Resistance Media

07/24/2025

The environment for press freedom in the United States is entering a perilous new phase. Trump executive actions and policy changes have had a chilling effect on journalists and have seriously curtailed media freedom.

The attacks have been unprecedented, widespread and continue to escalate. In the opening months of the new administration, actions have included:

—Seizing control of the White House Press pool, manipulating the national narrative by punitively restricting reporter access. Banning the Associated Press and The Wall Street Journal in retaliation for editorial decisions. Restricting access of the press in the Pentagon.

— Gutting the U.S. Agency for International Development, imperiling fragile newsrooms in hostile locations around the world that rely significantly on U.S. funding, placing their journalists at risk.

—Mounting Federal Communications Commission investigations against CBS, ABC, NBC, NPR, and PBS.

—Silencing, through the U.S. Agency for Global Media, five vital U.S. government-funded broadcasters, including the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, that for decades have provided alternative perspectives to millions living in authoritarian countries around the world.

—Suing CBS over alleged “election interference” for the editing of a 60 Minutes Kamala Harris interview. Paramount, CBS’ parent company, seeking federal approval of a pending $8 billion corporate merger, agreed to a $16 million settlement. The president of CBS News and the executive producer of 60 Minutes have both resigned, citing loss of editorial independence. Stephen Colbert’s “The Late Show” was cancelled.

—Promoting and signing a bill that eliminates all Corporation for Public Broadcasting funding, citing alleged biased news coverage.

—Issuing an executive order prohibiting federal agencies from collaborating with social media companies on content moderation, preventing efforts to combat disinformation.

—Imposing visa restrictions on foreign officials accused of censoring Americans on digital platforms, suppressing international journalistic collaboration.

—Pressing a defamation lawsuit against the Pulitzer Prize Board, challenging its decision to award the 2018 National Reporting Pulitzer to The New York Times and Washington Post for their coverage of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

—Dismissing at least 17 inspectors general, undermining internal oversight mechanisms that often collaborate with journalists to expose governmental misconduct.

—Replacing Voice of America and other U.S. Agency for Global Media entities with highly partisan programming from One America Network.

—Directing the Federal Trade Commission to launch an investigation into Media Matters for America, a leading media watchdog organization, over allegations of coordinated advertising boycotts targeting X.

—Revoking the security clearance of Attorney Mark Zaid, who represented a government whistleblower in a case that led to Trump’s impeachment during his first term.

—Pressing a $10 billion defamation lawsuit against the The Wall Street Journal in response to its reporting on Trump’s connections with convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

The future is likely to be far more difficult.

The Lawfare Threat Horizon

The administration has taken a major new step that threatens to jeopardize the very foundation of a free press by rescinding a Biden-era policy which protected reporter’s notes and phone records from searches by the government.

According to Attorney General Pam Bondi, reporters will be aggressively pursued in government leak investigations and could be subject to arrest if they refuse to comply when served with search warrants and subpoenas.

On April 25, Bondi issued a memorandum to all U.S. Department of Justice employees titled “Updated Policy Regarding Obtaining Information From, or Records of, Members of the News Media.” The memo outlines changes to the DOJ’s internal “news media guidelines” that governs the use of subpoenas, court orders, and search warrants targeting journalists, their third-party communications or other service providers.

On another legal front, Trump has sued several media outlets and his billionaire allies are threatening to launch aggressive legal attacks of their own. During the 2024 campaign, Trump repeatedly made an explicit campaign promise that he would “open up” the nation’s libel laws.

Starting in 2019, Justice Clarence Thomas has repeatedly called for the Supreme Court to reconsider New York Times v. Sullivan, the landmark First Amendment decision that made it difficult for public officials to prevail in libel suits.

That idea gained momentum in 2021, when Justice Neil M. Gorsuch said the decision “has evolved into an ironclad subsidy for the publication of falsehoods by means and on a scale previously unimaginable.”

However, in March 2025 the Supreme Court declined to hear a libel case brought by casino mogul Steve Wynn against the Associated Press, effectively upholding lower court rulings in favor of the news organization. Wynn had sued the AP for defamation over a 2018 report that cited police records alleging he had engaged in sexual misconduct. Wynn claimed the AP had published the story with “actual malice”—the legal standard set by Times v. Sullivan (1964) for defamation cases involving public figures.

The Supreme Court’s refusal to take up the case means the existing precedent from Sullivan remains in place for now. This standard requires public figures to prove that false statements were made knowingly or with reckless disregard for the truth—an intentionally high bar meant to protect press freedom.

