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2026 Winter/Spring: Volume 31, Number 2
Below is the Table of Contents for the 2026 Winter/Spring edition of the Silha Bulletin. Click on the title to read the full article.
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Cover Story: Violence Against Journalists During Operation Metro Surge Raises Broader Implications for Freedom of Speech and Press
During Operation Metro Surge, the large-scale immigration enforcement operation conducted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) between December 2025 and February 2026 in Minneapolis, St. Paul, and greater Minnesota, journalists covering law enforcement activity and the resulting unrest were subject to threats, intimidation, and even violence.
Press Freedom: Journalists Don Lemon and Georgia Fort Arrested While Covering Anti-ICE Protest in St. Paul
On Jan. 20, 2026, Don Lemon, a journalist and former CNN anchor, was arrested by federal officials following his coverage of a demonstration at a church protesting the January 2026 Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) surge in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minn.
Press Freedom: FBI Raids Home of Washington Post Reporter, Raising Important Questions of Press Freedom
On Jan. 14, 2026, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agents arrived unannounced at Washington Post reporter Hannah Natanson’s Virginia home.
FCC: FCC Eliminates Talk Show Exceptions to the “Equal Time” Rule; Corporate Owners of Media Begin Enforcing New Rule in Advance of Agency Action
On Feb. 16, 2026, Stephen Colbert revealed on an episode of his show, The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, that CBS had blocked Colbert’s interview with U.S. Senate hopeful and Texas state legislator James Talarico (D-Austin).
Corporate Media: CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss Spikes “60 Minutes” Segment Critical of the Trump Administration, Raising Issues of Journalism Ethics and Independence
On Dec. 21, 2025, CBS News announced that it was removing a segment from an episode of the newsmagazine show “60 Minutes” that was scheduled to air later that same day.
Press Freedom: Update: Federal Judge Rules Portions of the Pentagon’s 2025 Press Policy Unconstitutional
In September 2025, the Department of Defense (DOD) issued a new press policy purporting to severely limit what information journalists could publish without prior authorization from the Pentagon.
Press Freedom: Stars and Stripes Faces Potential Change in Mission
Editor's note: In September 2025, President Trump issued an executive order stating that the Department of Defense and the Secretary of Defense should be referred to as the Department of War and the Secretary of War because, in his view, these names “ensure peace through strength.”
Defamation: Trump Defamation Lawsuit Against Pulitzer Prize Board Allowed to Proceed
In December 2022, Donald Trump sued the Pulitzer Prize Board for defamation and emotional distress after it refused to rescind awards it gave to New York Times and Washington Post reporters in 2018 for their reporting on alleged Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.
Press Freedom: New York Bill Requiring Journalism Organizations to Label AI Content Raises Media Ethics and Law Issues
Artificial intelligence (AI) has rapidly transformed how news is produced, edited, and distributed, prompting lawmakers, labor organizations and media advocates to push for clearer rules governing AI use in journalism.
Media Ethics: New Ai Startup Funded by Peter Thiel Purports to Verify the Truth of Journalism, Raising Practical and Ethical Questions
On April 15, 2026, entrepreneur Aron D’Souza launched his new startup Objection.ai, an AI technology platform that purportedly allows users to check the veracity of journalism.
Media Ethics: Dianna Russini Resigns from The Athletic After Being Photographed in Seemingly Intimate Encounter With New England Patriot’s Coach Mike Vrabel
On April 7, 2026, the New York Post’s Page Six printed photos showing sports journalist Dianna Russini with New England Patriots coach Mike Vrabel at a luxury resort in Sedona, Ariz.
Ave Atque Vale from Jane Kirtley, Silha Professor and Director of the Silha Center
This will be my last commentary for the Silha Bulletin.
Past Bulletin Editors Pay Tribute to Professor Kirtley
There are professors who shape the way you think, and then there are those who shape the way you see the world.