Student Journalists Face New Pressures Amid Politics, Privacy Fears, and Deportation Risks
April 25, 2025
Risking It All: The Growing Dangers for Journalists Reporting from the Amazon
April 26, 2025
April 25, 2025 – General –
A new round of controversy is erupting over press freedom in the U.S., as Trump-era tactics targeting journalists have resurfaced—this time defended by Trump ally Pam Bondi. The heart of the issue involves the Department of Justice’s renewed use of subpoenas to obtain communications from reporters as part of leak investigations, drawing sharp concern from press advocates and civil liberties groups.
The controversy dates back to when Donald Trump’s DOJ began aggressively pursuing sources of leaks related to national security, often by subpoenaing journalists’ records. In response to public outcry and a deepening mistrust between the press and the federal government, the Biden administration had pledged to end these practices. In 2021, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced new guidelines meant to safeguard journalists from government surveillance and seizure of their communications.
But recent developments suggest those protections may not be holding. In a case involving leaked details about classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, the DOJ issued subpoenas targeting journalists’ interactions, raising alarms about a return to invasive tactics. Pam Bondi, now serving as a spokesperson for Trump’s legal strategy, publicly supported the DOJ’s approach, framing it as essential to national security and dismissing claims that it undermines the press.
Bondi argues that the real target is not journalists themselves, but government insiders leaking classified material. Still, critics point out that subpoenaing journalists, without exhausting other investigative options, sends a dangerous message and risks chilling investigative reporting.
Rolling Stone and NPR both highlighted how these practices reflect an ongoing erosion of trust between the media and federal institutions, compounded by the blurred boundaries between national security and political interests. The Biden administration now finds itself under pressure to clarify whether its protections for journalists still stand—or if they are quietly being rolled back.
The case has reignited a broader debate: Can a democracy maintain its security without sacrificing press freedom? For many in the journalism world, this moment feels like déjà vu—only now the lines between administrations and ideologies are no longer so clearly drawn.
Reference –
https://www.npr.org/2025/04/25/nx-s1-5377624/pam-bondi-reporters-subpoena-leaks
https://www.avclub.com/biden-journalist-protections-stripped-by-trump-doj
