{
  "id": 22,
  "slug": "chilling-effect",
  "term": "Chilling effect",
  "definition": "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.",
  "body_md": null,
  "see_also": [],
  "pub_state": "published",
  "published_at": "2026-09-22T20:04:43Z",
  "reviewed_on": "2026-09-22",
  "revision": 6,
  "created_at": "2026-09-22T20:04:41Z",
  "updated_at": "2026-09-22T21:29:47Z",
  "url": "https://thewaronnews.com/glossary/chilling-effect",
  "page_meta": {
    "published": "2026-09-22T20:04:43Z",
    "reviewed": "2026-09-22",
    "sources": 2
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  "sources": [
    {
      "id": 43,
      "url": "https://cpj.org/reports/2013/10/obama-and-the-press-us-leaks-surveillance-post-911/",
      "final_url": "https://cpj.org/reports/2013/10/obama-and-the-press-us-leaks-surveillance-post-911/",
      "title": "The Obama Administration and the Press",
      "publisher": "Committee to Protect Journalists",
      "published_on": "2013-10-10",
      "link_state": "live",
      "link_state_since": "2026-09-22T12:00:00Z",
      "wayback_url": null,
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    },
    {
      "id": 78,
      "url": "https://lailluminator.com/2025/01/31/buffer-zone/",
      "final_url": "https://lailluminator.com/2025/01/31/buffer-zone/",
      "title": "Judge blocks enforcement of Louisiana's 25-foot buffer zone for police",
      "publisher": "Louisiana Illuminator",
      "published_on": "2025-01-31",
      "link_state": "bot_blocked",
      "link_state_since": "2026-09-22T12:00:00Z",
      "wayback_url": null,
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  ],
  "license": {
    "name": "CC BY 4.0",
    "url": "https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"
  }
}