February 7, 2025

On the campaign trail, President Donald Trump said he would exact vengeance on news outlets that anger him. Now, just weeks into the new administration, newsrooms are increasingly worried about libel lawsuits, harassment of their reporters and other threats to journalists and the work they do. These threats may come from both government and private sector actors. 

To help provide access to necessary resources at an affordable cost, the Institute for Nonprofit News (INN) has renewed a partnership with DeleteMe, the leading online privacy protection service. This resource brings INN members an opportunity to secure their team’s personal information at a deeply discounted rate. 

“For many of us in the journalism ecosystem, the constant threat of online harassment has become part and parcel of the job. Through this partnership with DeleteMe, we hope that this no longer has to be the case,” said Soraya Membreno, INN’s chief operating officer. 

Equipping newsroom leaders with concrete tools to proactively keep their teams safe and supported so that they may continue to do their critical work is top of mind for INN, Membreno said. 

In November, INN and the Reporters Freedom of the Press began issuing press credentials to INN Network newsrooms. So far, INN has issued more than 200 press credentials, which include the INN name, the newsroom’s name and a photo of the journalist. The goal is to provide newer, smaller organizations with the opportunity to hand out press passes to their staff, which was a recommendation included in a 2024 report released by the US Department of Justice describing “best practices” for police-press interactions at protests. 

“Journalists are often hassled and impeded from doing their jobs. We want to make it as easy as possible for them to do their critical work and we hope that these credentials are just another tool that might help them do that,” said Jonathan Kealing, INN’s chief network officer.

To help make these and other resources more accessible, INN has created a new, designated Press Freedom & Safety Hub available online. INN Network newsrooms and other colleagues can find access to resources that can help them with legal, digital and physical threats such as access to prepublication review via ProJourn and recommended media insurance assistance. 

Resources in the Press Freedom & Safety Hub include:

• 24/7 Legal Hotline providing guidance, referrals, and direct, pro bono representation to journalists and newsrooms who need an attorney, from the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press
• Access to a nationwide network of attorneys providing services such as subpoena defense and defense against defamation actions from Lawyers for Reporters
• Anti-violence and mental health guides for journalists from the International Women’s Media Foundation
• Support for campus-based journalism including reference materials ​​covering a wide range of media-law topics including copyright, libel, privacy and access issues from the Student Press Law Center 
• Financial support for open government lawsuits through the National Freedom of Information Coalition (NFOIC) 

It’s important to note that legal threats to nonprofit news organizations may not arise through conventional channels like libel suits: the federal government’s about-face on issues like DEI, immigration and foreign aid may open nonprofits to critical looks at aspects of their operations beyond publishing. To help member newsrooms make sure all practices, paperwork and finances are compliant with the law, INN has negotiated rates for operational support from companies like Ignite HR and Your Part-Time Controller and is currently vetting additional vendors and resources that will be added in the weeks and months ahead.

Nonprofit news organizations serve a vital role as watchdogs: they help keep communities safe by exposing wrongdoing, holding public officials accountable and sharing information during crises. INN appreciates the efforts of the organizations listed in our Press Freedom & Safety Hub for their work in keeping the watchdogs safe.