Summary
Milwaukee Independent year-in-review on press freedom in 2025: deadliest year on record globally for journalists, 170 assault reports in the US (mostly by law enforcement, during immigration coverage), AP’s ongoing court fight over Gulf of Mexico naming, and Trump extracting settlements from ABC and CBS. Analysis emphasizes that public apathy — only 36% aware of Trump-press conflict vs. 72% in first term — is the enabling condition.
Key Points
- 126 media workers killed globally by early December 2025 — matches all of 2024 (itself a record); 85 deaths in Gaza (82 Palestinians)
- 323 journalists imprisoned worldwide
- 170 assault reports on US journalists in 2025; 160 of 170 by law enforcement; many during immigration enforcement coverage
- None killed in US in 2025 (as of early December)
- AP: limited access from Trump after refusing to call Gulf of Mexico by Trump’s preferred name; court fight ongoing
- Trump extracted settlements from ABC and CBS; suing NYT and WSJ
- CPB/NPR/PBS: funding cut via Rescissions Act of 2025; Hegseth imposed restrictive Pentagon press rules; most mainstream outlets gave up Pentagon credentials rather than comply
- Radio Free Europe, Radio Free Asia, Voice of America “eviscerated” — loss of US-funded international news infrastructure
- Public awareness gap: 36% aware of Trump-press conflict in 2025 vs. 72% at same point in first term — CPJ/PEN see public apathy as the enabling condition
- “The harm falls on the public” — Richardson (PEN America)
Newsletter Angles
- The public awareness gap is the most alarming data point: in the first term, 72% of Americans were watching the press freedom fight; now only 36% are. The normalization of the assault on press freedom is nearly complete
- The 160/170 law enforcement assault stat (almost all by government agents during immigration coverage) shows who is doing the attacking — this is state violence against press, not street violence
Entities Mentioned
- Donald Trump — whose hostility toward press is the central subject
Concepts Mentioned
- Regulatory Weaponization — using regulatory, legal, and financial tools to suppress press freedom
- Institutional Gaslighting — press attacks reframed as government protecting truth from “fake news”
Quotes
“Trump has always attacked the press, but during the second term, he’s turned that into government action to restrict and punish and intimidate journalists.” — Tim Richardson, PEN America “Impunity breeds impunity.” — Jodie Ginsberg, Committee to Protect Journalists
Notes
Milwaukee Independent. January 4, 2026. Year-in-review. Sources include CPJ, PEN America, U.S. Press Freedom Tracker. Useful for data points; outlet is liberal-leaning.