Katherine Jacobsen at the Committee to Protect Journalists:
Covering elections as a foreign correspondent in the United States has traditionally meant press conferences, long days at political rallies, and road trips through rural America.
This year, however, amid the spread of COVID-19, curtailed campaigns, civil unrest, visa issues, and an unpredictable political environment, the elections beat has been particularly challenging for foreign reporters.
CPJ spoke with three foreign journalists about the challenges of covering the United States in 2020. These interviews have been edited for length and clarity.
Since protests broke out in May, CPJ’s partner organization, the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, has received over 850 reports of press freedom violations committed by police and civilians. For more information, see CPJ’s safety kits for covering U.S. elections and protests.