader trends show rising reported threats

Separately, survey and tracker data reveal broader patterns of harassment and threats against journalists in the United States beyond protest settings, including physical violence, online abuse, and legal pressure. Press freedom researchers say these dangers have been felt across a range of reporting beats, with heightened risks for those covering contentious political and social issues. While the specific causes of this rise in threats are debated, the clustering of violent incidents around large protests has intensified calls for systemic responses from both government agencies and media organisations.

ATTRIBUTION: This story is based on publicly available data from press freedom monitors and statements from established journalism advocacy groups.

PHOTO: AI-generated; for illustrative purposes only.

KEY POINTS:

• Hundreds of incidents logged of violence, harassment, wrongful arrests and equipment damage while reporting protests.
• Reports include physical assaults, injuries from crowd control weapons, detentions and impediments by police and some protesters.
• Advocacy groups such as the Reporters Committee and Freedom of the Press Foundation are calling for federal policy changes.
• Groups urge DHS and other agencies to formalise protocols recognising and protecting journalists at demonstrations and enforcement actions.
• Concerns centre on inconsistent protections, threats to reporter safety and the broader implications for press freedom nationwide.