Journalist Protection Act

Federal penalties for assaulting journalists

This bill would make assaulting a journalist a federal crime when the act is in or affects interstate or foreign commerce. A journalist would include employees, contractors, or agents who gather and report news through newspapers, websites, TV, radio, books, or films. Newsgathering would include gathering, writing, photographing, recording, editing, reporting, or publishing about matters of public interest. Penalties could be up to 3 years in prison (or a fine, or both) for causing bodily injury, and up to 6 years for serious bodily injury. The attacker would need to know or have reason to know the person is a journalist, and the act would need to occur during newsgathering or be meant to intimidate or block it. The bill would use existing federal definitions of "bodily injury" and "serious bodily injury."