Chilling effect

The discouragement of legitimate speech or newsgathering caused by fear of legal, financial or physical consequences, even where no formal prohibition exists. Courts and press-freedom organizations cite documented chilling effects, such as sources avoiding contact with reporters, as a measurable harm from surveillance or prosecution threats.

Sources

1. The Obama Administration and the Press archived copyCommittee to Protect Journalists, 2013-10-10. Source record
2. Judge blocks enforcement of Louisiana's 25-foot buffer zone for policeLouisiana Illuminator, 2025-01-31. Source record