Criminal Justice & the Rule of Law Surveillance & Privacy

The Lawfare Podcast: A Chilling Violation of Press Freedoms in Marion, Kansas

Tyler McBrien, Caitlin Vogus, Jen Patja
Friday, August 25, 2023, 8:00 AM
Why was a small, family-owned newspaper raided by an entire police department?
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Earlier this month, there was big trouble in little Marion, Kansas, where an entire police department raided the offices of the Marion County Record, a small, family-owned newspaper about 60 miles north of Wichita, with seven employees and a circulation of about 4,000.

To discuss this alarming violation of press freedom, Lawfare Managing Editor Tyler McBrien sat down with Caitlin Vogus, Deputy Director of Advocacy at the Freedom of the Press Foundation. They talked about what motivated the raid, how it went down, and the chilling effect this kind of thing can have on small town newspapers and big media organizations alike. They also discussed what journalists—from lone freelancers to sizable newsrooms—can do to protect themselves from all manner of press freedom violations. 

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Criminal Justice & the Rule of Law Surveillance & Privacy
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Tyler McBrien

Tyler McBrien

TylerMcBrien
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Tyler McBrien is the managing editor of Lawfare. He previously worked as an editor with the Council on Foreign Relations and a Princeton in Africa Fellow with Equal Education in South Africa, and holds an MA in international relations from the University of Chicago.
Caitlin Vogus

Caitlin Vogus

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Caitlin Vogus is the Deputy Director of Advocacy at Freedom of the Press Foundation, where she works to defend and protect press freedoms, journalists, and whistleblowers.
Jen Patja

Jen Patja

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Jen Patja is the editor and producer of the Lawfare Podcast and Rational Security. She currently serves as the Co-Executive Director of Virginia Civics, a nonprofit organization that empowers the next generation of leaders in Virginia by promoting constitutional literacy, critical thinking, and civic engagement. She is the former Deputy Director of the Robert H. Smith Center for the Constitution at James Madison's Montpelier and has been a freelance editor for over 20 years.

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