“These felony charges are bizarre and essentially unheard of when it comes to journalists here in America who were simply doing their job,” said Suzanne Nossel, the executive director of Pen America. “They weren’t even in the wrong place at the wrong time. They were in the right place.”
(Source: The New York Times)
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press wants to reminds journalists that our legal hotline service is available if they find they need legal assistance during the events surrounding the Presidential Inauguration this week.
The hotline can be reached at 800-336-4243 or hotline@rcfp.org.
Journalists occasionally get swept up in arrests during protests at national political events, and the Reporters Committee will be working to help them get back to gathering the news as quickly as possible.
Reporters are advised that:-You should always carry a government-issued ID like a driver’s license or passport; court processing will be slowed significantly without it.
-If arrested, always let the officer and any booking officer or other official know that you are a reporter, and carry some sort of identification to establish that fact. This will not mean that you will be immediately released, but police have often defended arrests of reporters and photographers by pointing out that the individual did not notify anyone of their status as a journalist.
-Many misdemeanors in D.C. are handled through a “post-and-forfeiture” system, where the arrestee forfeits money to resolve charges immediately. Regardless of the name, these charges can be disputed in court later, and the payment is not considered a conviction or admission of the crime. Journalists should carry $100 in cash for such payments.
-Inauguration Day is a holiday for the courts, so an arrest on a more serious charge might lead to detention until Saturday, when the courts reopen for arraignments.
-Arrests will probably be handled by D.C. Police, but if you are arrested by U.S. Park Police or U.S. Secret Service, you may be held elsewhere and brought to federal court.
-We cannot guarantee that we can secure representation for reporters, so arrestees who are offered assistance from the public defender’s office or through services provided by groups such as the National Lawyers Guild should use those services if they’re facing an arraignment.
-If you are trying to find information about another journalist who has been arrested, you can contact the National Lawyers Guild hotline at (866) 796-6444. The NLG will have a volunteer staff of observers at events, protests, courts and police stations where arrests are likely. Their service is primarily meant for protesters and activists, but they will work with anyone arrested while exercising First Amendment rights.
The ultimate defense of press freedom lies in our daily work.
Many journalists wonder with considerable weariness what it is going to be like for us during the next four—perhaps eight—years. Will we be incessantly harassed and vilified? Will the new administration seize on opportunities to try intimidating us? Will we face obstruction at every turn?
If so, what do we do?
The answer, I believe, is pretty simple. Just do our job. Do it as it’s supposed to be done.
How Can Journalists Protect Themselves During a Trump Administration?
(Source: The Atlantic)
President-elect Donald Trump on Thursday refused to let a group of journalists travel with him to cover his historic first meeting with President Barack Obama, breaking a long-standing practice intended to ensure the public has a watchful eye on the nation’s leader.
Trump flew from New York to Washington on his private jet without that “pool” of reporters, photographers and television cameras that have traveled with presidents and presidents-elect.
Trump’s flouting of press access was one of his first public decisions since his election Tuesday.
New! ONA members now receive priority attention from First Amendment Coalition (FAC) lawyers, thanks to a partnership between ONA and FAC. The next time you have a question about your legal rights as a journalist, check out FAC’s legal consultation service, the Legal Hotline, free of charge.
ONA and FAC are collaborating to make the Legal Hotline service available on a priority basis for ONA members to give journalists expert guidance and support in holding government accountable.
The Legal Hotline handles questions about freedom of speech, access to government records, attending court proceedings or meetings of government agencies and many more matters involving journalists and their legal tools and rights.
Learn more: ONA Members, Have a Question About Your Legal Rights? | Online News Association
(Source: journalists.org)
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