U.S. Press Freedom Tracker reports:

While revelers and protesters alike gathered near New York City’s Times Square on Dec. 31, 2023, a freelance reporter rang in the new year from a holding cell 10 blocks away.

Roni Jacobson was attempting to cover a pro-Palestinian demonstration for the New York Daily News when she said she bumped into a rookie officer and was quickly arrested. She was released after nearly 24 hours in custody when the charges against her for obstruction of government function and disorderly conduct were dropped.

Jacobson’s arrest — the final detainment of a journalist documented by the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker in 2023 — was a particularly bad omen for the year that followed.

In 2024, journalists were arrested or detained by police at least 48 times, more than during the previous two years combined. It’s also the third-highest number of arrests since the Tracker began cataloging press freedom violations in 2017.

More striking statistics: Nearly 90% of those arrests took place around Israel-Gaza war protests. And nearly half were at the hands of New York City police. [Continue reading…]