In the face of escalating defamation suits against the press, it may be only a matter of time before the court agrees to take up a future case that could weaken or overturn Sullivan.

A Darkening Landscape

Corporate and public media, judges, members of Congress, law firms, universities and sanctuary cities have been methodically threatened, attacked and weakened. Pro-democracy foundations and nonprofits may be next to find the witch hunt at their door.

Trump is systematically focusing on grey areas of the law, testing and probing the limits of executive authority. While many of his actions and policies have been successfully challenged in the courts, enforcement of those rulings has been highly inconsistent and often ineffective.

To initiate his mass detention plan, he invoked the Alien Enemies Act, a power designed to counter enemy states in a declared war—in the process challenging basic constitutional rights such as due process and ignoring or slow-walking judicial oversight.

In April 2025, he designated a 170-mile stretch of federal land along the U.S.-Mexico border as a National Defense Area (NDA), effectively transferring it to the jurisdiction of the Department of Defense. This area encompasses a 60-foot-wide strip which spans parts of New Mexico, Arizona, and California. By essentially reclassifying this land as a military base, the administration expanded the role of active-duty troops in border enforcement activities.

The Insurrection Act of 1807 allows the president to suspend the Posse Comitatus Act (which prohibits the use of the US military in domestic law enforcement) and to employ the National Guard or federal troops in suppressing a domestic rebellion with or without state authorization.

Project 2025 called for declaring the Insurrection Act on day one. By federalizing elements of the California National Guard despite the opposition of Governor Newsom and Mayor Bass and deploying a battalion of Marines trained specifically in lethal urban warfare into the streets of Los Angeles, Trump took a major step closer to invoking the Act.

The thousands of June 14 “No Kings” protests coinciding with Trump’s military birthday parade in Washington DC, were as massive as they were peaceful. As future protests gain even more momentum, the possibility of actions by agent provocateurs or a false flag event could provide a pretext for Trump to act. In response to any such fabricated “emergency,” the stage would be set for further repression and criminalization of dissent, including the suspension of a declaration of martial law.

In April, Trump signed executive orders that directed the Justice Department to initiate investigations of two former members of his first administration that had displeased him. This action, taken against two private citizens, was an ominous escalation of the retribution campaign the president has embarked on, going so far as labeling one subject a “traitor” and accusing him of treason.

In April, Milwaukee County Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan was arrested by FBI agents on federal charges of obstruction for allegedly assisting an undocumented immigrant in evading ICE agents present at the courthouse to detain him. In May, New Jersey congresswoman LaMonica McIver was arrested for allegedly assaulting a pair of Homeland Security Agents during a scuffle that occurred as three House members were trying to inspect a Newark immigration detention center. In June, SEIU California president David Huerta was arrested by ICE during a protest at a raid on a LA garment warehouse. California Senator Alex Padilla was forcibly removed from a news conference held by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noam, thrown to the ground and handcuffed.

Other Countries May Offer a Grim Preview

Journalists around the world face doxing, surveillance, threats, arrests and violence. There are numerous examples of authoritarian regimes across the globe targeting journalists and silencing newsrooms.

In Hong Kong, for example, the Chinese Communist Party moved brutally to silence one independent, pro-democracy media organization. In 2021, five hundred police officers stormed the offices of Apple Daily, a popular Hong Kong newspaper, arresting five staff members and seizing computers, documents and confidential journalistic material. The publication’s crime? “Colluding with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security,” based on the government’s new National Security Law. The publisher was subsequently arrested, all financial assets seized and the newspaper shut down.

There are other, “softer” means to the same end: changing the law. This is a highly effective tactic used by such leaders as Vladimir Putin and Hungary’s Viktor Orban—both amended their country’s libel laws in a way that allowed the government and its allies to sue any newspaper, radio or television network, blogger, social media user or website that criticizes them.

The result has been the widespread destruction of an independent press in both countries, as media organizations, faced with astronomical legal costs and judgements, were driven into bankruptcy. In Russia, those of most strategic value were then purchased for pennies on the ruble and added to the growing pro-government chorus of media voices. Many media organizations that wished to avoid such a fate were compelled to self-censor.

In the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin dramatically escalated its war on the press, forcing hundreds of Russian journalists to flee the country. In January 2023, the news outlet Meduza was declared an “undesirable organization”, in effect outlawing one of the country’s best-known sources of independent reporting on the Kremlin and war in Ukraine. The label effectively criminalized any collaboration with Meduza, including sharing its content, quoting its reporting, or donating money to support it.

