Media Contact: Dylan Manshack, dmanshack@cwa-union.org | 202-445-4033
WASHINGTON (June 11) — The NewsGuild-CWA, representing more than 28,000 journalists and other workers across North America, released the following statement from Jon Schleuss, president of The NewsGuild-CWA, on the police targeting of reporters in Los Angeles:
“Journalists covering protests in Los Angeles against ICE immigration raids, including NewsGuild-CWA members, have been targeted by law enforcement with less-lethal rounds and tear gas. Police have fired on local, national and foreign reporters who were only doing their jobs.
These actions by law enforcement are illegal. They violate California state law and are unconstitutional under the First Amendment. Law enforcement has imperiled the safety of journalists on the job and disregarded the U.S. Constitution, the First Amendment and the rights of journalists in the United States. Police cannot target journalists for doing their jobs. Every worker has the right to leave work at the end of the day healthy and uninjured.
The First Amendment protects the right to photograph and record matters of public interest, including the right to record law enforcement officers engaged in the exercise of their official duties in public spaces. Journalists reporting on events and not interfering with federal operations cannot be subject to general dispersal orders, and they cannot be unreasonably searched or have their equipment seized.
The NewsGuild-CWA strongly condemns the targeting of journalists by multiple law enforcement agencies. We demand that every law enforcement agency take steps to ensure the safety of all journalists and open investigations into any officer violating the rights of journalists doing their jobs.
Journalists play a crucial role in holding power to account, particularly during times of crisis and protest. When law enforcement targets reporters, it’s not just an attack on individuals; it’s an attack on every American’s right to a free press. The U.S. government must defend that freedom, not undermine it. Journalism is not a crime.”
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ABOUT THE NEWSGUILD-CWA
The NewsGuild-CWA fights for justice on the job for journalists, media and nonprofit workers. As the largest union of journalists in North America and a sector of the Communications Workers of America, the Guild is one of the fastest-growing unions in the country—more than 11,000 workers have organized with us since 2018.
