@kamccudden.bsky.social
VP Editorial for @freedom.press, Managing Editor for @pressfreedomtracker.us, documenting aggressions against journalists in the US. Also a journalist: frmrly St. Pete, ATX, KC, Geneva, now NYC. J-School: Mizzou x2. Puppers: That's Aoife_the_pomapoo
In 2021, I made a slideshow based on 50+ incidents of police misconduct toward journalists. It covered all California over a 12 month period. The legislature responded with new laws to protect press.
I just made a new one. It's bigger. It's worse. And it's just one week in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles immigration raids protests began a week ago on June 6. The @pressfreedomtracker.us is investigating:
- 32 assaults on journalists
- 6 detainments/arrests of journalists
- 4 equipment damages
- 2 equipment searches/seizures
View our database: pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incident...
We track press freedom violations in the United States here: pressfreedomtracker.us
13.06.2025 13:51 — 👍 6 🔁 2 💬 0 📌 0
Here’s what we’ve been able to verify and report so far (I’m using an ‘immigration’ tag and June 2025 date stamp. You can filter the database by location, date, journalists or news outlet and more)
pressfreedomtracker.us/all-incident...
— 7 detainments/arrests of journalists
— 35 + assaults of journalists
— multiple reports of damaged news vehicles
— other incidents, like forced bag searches, tear gassing and harassment
1/ Now a week into California protests in response to immigration raids, here’s what we’re working on documenting at the Tracker — At least 50 incidents of violence or other types of aggressions against journalists, mostly by law enforcement, and some targeting of news cars, mostly by individuals:
13.06.2025 13:50 — 👍 38 🔁 17 💬 1 📌 0
When it comes to combative relationships between presidents and the press, Trump’s social media use sets him apart.
For the past 10 years, and since descending that escalator in June 2015, we’ve cataloged every single anti-press post.
Watch @stephaniesugars.bsky.social explain our latest project.
the numbers of assaults — and now a detainment of CNN correspondent and crew — are rapidly changing. as we verify we publish on pressfreedomtracker.us
10.06.2025 15:01 — 👍 8 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
We are actively reporting on multiple attacks against journalists covering protests in LA — including assaults, equipment damage, and other press freedom violations.
09.06.2025 16:09 — 👍 103 🔁 68 💬 2 📌 3
Today, @freedom.press, represented by @loevy.com, filed a FOIA lawsuit against the State Department over its refusal to disclose information about the arrest of Rümeysa Öztürk for exercising her right to free speech.
Read our complaint here.
JOURNALISTS IN LA or COVERING FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT:
Press rights groups are trying to coordinate responses to unlawful attacks by federal officers against journalists during protests. If you can help ID individuals in charge of operations (incident commander, etc.) & contact info please LMK.
And the courts may offer relief, too, which is why more than 50 journalists sued following aggressions at Black Lives Matter protests ... my newsletter this month:
30.05.2025 14:03 — 👍 0 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0That's tomorrow !
27.05.2025 16:35 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0
Our digital security training team answers, how do you identify everyone in conversation on Signal?
19.05.2025 20:30 — 👍 19 🔁 10 💬 0 📌 0
🔔 Join us for a conversation about Trump's attacks on Voice of America and other publicly funded outlets, featuring press freedom reporter @liamjscott.bsky.social, Archive Team Co-founder @textfiles.com, and FPF's @caitlinvogus.bsky.social.
🗓️ May 23 at 12:30 pm ET
RSVP: freedom.press/silencing-VOA
Your right to know deserves a plan. We just published ours.
Read our 2025-2026 strategic plan:
The Trump administration's multipronged attacks on the press — I walk you through the last 100 days — and read more here : pressfreedomtracker.us/blog/trump-a...
29.04.2025 22:33 — 👍 1 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0
Happy birthday to @barbrastreisand.bsky.social, whose 1973 fundraiser kept our co-founder Daniel Ellsberg’s legal fight alive long enough for him to win.
She kept Dan out of jail for leaking the Pentagon Papers; now we’re continuing his fight to defend whistleblowers.
Explainer — How to share sensitive leaks with the press
11.03.2025 20:29 — 👍 14 🔁 11 💬 0 📌 0Thanks, @rmac.bsky.social, for recommending @securedrop.org for potential leakers and whistleblowers, and thanks, Laura, for writing this timely article.
➡️ Check out our video on how to leak sensitive information to media outlets securely and anonymously:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1FR...
Happy International Fact-Checking Day to those who celebrate ! (ahem)
02.04.2025 14:52 — 👍 1 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0It took 2 months but this is great news — charges dropped against photoj Matthew Kaplan, who was covering a protest in Indiana:
01.04.2025 15:21 — 👍 2 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0Great and important panels at #ISOJ2025 last week, and got to talk to some incredible journalists:
31.03.2025 20:14 — 👍 3 🔁 1 💬 0 📌 0A Signal guide for beginners from here at FPF, for all your group chat needs (also en español):
27.03.2025 12:18 — 👍 11 🔁 4 💬 0 📌 0
Traveling into the U.S. has become increasingly dangerous for digital privacy. From the ace @wired.com security team, here's tangible guidance on minimizing the risk of Customs and Border Patrol accessing your data.
www.wired.com/2017/02/guid...
RCFP's latest tipsheet — available in English and Spanish — helps journalists access public records while reporting on immigration and deportation.
24.03.2025 16:13 — 👍 10 🔁 8 💬 1 📌 02 convicted yesterday — another 13 charged for alleged involvement in the plots to kidnap or assassinate journalist Masih Alinejad
21.03.2025 17:32 — 👍 3 🔁 0 💬 0 📌 0Great resources for ☀️ #SunshineWeek from @splc.org — and 🙌 for student journalists, doing incredible work every day !
19.03.2025 14:14 — 👍 3 🔁 3 💬 0 📌 0
In partnership with @freedom.press, WIRED will make all of its FOIA-based reporting free to access for anyone. Public records should be public, and I hope to see more outlets follow suit:
freedom.press/issues/wired...
