More than 30 US news titles and press freedom organisations have condemned a police raid on a Kansas newspaper as “significantly overbroad, improperly intrusive and possibly in violation of federal law”.

Police raided the Marion County Record office on Friday as well as the home of its co-owner, 98-year-old Joan Meyer.

Meyer, who was said to have been in good health for her age, subsequently died on Saturday and the newspaper claimed the “illegal” raids contributed to her death.