Latest

DOJ Accuses CIA Contractor Of Leaking To Anti-Imperialist Substack

The United States Justice Department charged a systems developer for a CIA contractor with violating the Espionage Act. He allegedly shared CIA documents on Israel and the war against Iran with a journalist.  On October 23, Ian Brinksman was arrested after the FBI searched his residence. He was charged with

Press Freedom Groups Oppose House Committee Threat To Subpoena BreakThrough News Staff

"The threatened subpoenas are clearly designed to target BreakThrough for reporting and editorial viewpoints with which the Committee disagrees," the groups declared.

‘NAZA’ Further Exposes Media Complicity In War On Gaza

The fact that "NAZA" is necessary viewing at this juncture is an indictment against the press in the so-called civilized and free world.

National Security Excuses Continue To Flop As Trump Pushes Press Ban

US judge further dismantled belated and lazy national security argument offered by Trump officials to justify press ban

Journalist Under Prosecution Sues US Government For Seizing Materials

Tim Burke filed the complaint around a week after prosecutors notified a court it would seek a fresh indictment against the Florida-based journalist.

Florida Senate Demanded Newspapers Destroy Report On Insurance Companies—Or Face Prosecution

Both the South Florida Sun Sentinel and Orlando Sentinel did exactly what media outlets should do when faced with such intimidation.

No 'National Security' Defense For Trump Banning Press, Judge Rules

Judge brushed aside any notion that the "free press" had to be banned to protect "national security"

Another Judge Sees Through Trump's Anti-Press Agenda

One of the more pernicious anti-press policies pursued by Trump officials was blocked by a US judge earlier in September.

Israeli Military Extends Detention For Palestinian American Journalist

The Committee to Protect Journalists demands the release of Palestinian American journalist Naqaa Hamed as an Israeli military court keeps her in detention.

Fired Immigration Judge Who Challenged ICE Arrest Of Unaccompanied Child Files Whistleblower Lawsuit

A former United States immigration judge says she objected to ICE agents who “unlawfully detained an unaccompanied minor who had just been in her courtroom,” and then she was fired.

Revisiting 'Zero Dark Thirty,' A Definitive Example Of 9/11 Cinema

A highly influential faction of current and former CIA officers at war with the truth successfully injected their propaganda into a definitive Hollywood movie

Defying Court, DHS Seized Logs Of 10,000 Calls And Texts From Journalist

Lawyers for journalist Georgia Fort, who faces a political prosecution, demand that a court order the government to destroy call and text logs from her phone

EVENT: 'Independent Media & the New McCarthyism'

Tune in at 2 pm ET/11 am PT on August 27 for a panel discussion organized by Defending Rights and Dissent on the latest attacks on independent journalism

Detained For 300-Plus Days, Journalist Shot By ICE Could Lose Arm

In December, a United States judge dismissed the case against detained journalist Carlitos Ricardo Parias with prejudice, ruling that the U.S. government had deprived Parias of access to counsel prior to his trial. There was no other “remedy.”  Parias is a father of two children in southern Los Angeles.

I Received An Award From The Illinois Library Association

On July 29, the Illinois Library Association announced that I had received the association’s annual intellectual freedom award

Trump’s War On Dissent: House Committee Subpoenas BreakThrough News

Republican-controlled House committee subpoenas BreakThrough News in effort to force outlet to turn over financial records

Journalist Recounts How Border Agents Targeted Him Over Coverage Of Ayatollah's Funeral

Grayzone journalist Max Blumenthal says US border agents told him he had no rights, as they took his electronics to invade his privacy and potentially compromise his sources

A Tribute To CIA Whistleblower John Stockwell

When former CIA officer John Stockwell came forward, he maintained that he was the highest ranking officer to go public and tell the truth about the agency.

Trump DOJ Succeeds In Criminalizing Sharing Of Political Zines

In Texas, United States Judges Reed O’Connor and Mark T. Pittman issued totalitarian prison sentences against eight anti-ICE activists

Israeli Military Assassinates Yet Another Al Jazeera Cameraman

Israeli military assassinated Al Jazeera Mubasher cameraman Ahmed Wishah, a little more than two months after targeting and killing his brother

When The FBI Comes Knocking

With the increased risk of the FBI appearing on our doorsteps, it’s worth recounting several recent examples of harassment and intimidation by the FBI against journalists.

