Press freedom in the US
Journalists working in the United States are facing extraordinary and intensifying pressures amid President Donald Trump’s second term. From frivolous lawsuits and serious restrictions on coverage, including the removal of experienced journalists from the White House and the Pentagon, to an unprecedented surge of immigration-related assaults on journalists by law enforcement, press freedom in the United States is under siege. While stating its support for the First Amendment, the Trump administration has created barriers to restrict journalists’ access to administration officials and instituted policy changes to control the spread of information.
Journalist Estefany Rodríguez’s arrest and ICE detention
The case of journalist Estefany Rodríguez’s arrest and detention is not an isolated incident but part of a troubling pattern: the use of the immigration system to silence journalists. Detaining a reporter who was seeking asylum in the United States—without presenting a judicial warrant and while traveling in a vehicle clearly identified as press—raises serious concerns about press freedom and constitutes a grave violation of the First Amendment, explains CPJ Américas Regional Director José Zamora.
CPJ in the news
- Pentagon tightens control of Stars and Stripes after blasting it as ‘woke’ | The Washington Post
- ICE arrests Colombian journalist in Tennessee, sparking debate about immigration and the press | USA Today
- Contributor: Journalists risk everything because the work is so important | LA Times
- How White House attack on journalists affects press freedom | AP
- ICE detains reporter Estefany Rodriguez Florez in Nashville | The New York Times
- ICE arrests journalist in car with newsroom’s logo as free press groups demand her release | The Independent
- Politicians are trying to control the news | The New York Times
- Trump admin crackdown on journalists’ sources ‘chilling,’ press freedom groups say | Axios
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press, while departing the White House en route to Florida, in Washington, D.C., U.S., April 3, 2025. (Photo: Reuters/Carlos Barria)
Alarm bells: Trump’s first 100 days ramp up fear for the press, democracy
The first 100 days of the Trump administration were marked by a flurry of executive actions that have created a chilling effect and have the potential to curtail media freedoms.
Advocating for a free press
- Supporting U.S. journalists at risk | New emergency fund supports US journalists at risk
- Free speech and free press under attack | CPJ Board: The First Amendment is in peril
- Media access | CPJ, SPJ, journalist groups call on Trump administration to restore AP access to White House
- Legal threats and retaliatory lawsuits | CPJ urges Paramount’s Shari Redstone to reconsider CBS lawsuit settlement
- Policing actions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement | CPJ, Free Press lead call for journalist Mario Guevara’s release from ICE detention
- First Amendment rights | CPJ calls on FCC chair to respect First Amendment rights, press freedom
- Regulatory threats, funding and government contracting | CPJ supports legal efforts to protect RFE/RL, VOA after Trump executive order
CPJ and Reporters Without Borders coordinated a roving billboard through the streets of D.C. to urge Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chair Brendan Carr to take politics out of the FCC.
US Journalist Assistance Network
In collaboration with U.S.-based press freedom organizations specializing in digital safety, physical safety, and legal rights, the Committee to Protect Journalists has compiled resources to help journalists in the U.S. protect themselves against attacks on the press.
Journalists ask questions during a press conference with U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 4, 2025. (Photo: AFP/Andrew Caballero-Reynolds)
Safety resources
Journalists and media workers reporting across the United States have faced increasing threats to their safety and profession over the past several years, including retaliatory violence, lawsuits, and attacks by police and protesters. As a result, journalists on assignment in the U.S. may face forceful reprisals, including physical harassment, obstruction, and verbal abuse.
For individual safety advice, emergency assistance, or to enquire about safety training for you or your news organization, please email us at [email protected]. For additional physical, digital, and mental health safety resources visit Journalist Safety and Emergencies or text CPJ’s automated chatbot on WhatsApp at +1 206 590 6191.
What can journalists do to protect themselves?
Related Content
Featured photo: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to the press about deploying federal law enforcement agents in Washington, D.C., to bolster local police presence, in the Press Briefing Room at the White House on August 11, 2025. (Reuters/Jonathan Ernst)