Journalist Protection Act Advocacy Toolkit

Capitol

BACKGROUND TAKE ACTION IN CONGRESS TAKE ACTION IN YOUR COMMUNITY 

Background

What would the passage of the Journalist Protection Act mean for the future of journalism?  

Journalism is an essential public service that holds systems accountable and keeps communities informed. Journalists serve the public by shedding light on the stories that matter. They seek and report the truth so our communities can stay engaged. 

Right now, journalists across America are in danger. They face threats and violence daily, with many experiencing targeted instances of assault on the job. Introduced in May, The Journalist Protection Act (JPA) would make it a federal crime to cause bodily harm or injury to a journalist in the course of newsgathering. It’s a piece of much needed legislation that would hold those who harm journalists on the job accountable. 

RTDNA has been advocating for the passage of this legislation since its initial introduction in 2018. At the time, our members and fellow journalists were experiencing a frightening uptick of violence on the job, and this legislation was a clear path to accountability for their aggressors. We continue to advocate for the passage of the JPA today because we want to safeguard the stories journalists share on behalf of their communities. And because we know it’s not just journalists who are harmed by this violence, it is also the public who those journalists serve through their reporting.

To us, the passage of the JPA would be a public declaration in support of the work of journalists, and a clear rebuke of those who have and continue to perpetrate violence against the industry. 

When a journalist is physically attacked, the public is harmed. They are deprived of that journalist’s effort to create a more informed and educated community. 

But, what would it mean to YOU for Congress to #PassTheJournalistProtectionAct? 

Share your story with us online, over email, on social media or with your representative today. Then use this toolkit to turn your story into action. Join us as we #ProtectJournalismToday and #PassTheJPA. 

JPA Fast Facts: 

  • JPA was reintroduced on May 3, 2023, by Senators Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), alongside Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-Calif). 

  • More than 800 incidents of assault against journalists reported by the US Press Freedom Tracker since 2020. 

  • In 2020, 86% of news directors changed newsroom procedures to protect employees. They purchased bullet-proof vests and gas masks and began sending out security teams with reporters. 

  • More than 1 in 5 newsrooms say their journalists were attacked in 2021. 

  • According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 17 journalists and media workers have been killed in the United States since 1995. 

  • 86 journalists and media workers were killed around the world in 2022 according to UNESCO – one every four days –  representing a 50 percent increase from the last three years.

  • Journalists and politicians serve the same constituents: the public. We must protect the fourth pillar of democracy.

Take Action in Congress

Find your representative here. 

Use this script to call your representatives: 

Hi I’m [YOUR NAME], your constituent from [CITY, STATE]. I am also a working journalist, and am calling today to urge [REPRESENTATIVE NAME] to support the Journalist Protection Act, or JPA. It would mean individuals like me are protected from violence we are subject to simply for being a journalist in the United States. We serve the same audience: the American People. Stand with me and all of the reporters in [STATE] and the United States and support the JPA. 

Use this template to email your legislators: 

To [Senator/Representative X], 

My name is [XYZ], a constituent from [CITY, STATE]. I am writing today to urge you to consider the passage of The Journalist Protection Act, an essential piece of legislation that would make it a federal crime to intentionally intimidate or cause bodily harm to a journalist in the course of newsgathering.

Journalists in America are in danger. [We/they] face threats and violence daily, with many experiencing targeted instances of assault on the job. The Journalist Protection Act would protect the future of the free press by holding those who harm journalists on the job accountable. 

[Insert a sentence about why this matters to you] 

Journalists once armed themselves with cameras and questions. Now [we/they] gear up with bulletproof vests and legal defense teams. Please consider protecting journalists by supporting the passage of The Journalist Protection Act today. 

Thank you for your consideration, 

[Sign your name & contact information]

PLEASE CC US AT PRESSFREEDOM@RTDNA.ORG WHEN YOU SEND YOUR EMAIL!

Take Action in Your Community

If you’re a newsroom leader: 

  • Invite RTDNA President and CEO Dan Shelley /RTDNA to talk to your newsroom about the JPA. Reach out to RTDNA to schedule an informational session.

  • Write an OpEd about why this is important to your newsroom. Share it with your local outlet to urge your community to support journalists today.

If you’re a journalist: 

  • Interested in reporting on the JPA? Talk with RTDNA today about how we can help you shed light on this essential legislation. 

  • Share your story with us over email or on social media by using some of the sample social posts below. 

Use these sample social posts: 

  • If one journalist is in danger, every journalist is in danger. The Journalist Protection Act #JPA makes it a federal crime to cause bodily harm to a journalist on the job. Take action to #PassTheJPA & let your reps know #JournalistSafety matters to you. https://bit.ly/3Q0gQ2g

  • The violence journalists experience on a daily basis is dangerous and unacceptable. It’s time for Congress to #ProtectJouralismToday and pass the Journalist Protection Act #JPA. Tell your story and take action now by writing or calling your representative today https://bit.ly/3Q0gQ2g

  • Have you or someone you know been targeted while reporting? Tell your representative why the Journalist Protection Act is important to you. #JPA makes it a federal crime to cause bodily harm to a journalist on the job. Join me in taking action today. https://bit.ly/3Q0gQ2g

  • Have you heard of the Journalist Protection Act? The #JPA will make it a federal crime to cause bodily harm or injury to a journalist in the course of news gathering. Help us #SupportJournalismToday and urge your representatives to #PassTheJPA! https://bit.ly/3Q0gQ2g

  • As a journalist, I experienced [INSERT EXPERIENCE]. Facing violence for simply doing your job is wrong. I encourage Congress [@YourRepresentative] to #SupportJournalismToday and #PassTheJPA.

  • Journalists and politicians serve the same constituents: the public. We must protect the fourth pillar of democracy and #ProtectPressToday. Encourage your elected officials to #PassTheJPA! https://bit.ly/3Q0gQ2g

  • When a journalist is harmed, the public is harmed. Stories are silenced and the community is less informed. We must #PassTheJPA to create a more educated democracy. #ProtectPressToday #PassTheJPA

Use these hashtags:

  • #SupportJournalismToday #PassTheJPA 

  • #EmpowerJournalistsToday #PassTheJPA 

  • #ProtectPressToday #PassTheJPA