The Dissenter On The 'Unfettered Speech' Podcast

Leonard Goodman and Patrick Sullivan of Integrity Media invited Dissenter editor Kevin Gosztola on their podcast, "Unfettered Speech," to discuss his 15+ years of reporting on WikiLeaks, whistleblowers, and government secrecy. Kevin shared how the Iraq War in the 2000s was a formidable event that set him on

Israel Deports And Smears French Journalist Who Has Long Covered The West Bank

Israeli minister took to social media to maliciously label RFI journalist Alice Froussard a "Hamas supporter" after Israel deported her

From Gaza To Lebanon: The Role That US Media Plays In War Crimes

Robin Andersen, a writer and media studies professor, examines how the United States media covered Israel’s genocide in Gaza in her new book, “The Complicit Lens"

Trump Broadens Crackdown On Media Sources In The Federal Government

Donald Trump's administration proposed a gag order for all US government employees, broadening its crackdown on news media sources

Forest Service Whistleblower Faces 'Six-Figure Legal Debt,' Calls For Reform

United States Forest Service whistleblower calls on lawmakers in DC and North Carolina to create public defender system for whistleblowers

Whistleblower Law Safe From US Supreme Court—For Now

The United States Supreme Court declined to hear pharmaceutical corporation Eli Lilly’s appeal against the constitutionality of the False Claims Act.

Project Censored At 50 (And The Independent Media That Can Save Us)

“What we need is a truly independent free press reporting factually, transparently, and ethically in the public interest,” says Project Censored's Mickey Huff

Trump Administration Issues Subpoenas To Stifle Reporting On War Against Iran

On behalf of President Donald Trump, the Justice Department issued grand jury subpoenas that targeted Wall Street Journal reporters involved in covering the war against Iran.  “The government’s subpoenas to The Wall Street Journal and our reporters represent an attack on constitutionally protected newsgathering. We will vigorously oppose this

In Espionage Act Prosecution Of Fort Bragg Whistleblower, DOJ Allows Home Detention

Allowing home detention for Fort Bragg whistleblower Courtney Williams represents a significant departure, when compared to recent Espionage Act prosecutions

Lawsuit Challenges Trump Administration's Claim That It May Delete Text Messages

Two watchdog organizations filed a lawsuit to ensure that Trump administration records remain preserved under the Presidential Records Act

Israeli Military Reportedly Bombed Lebanese Journalist, Blocked Rescuers

The Israeli military reportedly targeted two Lebanese journalists, assassinating Amal Khalil and seriously injuring Zeinab Faraj.

FAA Will No Longer Pursue Charges For Journalists Who Fly Drones Near ICE

FAA ends effort to restrict drone flights near ICE or Border Patrol operations

US Military Partners In The Gulf Crack Down On Journalism During Iran War

The Gulf states that are cracking down on journalism during the war on Iran have something in common. They're US military partners.

DOJ Targets Fort Bragg Whistleblower With Espionage Act Prosecution

The case against Courtney Williams is the second Espionage Act prosecution against a media source during Trump's second term.

Whistleblowing To Stop A War

The world needs national security whistleblowers to follow in Daniel Ellsberg’s footsteps, but the tentacles of the warfare state have an immense grip over Washington, D.C.

Court Voids Trump's Executive Order That Defunded NPR, PBS

Judge Randolph Moss blocks the Trump administration from further "implementing or enforcing" the order that defunded NPR and PBS

Exposing Financial Censorship: Rainey Reitman On Her New Book, 'Transaction Denied'

Rainey Reitman's book, "Transaction Denied: Big Finance's Power To Punish Speech," exposes a pattern of financial censorship by Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, and other companies

Court Rejects Perdue's Effort To Dismantle Whistleblower Review

A United States court rejected an effort by poultry manufacturer Perdue Farms to eliminate the Labor Department’s process for reviewing whistleblower claims

Judge Refers To War On Iran In Ruling That Slaps Down Pentagon’s Anti-Press Policy

"[I]t is more important than ever that the public have access to information from a variety of perspectives about what its government is doing," the judge declared

Photojournalist Fights FAA's No Fly Zones For ICE Operations

Minneapolis photojournalists asks appeals court to end FAA's ban on drone journalism near ICE or Border Patrol operations

Reintroduced Espionage Act Reform Bill Honors Daniel Ellsberg

Rep. Rashida Tlaib reintroduces Espionage Act reform legislation. This time around the amendment contains Daniel Ellsberg's name.

