United States should immediately drop all charges against journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort

CFWIJ and Women Press Freedom’s Statement on Federal Arrests of Journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort

January 30, 2026

Independent journalists Georgia Fort (left) and Don Lemon. Photo via NNPA

The Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ) decries the federal arrests of journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort as a grave threat to press freedom, constitutional rights, and democratic accountability.

We note with profound concern that these arrests followed a grand jury indictment tied to coverage of a protest in St. Paul, Minnesota. These arrests were carried out despite a federal magistrate judge previously declined to authorize charges against Lemon for lack of sufficient evidence. A judicial decision that should have stopped any further enforcement unless new and substantial evidence emerged.

CFWIJ affirms the following principles:

• Journalism is not a crime. Documenting, reporting, and contextualizing events of public interest including protests, demonstrations, and community responses is core to the public’s right to know and is protected under the First Amendment.

• Threatening journalists with criminal prosecution for newsgathering endangers a free press. Targeting reporters for coverage or presence at public events, even if they occur inside challenging venues, undermines constitutional safeguards and risks chilling independent journalism across the nation. 

• Federal overreach into reporting sets a dangerous precedent. Charging journalists with conspiracy or interference under civil rights statutes for activities that stem from coverage transforms ordinary reporting into a de facto prosecutable act. This contrasts with longstanding norms in U.S. law enforcement and press freedom practice. 

• Women journalists face compounded risks in hostile legal environments. Independent women journalists like Georgia Fort who have built careers documenting community struggles and holding power to account  are entitled to protection from intimidation and retaliation that disproportionately undermines their safety, credibility, and professional mobility.

CFWIJ calls on federal authorities to:

1. Immediately drop all charges against journalists arising solely from their newsgathering activities

2. Respect judicial checks and professional norms that safeguard press freedom

3. Affirm unequivocally that covering protests, policing, and public policy disputes is protected speech, not criminal conduct and

4. Ensure no journalist is targeted for reporting on matters of public concern, irrespective of political context or pressure.

We would like to note that both Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, represent minorities at various levels. Both are black journalists, both independent journalists not backed by institutions, with Don being a gay journalist and Georgia being a female journalist and we believe these factors put them in a greater position of vulnerability. 

Journalists from all backgrounds must be free to document public life without fear of prosecution or state retaliation. Any erosion of that freedom weakens democratic governance and the rule of law.

We stand with our colleagues, defend their constitutional protections, and urge all stakeholders legal, civic, and legislative to reaffirm the fundamental principle that a free press is indispensable to a free society.

Coalition For Women In Journalism (CFWIJ)
Founded 2017, New York, NY — a global network supporting and protecting women and non-binary journalists worldwide.