Tag: freedom of the press at risk

TV news crews are increasingly threatened with violence on the job

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TV reporter Dillon Collier went to cover the aftermath of a house fire in a San Antonio neighborhood Monday morning. A routine story, he thought. But it turned out to be much more than that.

As he interviewed family members on the sidewalk outside the burned home, a man emerged from it shouting epithets at Collier and his station’s video journalist Joshua Saunders. The man also had two handguns — one of which he began firing. Collier, Saunders and members of the family scattered as bullets flew in their direction.

Police later fatally shot the gunman after he fired on them from the house. Collier and his colleague were unhurt but shaken. “I think I’m okay,” the reporter told The Post on Tuesday evening. “It’s going to take a while to process this.” Continue reading.

How the judicial right wing is coming after freedom of the press

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Then–President Donald Trump’s call to widen libel laws to make it easier to sue media outlets for defamation was, at the time, seen as one of his many political theatrical stunts, throwing red meat to his voting base (New York Times, 1/10/18). Following his lead, his supporters had long referred to the press as “fake news,” sometimes using the Nazi expression lügenpresse, meaning “lying press” (Time, 10/25/16).

Corporate media covered it, but dismissed the threat. The Los Angeles Times (9/8/18) said we shouldn’t worry, because “changing our libel laws is easier said than done,” and CNBC (1/10/18) reassured that “experts say there is very little Trump could actually change about how libel laws work.” Continue reading.

DFL Condemns Rep. Munson’s “Fake News” Civics Lesson

SAINT PAUL, MINNESOTA – Today, Representative Jeremy Munson hosted a mock legislative debate for a class of 65 6th grade students from St Clair Elementary School, all while dressed as a “fake news reporter.”

Ken Martin, Chairman of the Minnesota DFL, released the following statement:

“It is crucial that we teach young Minnesotans about the importance of democracy, and part of those lessons must include the role a free and independent press plays in educating the American electorate and holding our leaders accountable.

Continue reading “DFL Condemns Rep. Munson’s “Fake News” Civics Lesson”

CBP Chief: Harassing journalists ‘absolutely unacceptable’

Mark Morgan, the acting commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that it is “absolutely unacceptable” for his officers to stop a journalist “because they’re a journalist.” He was responding to a question, based in part, on an Oct. 3 incident between Defense One editor Ben Watson and a CBP officer at Dulles International Airport. Defense One’s report on the exchange alleged that “A U.S. passport screening official held a Defense One journalist’s passport until he received an affirmative answer to this repeated question: ‘You write propaganda, right?’” and characterized the officer’s actions as harassment.

The question in Tuesday’s briefing came from Andrew Feinberg, who said this was one of a number of such incidents involving CBP officers over the last year.

Morgan encouraged journalists, or individuals who feel “inappropriately harassed,” to report it to CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility or the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general. Internally, Morgan said his agency will “proactively” refer reports of harassment to the Office of Professional Responsibility.

View the complete October 8 article by Graham MacGillivray on The Roll Call website here.