ICE Detains Another Spanish-Language Reporter For Engaging In Journalism

The detention of Estefany Rodriguez comes months after a similar case where ICE retaliated against Spanish-language reporter Mario Guevara

Military Censorship While Israel And The US Wage War On Iran

Often truth is the first casualty of war, but Israel's military censor keeps people in the country in a perpetual state of siege, which means the truth about military operations is always in short supply.  According to 972 Magazine, an online magazine run by Palestinian and Israeli journalists,

Judge Fails Washington Post Reporter Who Had Devices Seized By FBI

The Trump Justice Department deceived the court in order to target a journalist, and yet a magistrate judge did very little to hold the government accountable.

'We Returned From Hell': Report Details Israeli Torture Against Palestinian Journalists

Fifty-nine Palestinian journalists shared their stories of torture and abuse at the hands of the Israeli military

New Rule Moves US Government Closer To Creating A Trump State

Trump is transforming the merit system for civil service employees into a "patronage spoils system."

FBI Says Reporter They Raided 'Misled Investigators'

The FBI claims that Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson, who they targeted in a raid, “misled investigators."

US Prosecutor Faces 'Disciplinary Complaint' For Authorizing FBI Raid Against Reporter

The Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) filed a "disciplinary complaint" against the federal prosecutor who signed off on the search warrant, which led to the FBI raid against Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson.  “Assistant United States Attorney Gordon Kromberg and the government omitted a federal law that

FBI Spied on Washington Post Reporter Prior To Raiding Their Home

The FBI conducted "physical surveillance" of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson prior to raiding her home in Virginia.

Film Review: 'Seized' Is A Love Letter To Community Journalism

The film examines the raids against the Marion County Record within the larger context of the decline of local newspapers.

They Executed Him For Wielding A Camera

Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse who worked at a Veterans Affairs hospital, was executed in Minneapolis by U.S. Border Patrol agents while exercising his First Amendment right to film their actions.

Reporter Raided By FBI Lost Contact With Over 1,000 Sources

Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson says the FBI’s seizure of all of her devices has eliminated her “ability to collect information and publish news stories.” “I no longer have access to my more than 1,200 Signal contacts or communications with any of my sources. I literally cannot contact

In Their Heads: Why US Detains Espionage Act Defendants Before Trial

Aurelio Perez-Lugones is the latest individual charged with violating the Espionage Act to be jailed before trial because of what the government says in his mind.

Trump’s War On Journalism: Officials Proudly Defend Raiding A Journalist’s Home

President Donald Trump’s administration proudly defended the FBI raid of Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s home. Officials insisted that Natanson should have “returned” classified information that she allegedly received while invoking President Barack Obama’s attacks on freedom of the press to excuse their intensified assaults on the

Coalition Demands That Congress Withdraw Journalist Subpoena

“By issuing this subpoena, Congress is undermining one of the most cherished American freedoms," the coalition stated.

House Committee Subpoenas Journalist For Reporting On Commander Involved In Maduro Raid

The House Committee on Oversight and Reform subpoenaed journalist Seth Harp to testify before Congress after he identified a Delta Force commander, who he said was involved in the United States military operation that kidnapped Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro.   Republican Representative Anna Paulina Luna, who asked for the subpoena, contended

'Cover-Up': The Complicity Of The Press In US Violence

All governments lie. Seymour Hersh built his journalism career around the creed that it’s a reporter’s job to expose government lies, especially those told by the United States government.  Hersh unraveled a number of major cover-ups and earned a Pulitzer Prize for his reporting on the My

Whistleblower: US Officials Sidestep Court Order, Close Immigrants' Requests For Files

A “disabled Marine Corps infantry combat veteran" has allegedly faced a gag order and retaliation for dissenting against this policy

In 2025, The Israeli Army Was The 'Worst Enemy Of Journalists'

“The Israeli army is the worst enemy of journalists,” according to a year-end analysis of attacks on global press freedom from Reporters Without Borders (RSF).  RSF stated in their 2025 report [PDF], “Over the last 12 months, the Israeli army has been responsible for nearly half (43%) of all

Most Press Arrests In 2025 Resulted In Zero Criminal Charges

The vast majority of journalists or media professionals arrested in 2025 were released and never charged with any criminal offenses, according to an analysis from the US Press Freedom Tracker.

Report Calls Attention To Capitalism's Destruction Of The Press And Media System

The history and analysis laid out by the Roosevelt Institute is a worthwhile plea for a radical shift that enables “a truly democratic information ecosystem”

University of Alabama Shuts Down Two Student Magazines

University administrators claim a July memo from Attorney General Pam Bondi requires them to suspend the publications.

