My name is Dustin Ragland, and I’m an independent journalist in Ohio running a Facebook page called United Silent Majority with over 10,400 followers. I cover local government accountability, healthcare institutions, and public safety issues—stories that matter to everyday people in our community. I never expected that doing honest journalism would land me in a legal battle that could result in jail time. But here we are.
I have been subpoenaed in a family court case involving two people I have never met, never spoken to, and have no connection to. I provided comprehensive phone and text records proving I have zero communications with either party. The attorney even admitted in court that my reporting about one party was accurate and not defamatory. Despite all of this, the attorney—who also represents a hospital I’ve been extensively investigating—has issued another subpoena demanding I turn over confidential sources, my entire editorial process, the identities and contact information of everyone who helps me run my journalism page, my financial records, phone records, and even communications with my legal advisors. In short, they want to use an unrelated court case to completely gut my ability to do independent journalism in this community.
Every dollar contributed will go directly toward legal fees for media law attorneys, court filing fees and legal expenses, expert witnesses if needed, travel costs for legal proceedings, and documentation and research costs. This case is bigger than me. It’s about whether independent journalists can hold powerful institutions accountable without being destroyed by legal harassment. It’s about whether the First Amendment protects everyone who engages in journalism—not just people who work for major newspapers. It’s about whether sources can trust journalists to protect their identities when they expose wrongdoing. I’m asking for your support to help me stand up for press freedom in small-town America.
I have been subpoenaed in a family court case involving two people I have never met, never spoken to, and have no connection to. I provided comprehensive phone and text records proving I have zero communications with either party. The attorney even admitted in court that my reporting about one party was accurate and not defamatory. Despite all of this, the attorney—who also represents a hospital I’ve been extensively investigating—has issued another subpoena demanding I turn over confidential sources, my entire editorial process, the identities and contact information of everyone who helps me run my journalism page, my financial records, phone records, and even communications with my legal advisors. In short, they want to use an unrelated court case to completely gut my ability to do independent journalism in this community.
Every dollar contributed will go directly toward legal fees for media law attorneys, court filing fees and legal expenses, expert witnesses if needed, travel costs for legal proceedings, and documentation and research costs. This case is bigger than me. It’s about whether independent journalists can hold powerful institutions accountable without being destroyed by legal harassment. It’s about whether the First Amendment protects everyone who engages in journalism—not just people who work for major newspapers. It’s about whether sources can trust journalists to protect their identities when they expose wrongdoing. I’m asking for your support to help me stand up for press freedom in small-town America.
Organizer