Founded by Russian journalists in Riga, Latvia, in 2014, Meduza had previously been blocked by internet censors, being declared a “foreign agent” in 2021. That in effect stripped it of local advertising, forcing it to adopt crowdfunding to finance its journalism. The rulings are meant to obstruct the outlet’s continued reporting on Russia, by threatening its correspondents, sources and donors with fines or criminal prosecution.

“An especially serious limitation for journalists who must speak to sources to report the news,” Meduza stated. It described its work as “in our homeland, completely prohibited”.

In February 2023, publisher Galina Timchenko’s iPhone was targeted with Pegasus spyware. The attack occurred a day before a conference of exiled independent Russian media that was held in Berlin that Timchenko attended; her phone could have been used to eavesdrop on journalists’ conversations during the conference.

Despite these efforts, Meduza has continued publishing and has been a vital source of independent news about Russia’s war in Ukraine and internal politics. Timchenko and her team operate in exile at significant personal and professional risk.

In the Phillipines, Rappler, the independent news organization known for its fearless journalism and investigative reporting, has faced an ongoing legal and political assault since the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte. The attacks are a direct result of its critical coverage of his administration’s violent war on drugs and authoritarian abuses.

The conflict began escalating in 2018, when the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission revoked Rappler’s registration, accusing it of violating constitutional restrictions on foreign ownership. The case centered on the company’s receipt of funding from the Omidyar Network, a philanthropic investment firm.

At the center of the legal attacks has been Maria Ressa, Rappler’s co-founder and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Since 2019, she has faced multiple criminal charges, including cyber libel, tax evasion, and foreign ownership violations—often filed in rapid succession and based on thin legal grounds. In 2020, she was convicted of cyber libel in a case involving a 2012 article republished with a corrected typo, even though the law was enacted after the original publication date.

Even after Duterte left office in 2022, the cases against Rappler and Ressa have continued, driven by institutions shaped by his presidency. In 2023, the SEC ordered Rappler to cease operations again, prompting further appeals.

Despite the pressure, Rappler continues to operate, documenting corruption, disinformation, and abuse of power. Its fight is widely seen as a test case for press freedom in Southeast Asia and the resilience of democratic institutions in the face of authoritarian repression.

American Threats

The independent, pro-democracy media ecosystem, marginalized and underfunded by the progressive philanthropic community for decades, is dangerously weak and vulnerable. It is an obvious potential target as MAGA consolidates power and tightens its control of the national narrative.

A vast array of federal power across multiple agencies has been weaponized and increasingly focused on “the Communists, Marxists, Fascists, and Radical Left Thugs” of Trump’s fevered imagination.

FBI Director Kash Patel stated on Steve Bannon’s podcast in 2023, ““We will go out and find the conspirators—not just in government, but in the media. Yes, we’re going to come after the people in the media who lied about American citizens, who helped Joe Biden rig presidential elections. We’re going to come after you. Whether it’s criminally or civilly, we’ll figure that out. But yeah, we’re putting all of you on notice…”

H.R. 9495—which critics have dubbed the “nonprofit killer,” was removed from the House Republicans’ massive budget reconciliation package, but is likely to be re-introduced again in the future in an on-going attempt to make it law.

According to the advocacy group Free Press Action, the legislation would allow the treasury secretary “to accuse any nonprofit of supporting terrorism—and to terminate its tax-exempt status without due process.”

Civil liberties defenders say the proposal’s lack of clarity regarding the determination of whether and how a nonprofit supports terrorism would enable Trump to follow through on his threats to cancel the tax-exempt status of organizations with which he disagrees, including universities, advocacy groups, media organizations, charities, religious institutions, and others.

The widespread adoption and use of Generative AI is an existential threat to the press. With the capacity to flood the public sphere with fake news, deepfakes, or counterfeit journalism, these technologies could simply overwhelm factual reporting, further damaging public trust in media. AI-generated videos, images, and voices are increasingly being used to create fake news stories and events, impersonate public figures, and manipulate audiences.

As citizens encounter this constant stream of weaponized content, distinguishing fact from fiction is becoming more and more challenging. The result is increased distrust and cynicism of all information, compromising journalism’s civic role and disrupting elections and other elements of a democratic society.

Real-world harassment of reporters, particularly women and journalists of color, is increasing. There is a rising incidence of assaults or arrests of reporters at protests and immigration-related sites, most recently in the streets of Los Angeles and other cities.

Lt. General Mike Flynn associate Ivan Raiklin has dubbed himself Trump’s “Secretary of Retribution.” In 2024 he released a list of 350 “deep state” individuals who he has identified as traitors. A veteran and former Defense Intelligence Agency employee, Raiklin’s list includes politicians, police officers, journalists, witnesses at Trump’s impeachment trails and even FBI and intelligence officials.

