Overview:
The National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and over 30 press and civil liberties organizations have condemned the federal arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, stating that the arrests are a direct threat to press freedom. The NABJ has urged journalists to stay safe while reporting in hostile environments, and emphasized the importance of strength in numbers to hold power accountable. The concern over the arrests is rippling far beyond Minnesota, with journalists, journalism students, educators, and audiences across the country responding with alarm.
As journalists, activists, and community members rally in support of Don Lemon, Georgia Fort, Nekima Levy Armstrong, Chauntyll Louisa Allen, and William Kelly, questions of solidarity and safety are dominating newsrooms nationwide: How does the press continue to hold power accountable without becoming the next target?
“It is too late for that,” National Association of Black Journalists President Errin Haynes told Dallas Weekly Friday afternoon, January 30. “Press is under attack. Journalists are under attack and that is why strength in numbers is so important.”
Earlier Friday, NABJ released a forceful joint statement alongside more than 30 press and civil liberties organizations, including Amnesty International USA, the Association of LGBTQ+ Journalists (NLGJA), and Reporters Without Borders, condemning the federal arrests.
The National Association of Black Journalists is outraged and deeply alarmed by the arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort by federal agents, and by the government’s escalating effort to criminalize and threaten press freedom under the guise of law enforcement,” the statement read.
Let us be perfectly clear: The First Amendment is not optional and journalism is NOT a crime. A government that responds to scrutiny by targeting the messenger is not protecting the public—it is attempting to intimidate it.
According to NABJ, Lemon and Fort were lawfully covering protests in Minneapolis. “Arresting journalists for news gathering is a direct threat to press freedom and should alarm every member of the public,” the organization stated.
The concern is rippling far beyond Minnesota. Journalists, journalism students, educators, and audiences across the country are responding with alarm after Attorney General Pam Bondi confirmed the arrests Friday.
For Black journalists in particular, Haynes said, the moment carries a familiar and painful weight.
“For Black journalists, these moments can carry added weight,” she said. “Any erosion of press protections disproportionately endangers us. This is not new. Black journalists have long been surveilled, arrested, and targeted for exposing injustice.”
Haynes, who covered the Ferguson protests following the killing of Michael Brown, emphasized the human toll of reporting in hostile environments, especially for freelancers and independent journalists.
“Please take care of yourself,” she urged. “These stories take a toll on us. Stay safe. Have a plan. Make sure at least one person knows where you are. Be aware of your surroundings if you’re detained.”
She also encouraged reporters to identify exit routes, maintain safe distances at protests, and lean on organizations such as the International Women’s Media Foundation and the Committee to Protect Journalists for support.
Asked to characterize the current state of press freedom under the administration, Haynes was blunt.
“I would characterize it as fragile,” she said. “But we are also seeing people stand up and push back. The solidarity is heartening, even though it’s deeply unfortunate that this is where we are, not just as a profession, but as a democracy.”