Have other conservative media figures reported similar threat patterns or security increases in 2025?
Executive summary
Yes — multiple outlets reported that conservative media figures changed behavior and increased security in 2025 after high-profile violence; Business Insider documents security increases and event changes across the conservative media ecosystem [1]. Industry reporting and surveys show broader security spending rose in 2025 (average reported increase 12%), offering a wider context for those private decisions [2]. Reuters and other outlets link a more adversarial political-media environment to heightened threats against journalists and outlets [3].
1. Conservative media tightened security after violent incidents
Reporting by Business Insider found conservative hosts and outlets widely rethinking public appearances and beefing up protection after the September 2025 fatal shooting of conservative activist Charlie Kirk — measures included larger security details, fewer outdoor meet‑and‑greets, controlled arrival plans and building security upgrades at outlets such as Blaze Media [1]. That reporting presents a clear pattern: a triggering violent event produced near‑immediate operational changes among prominent right‑of‑center personalities [1].
2. Threats against conservative figures are documented in law‑enforcement and news reports
Beyond voluntary security upgrades, law‑enforcement and mainstream outlets reported arrests and threats aimed at conservative media figures: for example, state officials arrested a Texas man accused of making death threats against Jewish conservative media figures in Florida, as summarized in political news roundups [4]. Those incidents reinforce the concrete risk environment that media organizations cited when citing security increases [4].
3. Industrywide security spending and priorities rose in 2025
Security trade reporting shows organizational security budgets broadly increased in 2025, with The Security Benchmark Report finding respondents who boosted budgets reported an average increase of 12% for 2025 — a macro trend that aligns with media outlets’ own decisions to spend more on protection, physical or digital [2]. Security‑industry forecasts and megatrends also anticipated heavier investment in AI and other defensive technologies, underscoring why institutions beyond individual hosts were upgrading protections [5].
4. The political media ecosystem’s escalation adds context to threats
Reuters’ investigation found a shifting information ecosystem in 2025 where MAGA‑aligned influencers and outlets work closely with political actors to target perceived opponents; that environment contributes to heightened contentiousness and a campaign‑style focus on retribution that can increase threats and reprisals against media figures [3]. The Reuters reporting implies these adversarial dynamics are part of why conservative media personalities say they now see themselves as potential targets [3].
5. Competing narratives about causes and remedies exist in the record
Sources present competing frames: conservative outlets and allies argue that hostile mainstream narratives and censorship of right‑of‑center views fuel danger and justify defensive measures [6] [7], while others point to an overall rise in political violence and stochastic radicalization—data showing right‑wing extremist violence increased and political threats rose during 2024–25 — as the driver for security changes [8]. Business Insider reports that many in conservative media combined defiance with practical security steps, reflecting both frames at once [1].
6. What sources do and do not report — limits of the record
Available reporting documents individual security changes, arrests tied to threats, industry budget increases, and a more confrontational media‑politics ecosystem [1] [4] [2] [3]. Available sources do not mention systematic, industry‑wide quantitative tallies of how many conservative figures increased personal security or the exact dollar totals conservative media spent specifically on protection in 2025 — that level of aggregation is not in current reporting (not found in current reporting). Likewise, sources do not attribute changes solely to one cause; instead, they show multiple overlapping drivers [1] [3] [2].
7. Why this matters for readers and media consumers
The convergence of individual decisions by hosts to tighten security and structural trends — rising security budgets and a more aggressive media‑political ecosystem — means threats are both perceived and measurable in concrete actions [1] [2] [3]. That duality matters: security steps can help protect individuals but also reflect and reinforce a polarized media climate described in Reuters and other analyses [3]. Readers should weigh both factual reporting of threats and the differing interpretations offered by outlets and analysts [1] [8].
Sources cited: Business Insider reporting on conservative media security changes [1]; Reuters investigation on MAGA‑aligned media ecosystem [3]; reporting on arrests/threats to conservative figures [4]; Security Benchmark Report on budget increases in 2025 [2]; data/analysis on political violence [8]; industry megatrends highlighting security investments [5].