How free is the press?

Should we be worried about the freedom of the press? The arrest of two journalists is sparking that question.

The Trump administration says former CNN star Don Lemon and independent journalist Georgia Fort were part of a “coordinated attack” on a church with ties to ICE in Minnesota. They are charged with conspiracy and interfering with churchgoers’ First Amendment right to worship. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi posted a video on X saying: “Make no mistake: if you violate that sacred right, we are coming after you.”

But the federal charges raise concerns over the First Amendment freedom of the press. Lemon and Fort say they were in the church to do their jobs to cover an ICE protest, which included interviewing protestors as well as the pastor. 

This incident comes on the heels of the FBI raiding a Washington Post reporter’s home as part of an investigation of one of her suspected sources.

On this episode of Studio 2, amid the Trump administration’s larger pressure campaign on major news networks, we’re looking at the state of media independence.

Guests:

Will Creeley, legal director of the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE)

Brian Stelter, chief media analyst for CNN and the lead author of the Reliable Sources newsletter

James Risen, investigative journalist, and professor at the University of Maryland