The United States dropped an additional three places the the World Press Freedom Rankings.
By Stephanie Sugars
Senior Reporter
U.S. Press Freedom Tracker
In the first half of 2023, we’ve documented nearly a dozen attacks on members of the press and newsrooms, some with eerie similarities to the fatal attacks already in the Tracker. Importantly, we know our work fuels conversations in newsrooms across the U.S., about everything from bulletproof front doors to journalist safety in the field.
Threats from local politicians
The United States dropped an additional three places the the World Press Freedom Rankings released by Reporters Without Borders earlier this month, which cited “a troubling pattern of harassment, intimidation and assault on journalists in the field.”
Unfortunately, local public officials are sometimes behind harassment, intimidation and even assaults of journalists. In September 2022, a man came to the home of Las Vegas Review-Journal investigative reporter Jeff German and stabbed him multiple times. A local official was arrested and is set to stand trial for first-degree murder later this year. On March 6, multiple county officials in Idabel, Oklahoma, were recorded discussing how to kill father-and-son journalists Bruce and Chris Willingham of the McCurtain Gazette-News.
One official on the recording has resigned, and despite calls from the mayor and Gov. Kevin Stitt for the sheriff to do so as well, he remains in his position. Protests and efforts to remove him have continued.
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