FBI Allegedly Targeted Filipino American Journalist Who Is Now In ICE Detention

The FBI reviewed Ya'akub Vijandre’s immigration record and social media posts, and then recommended that immigration services terminate his DACA status

'I Hurt The Oppressor': British Journalist Sami Hamdi Recounts ICE Detention

"My voice was powerful enough that they couldn’t leave me alone. They had to put me in detention for two weeks."

The Censorship Battle I’ve Been Fighting Against A Suburban Chicago Library

I have been fighting a suburban Chicago library that has attempted to censor a newsletter that I launched.

British Journalist Sami Hamdi Fights Deportation While In ICE Detention

The British journalist and commentator plans to fight deportation rather than simply board a plane and go home.

Dissenter Update: October 28, 2025

Brazen Censorship Against Student Journalists At Indiana University

Indiana University Media School administrators shut down printing of the school’s student newspaper after firing the newspaper’s chief adviser. The brazen act of censorship sparked widespread media coverage and a show of solidarity from student journalists at Purdue University, which is the school’s rival. A little more

Pentagon Reporters Should Turn In Their Badges

Thanks for supporting The Dissenter. This article was written exclusively for paid subscribers. In 2010, when WikiLeaks published files on United States military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, Pentagon spokesperson Geoff Morrell expressed panic. He told CNN host Howard Kurtz that the organization represented a “frightening new development” since they

Media Refuse To Sign Up As Propagandists For Trump's Pentagon

Nearly all media organizations refused to sign the Pentagon's censorship policy

Judge Bars ICE Attacks On Journalists And Protesters While Hearing Lawsuit

In Chicago, U.S. District Judge Sara Ellis issued a temporary restraining order to protect journalists and protesters from attacks by federal agents.

Lawsuit Challenges ICE's Brutal Silencing Of Press, Protesters In Chicago

Media organizations, journalists, clergy, and citizens in the Chicagoland area sued officials in President Donald Trump’s administration for systematically violating their First Amendment rights.  To protect the constitutional rights of journalists and residents engaged in freedom of expression and assembly and freedom of the press, the plaintiffs seek an

Dissenter Update: October 6, 2025

The Deportation Of Mario Guevara Is Chilling For Journalism

“Words cannot begin to describe the loss and devastation my family feels. I am in utter shock and disbelief the government has punished my father for simply doing his life’s work of journalism,” declared Oscar Guevara after his father Mario Guevara was deported to El Salvador. The deportation sets

Climate Of Fear Intensifies As Trump Officials Fire HUD Whistleblowers

Two civil rights attorneys at the United States Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD) were fired after blowing the whistle

Chicago Journalist Detained For Several Hours By Federal Agents

On September 27, federal agents outside an ICE facility detained Chicago journalist Steve Held, the co-founder of Unraveled Press, during an evening of attacks on peaceful protesters. He was released the following day after midnight.  The Triibe, a Black news media organization that has partnered with Unraveled Press and

‘Three Days of the Condor’ At 50: A Classic Conspiracy Thriller And Whistleblower Film

Moviegoers in the United States were primed for a film like “Three Days of the Condor" when it was released in 1975.

US Judge Dismisses Wiretapping Charges In DOJ Prosecution Against A Journalist

A United States judge dismissed charges against journalist Timothy Burke that he violated a federal wiretapping law when he obtained and shared unaired portions of a Fox News interview between Tucker Carlson and Kanye West.  “Burke raises significant First Amendment concerns if the Wiretap Act facially prohibits the mere acquisition

Whistleblowers Say Trump Administration Imposed ‘Strict Gag Order’ On Fair Housing Attorneys

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers of The Dissenter. Become a subscriber and support journalism on whistleblowing, press freedom, and government secrecy. Five civil rights attorneys who were reassigned from their fair housing work at the United States Housing and Urban Development Department (HUD), claim that President

The Only Journalist In US Detention For Their Reporting

Journalist Mario Guevara faces imminent deportation from the United States unless a federal court intervenes

Pentagon To Reporters: Publish Approved Information Or Lose Access

The following is an exclusive article for paid subscribers. Thanks for supporting independent journalism. The Pentagon will revoke access to reporters who publish any information that Secretary Pete Hegseth and other United States military officials have not approved for release.  Sean Parnell, an official in the public affairs division of

