Journalist Protection Act Creates New Federal Crime, Offering Up to 6 Years for Assaults on News Gatherers

The newly proposed Journalist Protection Act is straightforward: it creates a new federal crime for assaulting a journalist. Specifically, it adds a new section (120) to Title 18 of the U.S. Code, meaning if you intentionally assault someone who is actively gathering news, you could face federal prison time. This is a big deal because it takes these assaults out of local courtrooms and elevates them to a federal priority, provided the assault affects business across state lines—a common legal hook for federal jurisdiction.

Who Counts as a Journalist?

Before you ask, the bill is pretty clear about who gets this protection. A "journalist" is defined as someone who works for or contracts with an organization that publishes news—think newspapers, TV stations, or websites—and whose main job is investigating or gathering material about local, national, or international events for the public. "Newsgathering" is the regular work of collecting, writing, editing, or publishing this information. This definition is crucial: it’s designed to protect people doing the core work of journalism. However, it’s worth noting that the language focusing on established "organizations that puts out news" might leave some independent creators or citizen journalists who aren't tied to a formal outlet in a gray area.

The Penalties: Measured by the Injury

The penalties are tied directly to the harm caused, which is a standard way to structure criminal law. If an attacker causes simple “bodily injury,” they face a fine or up to 3 years in prison. If the assault results in “serious bodily injury,” the sentence jumps to up to 6 years. Crucially, for the federal charges to stick, the attacker must have known, or reasonably should have known, that the person they were assaulting was a journalist. This provision is meant to protect the press while they are actively working, or if the assault was intended specifically to intimidate or stop their reporting.

Real-World Impact: What This Means for the Street

For the journalist—say, a local TV reporter covering a public meeting or a photographer documenting a protest—this bill offers a significant new layer of protection. If they are assaulted while on the job, the attackers now face the prospect of federal prosecution, which usually carries more serious penalties and resources than local misdemeanor charges. This could act as a stronger deterrent against violence targeting the press, which has become increasingly common in recent years.

For the average person, this bill reinforces the idea that newsgathering is a protected activity vital to public life. It’s the federal government saying, “You can’t physically attack the people who are trying to inform the public.” The main challenge lies in the jurisdictional requirement: the assault has to affect business across state lines. While courts usually interpret this very broadly (almost everything affects interstate commerce somehow), it’s the legal technicality that allows the feds to step in. Overall, this is a clear move to safeguard the people who are out there trying to get the facts for the rest of us.