Peter Sterne

Freelance journalist covering the media industry & press freedom issues

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Press Freedom

Oct. 21, 2019

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

Journalists subpoenaed in criminal case involving intimidation, blackmail of the news organizations

The Montgomery County Chronicle is one of two Kansas publications subpoenaed to testify in a criminal case against a community college football coach charged with blackmail, identity theft after allegedly sending false cease-and-desist…

Jun. 11, 2019

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

San Francisco police seize multiple phone records of independent journalist Bryan Carmody

In March and April 2019, San Francisco police seized phone records for freelance journalist Bryan Carmody as part of an investigation into one of Carmody’s confidential sources. On May 31, the San Francisco Police Department formally notified Carmody…

May. 14, 2019

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

San Francisco police use search warrant to raid home, office of independent journalist

On May 10, 2019, San Francisco police officers raided the home and office of freelance journalist Bryan Carmody as part of an investigation into one of Carmody’s confidential sources. Carmody told the Los Angeles Times that he awoke to 10 or so…

Apr. 23, 2019

Columbia Journalism Review

The Markup ousts editor in chief Julia Angwin, prompting resignations

On Monday night, The Markup, a nonprofit journalism startup focused on data-driven investigations of the effects of technology on society, fired its editor in chief and co-founder Julia Angwin. Jeff Larson, The Markup’s managing editor, has been…

Apr. 11, 2019

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange arrested and charged with conspiracy

On April 11, federal prosecutors unsealed an indictment against WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, charging him with one count of conspiring with Chelsea Manning, a WikiLeaks source, to violate a federal anti-hacking law. The charge was unsealed just…

Mar. 27, 2019

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

Judge orders ProPublica Illinois, other media, not to publish details of juvenile court case

On March 14, a Cook County Juvenile Court judge ordered ProPublica Illinois and other news organizations not to publish certain details about an ongoing child welfare case in the Chicago-based juvenile court. In the course of reporting on child…

Mar. 15, 2019

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

N.D. legislature considers bill shielding pipeline projects from public records requests

On Jan. 22, the North Dakota state senate passed a bill that would amend its open records law to limit the release of information around protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline. The North Dakota state assembly is expected to vote on the bill,…

Mar. 11, 2019

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

Journalists trying to interview senators shoved by Capitol Police

A U.S. Capitol Police officer patrols the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. In February, Capitol Police were involved in an altercation with journalists in the basement of the Senate building. On Feb. 14, U.S. Capitol Police officers pushed and shoved…

Mar. 7, 2019

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

Man threatens to blow up Dallas magazine for publishing controversial columnist

On Nov. 13, 2018, the Facebook account “Wesley Taylor Jr.” posted a bomb threat on the Facebook page of D Magazine, a magazine based in Dallas, Texas. The Facebook post warned that the magazine’s offices could be blown up if the magazine continued to…

Feb. 22, 2019

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

Cameraman, other reporters attacked at Trump rally

A man wearing a red “Make America Great Again” hat attacked a group of reporters, including BBC News cameraman Don Skeans, during a Trump rally in El Paso, Texas, on Feb. 11, 2019. Video of the altercation shows the man, whose identity has not been…

Feb. 11, 2019

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

Santa Clara reporter has finger broken while filming in court records room

While filming a police interaction at Santa Clara County Superior Court on Nov. 14, 2017, independent courts reporter Susan Bassi had her finger broken in an altercation with a sheriff’s deputy. She was later charged with obstructing a police officer…

Dec. 7, 2018

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

California orders reporters not to write about sealed search warrant

On October 17, 2018, Orange County Superior Court judge Gregory Jones ordered members of the media not to report on a sealed search warrant that had previously been made available to the public—an unconstitutional prior restraint. Four days later, he…

Nov. 30, 2018

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

Oberlin College subpoenas local newspaper editor in defamation suit

On May 30, 2018, attorneys for Oberlin College in Ohio subpoenaed local newspaper editor Jason Hawk to testify about his confidential sources. Hawk, the editor of the Oberlin News Tribune, had reported in November 2016 on protests outside of Gibson’s…

Nov. 16, 2018

Federal judge reinstates CNN reporter’s press pass after Trump revoked it for critical coverage

In an important victory for press freedom, Federal Judge Timothy Kelly ordered the Trump administration on Friday to temporarily reinstate CNN White House correspondent Jim Acosta’s press credentials. “We are gratified with this result and we look…

Nov. 15, 2018

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

BuzzFeed News journalist arrested in Seattle while asking for comment

On November 4, 2018, BuzzFeed News reporter Blake Montgomery was arrested in Seattle on suspicion of trespassing. The Stranger, a Seattle alt-weekly, reports that Montgomery was arrested while in the process of reporting out a story about Tank…

Nov. 8, 2018

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

White House suspends CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s press credentials and falsely accuses him of manhandling intern

On November 7, 2018, the White House suspended CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s press pass, banning him from setting foot on the White House grounds indefinitely. The unprecedented move came a few hours after a tense presidential press conference, during…

Oct. 24, 2018

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

CNN’s New York headquarters evacuated after pipe bomb found in mailroom

On October 24, 2018, CNN’s New York bureau was evacuated after a pipe bomb was found in the mailroom of the Time Warner Center, which houses CNN’s New York offices. The package containing the bomb, which also contained an unknown white powder that…

Oct. 18, 2018

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

Treasury employee charged with leaking details of Manafort’s suspicious bank transactions to BuzzFeed News

Natalie Mayflower Sours Edwards, an official in the U.S. Treasury’s financial crimes division (FinCEN), was arrested on October 16, 2018, and charged with giving details about suspicious banking transactions to a reporter at BuzzFeed News. From…

Oct. 2, 2018

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

Reporter Zachary Siegel held in contempt of court and arrested after recording trial

Freelance journalist Zachary Siegel was held in criminal contempt of court and arrested on October 2, 2018, while covering a high-profile murder trial in Chicago, Illinois. The judge overseeing the trial said that Siegel had recorded part of the…

Aug. 31, 2018

U.S. Press Freedom Tracker

Bill Murray accosts freelance photographer Peter Simon in Martha’s Vineyard restaurant

Freelance photographer Peter Simon was taking photos of a band inside a restaurant in Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, when the actor Bill Murray allegedly shoved him and poured a drink on him. Peter Simon, the 71-year-old brother of singer Carly Simon, is…