LA's Long History Of Violence Against Journalists

Host Kevin Gosztola is joined by guest Adam Rose, who is the press rights chair for the Los Angeles Press Club. He discusses court victories in lawsuits against the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, and the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD). The Los Angeles Press

'Surprising Savagery': US Court Prohibits Attacks On Journalists Covering ICE Protests

A United States court concluded that border patrol and other federal agents “unleashed crowd control weapons indiscriminately and with surprising savagery,” targeting journalists who were covering protests against ICE in Los Angeles

In Öztürk Case, Groups Urge Appeals Court To Uphold Rights Of Noncitizen Journalists

Several press freedom and First Amendment groups have urged a United States appeals court to side with Tufts University graduate student Rümeysa Öztürk and noncitizen journalists.

'Off To Jail': Gaza Aid Whistleblower Arrested For Interrupting Senate Hearing

Putting Profits Over Press Freedom: Interview With Jeff Cohen

Host Kevin Gosztola is joined by guest Jeff Cohen, the founder of Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting (FAIR), the co-founder of Roots Action, and author of “Cable News Confidential: My Misadventures in Corporate Media.” We discuss corporate media capitulation during Donald Trump's second presidential term and "

Illinois Restores Protections For Press Targeted With Frivolous Lawsuits

In the state of Illinois, several organizations and lawyers worked with legislators to clarify and expand protections for the news media after the Illinois Supreme Court significantly diminished the law in November 2024.

Israeli Double-Tap Strike On Hospital Kills At Least Five Journalists In Gaza

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers of The Dissenter. Become a subscriber and support journalism on press freedom, whistleblowing, and government secrecy. The Israeli military killed at least five more journalists in a double-tap strike on Nasser Hospital in Khan Younis in Gaza.  Hind Khoudary, a

Fighting The Trump Administration's 'Unchecked Power' To Deport Noncitizen Students

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers of The Dissenter. Become a subscriber and support journalism on press freedom, whistleblowing, and government secrecy. The student newspaper at Stanford University in California has observed a “dramatic decrease in the number of international students willing to speak” to reporters. Their

ACLU Demands US Court Immediately Order Release Of Journalist In ICE Detention

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers of The Dissenter. Become a subscriber and support journalism on press freedom, whistleblowing, and government secrecy. The American Civil Liberties Union filed a habeas petition that demands the immediate release of Mario Guevara, a Spanish-language journalist who United States Immigration

Podcast: Kevin Gosztola On The Disinfo Detox, Hosted By Nolan Higdon

Dissenter editor Kevin Gosztola appeared on the podcast The Disinfo Detox, which is hosted by Nolan Higdon. Nolan is a writer, author of "The Anatomy of Fake News: A Critical News Literacy Education," and a lecturer at Merrill College and the Education Department at University of California, Santa

Online Articles Are Protected Newspaper Articles, Too

Israeli Military Assassinates Prominent Al Jazeera Journalist Prior To Invading Gaza City

Israeli military forces assassinated Anas al-Sharif, a high-profile Al Jazeera journalist in Gaza City who officials falsely and maliciously labeled a “Hamas cell” leader.

Police Who Have 'Bad Breakfast' May Not Arrest Reporters Who Stand Too Close, Appeals Court Rules

Dissenter Headlines For August 4

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting Shutdown: A Grim Ending for Publicly Funded Media

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers of The Dissenter. Become a subscriber and support journalism on press freedom, whistleblowing, and government secrecy. The end of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB) is a major victory for Republicans in their decades-long campaign to defund public media, particularly

VIDEO: If Only More Media Had Spoken Up For Gaza Journalists

Host Kevin Gosztola discusses the role of Western prestige media organizations in the mass starvation and death that the world is witnessing now in Gaza. In particular, as with families and their children, the last remaining Palestinian and Arab journalists are at risk of dying due to lack of food,

Media Silence Helped Bring Starving Gaza Journalists To The Brink Of Death

The following article was made possible by paid subscribers of The Dissenter. Become a subscriber and support journalism on press freedom, whistleblowing, and government secrecy. No group of reporters in the modern era have demonstrated more of a courageous commitment to journalism than those living and working under siege in

FBI Spied On Journalists And Activists Who Organized 'Russiagate And WikiLeaks' Panel

The following article was originally published by Defending Rights and Dissent. On the weekend of June 1, 2018, activists, academics, and writers gathered at John Jay College of Criminal Justice for the annual Left Forum conference. With roots in the Socialists Scholars Conference, Left Forum was regularly one of the