An escalation in the war on the press

The FBI’s raid on the home of Washington Post journalist Hannah Natanson holds wide-ranging implications for press freedom in the United States. Among them:

It’s a dramatic escalation of President Trump’s war on the press, as First Amendment lawyer Theodore Boutrous explained to NPR’s Michel Martin Thursday morning. He also said it could be a violation of the laws and guidelines that protect reporters. “It’s very, very troubling,” he said.

It’s an intimidation tactic —- both for reporters and their sources. Jameel Jaffer, executive director of the Knight First Amendment Institute at Columbia University, told the Associated Press that he suspects the search is “meant to deter not just that reporter but other reporters from pursuing stories that are reliant on government whistleblowers.” And it’s also meant to discourage whistleblowers, he told David Bauder.

It’s probably not the last such move against reporters. Now that this line has been crossed, writes Brian Stelter for CNN, “some journalists and media lawyers expect it will happen again.” As Nieman Lab’s Sophie Culpepper writes, the groundwork for the raid was laid in Project 2025.

Finally, it has prompted journalists to reassess the security of their communications with sources. Several reporters told The Post that they had turned off facial recognition software on their phones in light of the raid. CJR’s Maddy Crowell spoke to digital security expert Runa Sandvik about what journalists need to consider to protect themselves.

News In Focus
Headlines, resources and events aligned with API’s four areas of focus.

Civic Discourse & Democracy

>> If you see ICE, hit ‘record’ (CNN) 

As they point the phone cameras at ICE, local residents are documenting arrests and heated clashes between agents and the people of Minneapolis, writes Brian Stelter. “Talking straight to camera, they describe what it feels like to live in Minneapolis right now. They force everyone else to pay attention.”

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Culture & Inclusion

>> News from API: Heinz Endowments renews support to advance the Pittsburgh Community Advisory Committee

The American Press Institute is pleased to announce new funding from The Heinz Endowments to continue and expand the work of the Pittsburgh Community Advisory Committee — a collaborative initiative to strengthen representation, accountability and trust between local newsrooms and the communities they serve. Read the news release.

>> Introducing Luz, a trilingual solutions journalism chatbot (Reynolds Journalism Institute)

The Reynolds Journalism Institute and El Colectivo 506 have built a chatbot to help journalists who might need support as they brainstorm or refine their pitches for solutions-based stories. Luz, the sloth mascot of El Colectivo 506, can guide journalists in Spanish, English or Portuguese, writes Katherine Stanley.

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Community Engagement & Trust

>> Acknowledge fair criticism and skepticism (Trusting News) 

Joy Mayer explains how journalists can respond meaningfully to criticism by “leaning into empathy for how complicated it is to try to be informed.” The goal, she writes, should be to understand how well journalists are serving people’s needs and “how we could be more useful rather than trying to win a debate about our relevance and value.”

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Revenue & Resilience

>> High school sports supercharge subscriptions at the Minnesota Star Tribune (A Media Operator)

Bron Maher writes that the news organization is experiencing a rise in subscriptions and ad revenue as a result of its “Strib Varsity” project, which covers 32 sports, 500 Minnesota high schools and more than 4,000 team pages.

>> Trib expands to fill Pittsburgh’s newspaper void (TribLive) 

Responding to the announcement that the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette will close in May, Trib Total Media announced that it will launch the Pittsburgh edition of the Tribune-Review, which it said will be “a new weekend print publication” serving the city and Allegheny County.

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What else you need to know

🤔 Newsom plans no new journalism funding despite $175 million funding deal with Google (CalMatters)

😎 Press Release: USA TODAY Network launches TODAY Californian (USA TODAY Co.)

✂️ Politico announces layoffs and a new product (Semafor)

🔝 Google now prioritizing YouTube and X over publishers on Discover (Press Gazette)

💵 IFCN awards $750,000 to 25 fact-checkers to build financial sustainability (Poynter)

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Weekend reads

+ You’ve heard about who ICE is recruiting. The truth is far worse. I’m the proof. (Slate)

+ If you think MAGA journalism is bad now, just wait (The Bulwark)

+ Publishers are partnering with prediction markets. What could go wrong? (Adweek)

+ Why people believe misinformation even when they’re told the facts (The Conversation)