Raiklin has urged right-wing sheriffs, who are members of the anti-government Constitutional Sheriffs and Peace Officers Association, to deputize some of the 75,000 veterans that he claims were dismissed by the military for refusing to comply with Covid-19 vaccine mandates, forming a rogue army intent on revenge.

This kind of vigilante freelancing, as Rep. Jamie Raskin, (D-MD) said, “…is deadly serious.”

On June 14, a Minnesota state representative, Melissa Hortman and her husband were assassinated by a right-wing vigilante. A democratic state senator and his wife were wounded by the same shooter. Hortman was a veteran of state politics and a fierce advocate for reproductive rights and progressive causes.

Violence from the Right is not a new phenomena. There is a long and terrible history of domestic terrorism including Klan violence, political assassinations in the 60’s and, more recently, the Oklahoma City bombing, the assassination of Dr. George Tiller, Cliven Bundy’s armed stand-off over federal lands and the January 6th insurrection at the Capitol.

The country is experiencing an ongoing plague of stochastic terrorism perpetrated by lone gunmen animated by hate speech and far-right propaganda. Incidents include the murder of nine Black churchgoers in Charleston, eleven Jewish worshipers in Pittsburgh, twenty three primarily Latinx Walmart shoppers in El Paso and ten Black grocery shoppers in Buffalo.

America is awash in guns—there are an estimated 378 million guns in circulation, 741,000 of them fully automatic weapons. Vending machines selling ammunition will now be allowed in grocery stores in Alabama, Texas and Oklahoma.

Far-right attacks against the media have occurred in the past. In June of 1984, liberal radio host Alan Berg was gunned down in the driveway of his Denver home in a carefully planned ambush. Investigations later found that members of The Order, a far-right white supremacist terrorist organization were responsible.

Berg was known for his provocative style on KOA radio, where he regularly confronted racists, anti-Semites, and far-right extremists on air. A Jewish former attorney turned broadcaster, Berg used his platform to ridicule bigotry and expose growing fascist undercurrents in America’s far-right subculture.

The sweeping January 6th pardons are widely viewed as vindication by those who attacked the Capitol that day. The pardons have provided the opportunity for the paramilitary groups involved to regroup and begin preparations for further actions. There is speculation that some are now part of the masked ICE teams unlawfully detaining and disappearing people. Some of the individuals pardoned are no longer active. Others are standing back and standing by.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center there are as many as 700 anti-government extremist groups in the US and an estimated 50,000 members of far-right militias in America. There are more formally organized groups such as the Proud Boys, The 3 Percenters and Oath Keepers.

But there are countless more lone MAGA “patriots,” unaffiliated with any group, but armed and psychologically prepped for a fight if given the green light by Trump. These folks are close to the ground, grass-roots and integrated into neighborhoods and local communities.

Nearly a quarter of Americans (23 percent) believe that “true American patriots may have to resort to violence in order to save our country,” according to a Brookings Institute poll conducted in 2023. The same poll revealed that a third of those that identify as Republicans believed violence was justified to save the country.

Strategies for Securing a Resistance Media

If the Insurrection Act or martial law are invoked, pro-democracy media organizations could face dangerous new levels of repression and violence, as could many other vulnerable communities and groups.

There is, however, a vital and comprehensive network of institutions around the world dedicated to promoting free expression, and supporting media organizations and journalists who are under threat.

Together, these organizations offer a multi-layered safety net: from preventive training and newsroom accountability to crisis intervention and global solidarity. Institutional backing, public advocacy, and coordinated emergency response are pillars of defending press freedom in the 21st century.

Organizations like Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) and coalitions of media support groups such as Journalists in Distress (JiD) (among many others) are performing extraordinary work providing aid to journalists in conflict zones and those facing authoritarian repression.

While much of their work is currently centered outside of North America, going forward they will likely need to redirect more of their focus and resources toward supporting journalists and media organizations in the United States.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) provides a wide range of services and programs designed to protect journalists from threats, harassment, imprisonment, and violence, especially in repressive or conflict-torn environments.

One of CPJ’s core functions is its Emergency Assistance Program, which offers direct support to journalists in crisis. This includes financial aid for medical treatment, legal defense, relocation, and temporary housing. CPJ coordinates with local and international partners to ensure the safety and survival of at-risk journalists and their families.

