July Update

Preparing for Lawfare

The New York Times scored a victory last week when the US Justice Department withdrew subpoenas for several journalists related to their reporting on the new Air Force One donated to President Trump by Qatar, which reportedly lacks key safety features. "It's a great day for the First Amendment and a great day for the rule of law," David McCraw, the newsroom lawyer for the Times, proclaimed after leaving the courtroom.

In fact, the Times is still facing a number of legal challenges. The Justice Department could re-issue the subpoenas. The Times is also battling a civil claim into its hiring practices brought by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) which alleges the news organizations discriminated against a white editor who was passed over for a promotion. And President Trump is still pursuing a defamation claim against the Times and several of its reporters – to the tune of $15 billion.

Taken together these legal actions constitute a form of lawfare – a deliberate attempt to use the law as a cudgel to undermine and attack critics. The Times of course has committed leadership, deep pockets, an outstanding legal team, and a proven record of success in beating back the claims. But even as individual cases are dismissed, the broader threat continues to mount. Few news organizations are prepared to withstand such efforts. They need to prepare for the possibility that they themselves could become targets.

The JPI has produced a Press Freedom Briefing that can help news organizations plan for the worst. Written by leading safety expert Michael Christie, with input from top editors, communications experts and newsroom lawyers, the briefing offers practical guidance. It's not just a question of bolstering legal resources. A concerted legal attack is likely to trigger a complex, organization-wide crisis. Many newsrooms need to shore up internal management practices, build a crisis response team, and put in place a strong communications plan.
You can access the briefing here or via our Press Freedom Briefings page, where you’ll find a range of other resources that can help news organizations to anticipate and navigate emerging risks.

New Funding from Craig Newmark

The JPI is grateful to Craig Newmark for renewing support for the Journalism Protection Initiative. A $100,000 grant will be used specifically to strengthen journalism safety education for Newmark J-School students. We will expand access to JESS, our AI-driven safety tool, and also train students on cybersecurity, using resources like Take 9, a public service initiative backed by Craig to raise awareness about scamming.

At the Truth Tellers Summit in London organized by Tina Brown in May, Craig spoke about the shifting threat landscape and the work of the JPI. We are grateful to have his support.

Back to School

Speaking of education, JPI has worked with the Newmark School faculty and administration to develop a safety curriculum, so every graduate leaves prepared to work in a more adversarial environment. There are four components.

• Orientation: In August, Kate Parkinson will lead a session for incoming students on the basics of safety planning, including the safety plan template she created for them.
• The classroom: Kate will also be lecturing in the Law, Ethics and Safety classes this fall, working with the individual instructors – including me – to design sessions on everything from how to cover a protest safely to how to prepare for the possibility of cyberattacks.
• One to ones: Kate and I will both work with individual students to help them develop and implement their own safety plans.
• January Academy: Students and working journalists can sign up for a week of specialized workshops covering safety planning, digital, physical, legal and psychological safety. We’ll be announcing the schedule later this fall so watch this space if you’re interested in signing up for any or all of the sessions.

Knight Press Freedom Fellow Gustavo Gorriti Faces Legal Action

Earlier this month, I wrote to Peru’s Attorney General Tomás Aladino Gálvez Villegas urging him not proceed with the threatened prosecution of Gustavo Gorriti.

Gorriti, who is based in Lima, is currently a Knight Press Freedom Fellow, a program administered by the JPI which provides support for exceptional journalists from around the world who are facing threats and persecution.

In my letter to Gálvez, I described Gorriti’s accomplishments as an investigative journalist including his reporting on a massive corruption and kickback scheme involving the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht which implicated senior Peruvian officials. See his work here.

Last month, a highly politicized Congressional Commission produced a report that recommended prosecuting Gorriti for bribery, influence trafficking and obstruction of justice. The report was referred to the attorney general’s office for action.

Prosecuting Gustavo Gorriti in reprisal for his investigative journalism would represent a clear violation of press freedom and rupture with the rule of law which would spark a strong reaction from this outstanding journalist’s many admirers across the globe,” I wrote. “It would also classify Peru as a country where the fundamentals of civil society – liberty of expression and the kind of transparency that is required to eliminate corruption – are not respected.

The full text of the letter in support of Gustavo Gorriti is available in English and Spanish.

The Knight Press Freedom Fellowship Program was established in 2025, with support from Knight Foundation. Fellows are hosted by participating journalism institutions. Gorriti is being hosted by the University of Missouri School of Journalism. Mikhail Rubin, from Russia, is being hosted by the Stanford University; while Mohammed Mhawish, from Gaza, is currently hosted at the Newmark J-School. Another fellow, Baktygul Chynybaeva, recently completed her term as a fellow, hosted by the University of Michigan. Learn more about the Knight Press Freedom Fellowship.