First Amendment

Washington Post Raid on Hold

by

Article in The Guardian by Jeremy Barr, 1/21/26

Headline:  “Prosecutors barred from reviewing material seized from Washington Post reporter”

Subhead:  “Judge issues temporary order after paper had sought return of Hannah Natanson’s devices taken in ‘outrageous seizure’ “

“A US judge temporarily blocked federal prosecutors on Wednesday from reviewing material seized when the FBI raided a Washington Post reporter’s home.

“Hours earlier, the Post asked a federal court in Virginia to force the US government to return electronics belonging to Hannah Natanson.

“US magistrate judge William Porter directed prosecutors not to examine any information seized at . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2026/jan/21/washington-post-reporter-fbi-search

Reel of Attacks on the Media

by

Article in Zeteo by Kim Wehle, 1/15/26

Headline:  “So Much for Free Speech. A Year of Trump’s Attacks on the First Amendment”

Subhead:  “The ICE killing of Renee Good marks a turning point in Trump’s unprecedented assault on the right to protest, record ICE activity, and express political dissent without fear of government retaliation.”

“. . .That Good was killed for engaging in First Amendment activity protected by the Fourteenth Amendment – and that the Trump administration is backing Ross while maligning Good and her wife – shows how far America has gone down the dark tunnel of fascism. It’s dire. It’s urgent. It’s likely going to get much worse.

“To help capture the vastness of the problem, here’s a (non-exhaustive) highlight reel of last year’s blows to the First Amendment:

Read the full article at:

https://zeteo.com/p/so-much-for-free-speech-a-year-of?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=2325511&post_id=184656305&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=54vskz&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email

Document the Truth Before it’s Suppressed

by

Article in Poynter by Kelly McBride, 1/15/26

Headline:  “This moment will be defined by what we choose to record”

Subhead:  “Local press and local residents must document history as federal force grows routine”

“When unmarked, masked federal agents grabbed an international student and forced her into an SUV on a public street in the spring of 2025, the United States entered into a new era of federal policing.

“At first, it was alarming — a move more commonly associated with authoritarian dictatorships than a democratically elected government with checks and balances. Now that this tactic, and others like it, have become routine, it is no longer enough to react in alarm. It is time to extensively document everything that is happening. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/commentary/2026/documenting-history-as-federal-force-expands/

WaPo Waking up?

by

Article in The Washington Post by the Editorial Board, 1/14/26

Headline:  “The Post and the First Amendment”

Subhead:  “An FBI raid won’t stop reporters from continuing their important work.”

“The Justice Department’s decision to send FBI agents to raid a Washington Post reporter’s home Wednesday was an aggressive attack on the press freedom of all journalists. Yet anyone who believes the raid will deter reporters from doing their jobs is sorely mistaken.

Federal law enforcement searched the home of The Post’s Hannah Natanson and seized several of her electronic devices. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/01/14/fbi-raid-press-freedom-first-amendment/

Reporting Public Information Illegal?

by

Article in FAIR by Jim Naureckas, 1/9/26

Headline:  “The First Amendment Allows You to Report Things the Government Doesn’t Want Reported”

“The House Oversight Committee has subpoenaed journalist Seth Harp (Washington Post, 1/8/26) over his posting on X a photo and publicly available biographical information about the US colonel who apparently leads the Army’s Delta Force unit, which played a key role in the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.

Committee member Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R–Fla.) called for Harp’s criminal prosecution, accusing him of ‘leaking classified information’  and ‘doxing’ the colonel.

“. . .Actually, the First Amendment does give you a license to do all of those things. None of them are covered by the extremely limited exceptions to the freedom of the press recognized by the US Constitution. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://fair.org/home/the-first-amendment-allows-you-to-report-things-the-government-doesnt-want-reported/

Journalists Must Report Facts

by

Article in Poynter by Kelly McBride, 1/7/26

Headline:  “How journalists should cover ICE’s fatal shooting of a civilian in Minneapolis”

Subhead:  “Editors face high-stakes ethical decisions on video, transparency and protest coverage — and those choices will be closely scrutinized”

“Journalists have a critical role to play in covering a fatal use of force by any law enforcement officer. It’s the most basic form of holding power to account.

“That responsibility is especially urgent after a federal immigration officer fatally shot a 37-year-old woman in Minneapolis on Wednesday, an incident that was captured on multiple videos and has prompted sharply conflicting accounts from federal, state and local officials. . .””

Read the full article at:

|https://www.poynter.org/ethics-trust/2026/covering-ice-fatal-shooting-minneapolis-journalism-ethics/

“Project 2025” and the Media

by


Article in Poynter by Angela Fu, 12/29/25

Headline:  “Here’s how many of Project 2025’s media proposals were implemented in 2025”

Subhead: “Outlets that received federal funding have been hit hardest, but even fully independent organizations have been affected”

“. . .Those goals include reforming the government’s relationship with the press. Indeed, many of Trump’s actions against journalists this year draw directly from Project 2025’s media proposals, and contributors to the project have played key roles in the administration’s attempts to stymie the press. Outlets that received federal funding — public broadcasters and United States Agency for Global Media affiliates — have been hit hardest. But even fully independent outlets have been affected. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.poynter.org/reporting-editing/2025/project-2025-actions-against-press/

FCC As Media Attack-Dog?

by

Article in FAIR by Janine Jackson, 12/19/25

Headline:  “FCC Fights First Amendment and ‘Democracy Itself’ “

“. . .Under Trumpist Brendan Carr, the FCC is, as is well known, threatening stations that deliver content they disapprove (FAIR.org, 2/26/25), very much in violation of the First Amendment. Asked in a Senate hearing (Variety, 12/17/25) if it’s ‘appropriate to use your position to threaten companies that broadcast political satire,’ Carr responded that ‘any licensee that operates on the public airwaves has a responsibility to comply with the public interest standard.’

“But Trump’s FCC is also seeking to further loosen ownership limits and allow powerful media conglomerates to usurp more of the airwaves (CJR, 10/20/25; FAIR.org, 10/8/25). . .”

Read the full article at:

https://fair.org/home/fcc-fights-first-amendment-and-democracy-itself/

First Amendment Threat?

by


Article in Committee to Protect Journalists by Staff, 12/17/25

Headline: “CPJ: Trump’s BBC lawsuit is yet another attack on US media freedom”

“Washington, D.C., December 17, 2025— The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns President Donald Trump’s $10 billion lawsuit against British public broadcaster, the BBC, and calls on the president to stop engaging the media in lawsuits that appear to challenge the fundamentals of the First Amendment. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://cpj.org/2025/12/cpj-trumps-bbc-lawsuit-is-yet-another-attack-on-us-media-freedom/

Free Speech Disappearing?

by

Article in Free Press by Staff 12/8/25

Headline:  “Comprehensive New Report Uncovers a Pervasive Pattern Driving the Trump Administration’s Year of Attacks Against Free Speech”

Subhead:  “In an analysis of hundreds of assaults on the First Amendment, Free Press reveals a systemic speech-chilling campaign.”

“WASHINGTON — On Monday, Free Press published an authoritative report analyzing the hundreds of incidents involving possible First Amendment violations over the first year of the Trump White House. The report — CHOKEHOLD: Donald Trump’s War on Free Speech & the Need for Systemic Resistance — sheds new light on a pattern driving an administration-wide campaign to silence dissent. . .”

Read the full article at:

https://www.freepress.net/news/report-uncovers-pervasive-pattern-driving-trump-administrations-year-attacks-free-speech