In addition to emergency aid, CPJ engages in advocacy and policy work, pressuring governments and institutions to respect press freedom and release imprisoned journalists. The organization maintains a global database of press freedom violations, documenting killings, attacks, and detentions to ensure accountability and transparency.

CPJ’s work is based on its research, which provides a global snapshot of obstructions to a free press worldwide. CPJ’s research staff documents hundreds of attacks on the press each year. In our quest for a free media, CPJ denounces press freedom violations, meets with heads of state and high-ranking officials, spearheads or advises on diplomatic efforts, and works with other organizations to ensure that justice prevails when journalists are imprisoned or killed. CPJ also provides comprehensive, life-saving support to journalists and media support staff working around the world through up-to-date safety and security information and rapid response assistance.

The Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) is dedicated to protecting and defending journalism, particularly in the digital age. Its services and programs focus on press freedom advocacy, secure communication technologies, journalist training, legal support, and public education. FPF’s work is especially critical in an era of increasing surveillance, government secrecy, and threats to investigative reporting.

One of FPF’s cornerstone initiatives is the development of SecureDrop, an open-source, encrypted whistleblower submission system used by leading media outlets. SecureDrop enables journalists to receive documents and tips anonymously and securely, offering protection for sources in high-risk situations.

FPF also provides digital security training for journalists and newsrooms, teaching best practices in encryption, secure communications, and threat modeling. These trainings are tailored to address the growing risks posed by hacking, surveillance, and data breaches—especially for investigative journalists, freelancers, and those reporting in repressive environments.

FPF co-manages the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, a unique and comprehensive database that documents press freedom violations from arrests and equipment seizures to assaults and subpoenas.

At Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF), we build secure communications tools used by many of the world’s top investigative news organizations. We teach journalists how to keep themselves and their sources safe in the digital age. We monitor and document virtually every press freedom violation in the U.S. And we engage in advocacy to defend the public’s right to know. In defense of democracy, we protect press freedom.

The Journalists in Distress Network (JiD) is a broad coalition of international organizations committed to providing emergency assistance to journalists facing severe threats due to their work. JiD is a coordination mechanism through which press freedom and journalist-support NGOs share information and mobilize aid for reporters in crisis.

JiD’s services cover a wide range of needs that arise from political persecution, physical violence, legal harassment, exile, or imprisonment. Its primary function is to ensure that journalists in urgent situations receive timely, well-coordinated, and context-appropriate support—often when their lives or freedoms are at immediate risk.

The Journalists in Distress (JiD) Network is an informal forum for sharing information on journalists in distress and developing joint initiatives for emergency response. It was formed in 2006 to allow international organisations with freedom of expression mandates to more easily discuss specific cases, coordinate joint efforts, and avoid duplication. The Network does not engage in advocacy or media development.

A basic safety strategic plan for pro-democracy media and values-aligned NGO’s in the current volatile threat environment might include:

• Conduct a risk assessment audit and business continuity review
• Train and educate staff around security and safety
• Establish and practice emergency protocols (communication, exit paths, etc.)
• Establish emergency medical protocols (posted and practiced)
• Physical Security Audit: Building security, office access and perimeter security including parking and transit routes
• Cybersecurity Audit: Review of vulnerabilities and implementation of various cyber tools and procedures where required
• Network with partner organizations for sharing of best practices and possible cost sharing

In addition, a strategic plan, if threats, harassment or the potential of physical attacks are present, might include:

• Work at home protocols
• Hardening of doors and windows (bulletproof and explosion resistant)
• Armed security
• Office and staff relocation to a “blue” state or city.
• Liaison with local law enforcement (a sensitive process for BIPOC staff in particular)

Exile

If staff and board members are facing doxing, harassment, threats and the possibility of assault or detention, some reporters and their families may well be compelled to pursue relocation to a safer community in their state or another state. If the threat is federal in nature or involves paramilitary entities active in multiple states, Canada or another country may be considered as safe havens.

Fleeing from your home country is a traumatic, life changing decision. It is a decision that journalists speaking truth to power around the world have too often been forced to make. It is almost inconceivable to most Americans to even consider the possibility that the situation in their country could ever warrant such an extreme choice.

In such situations, it would be imperative that beyond insuring the safety of the journalist and their family, that they be provided the support and resources necessary to enable them to continue their work. There are numerous successful precedents of media organizations forced into exile being stood up and continuing to project content back into their home country.

In such a scenario, the goals of the relocation might include:

1) Support the movement of the targeted person and their family to a safe country,

2) Provide support for housing, medical, food and counseling, and

3) Provide the tools needed to resume their work to support the resistance movement in America.