Tag: PressFreedom

CWA, NewsGuild join ACLU class-action complaint against Minneapolis, Minnesota law enforcement agencies

Suit accuses officials of deliberately targeting journalists in violation of First Amendment

Updated June 10, 2020, 11 a.m. – Judge Wilhelmina M. Wright issued an order last night denying the motion for a Temporary Restraining Order and for class certification. We are still digesting the ruling, but it is clearly a disappointment. The Court did not consider the amended complaint in making its decision. Fortunately, both motions were denied without prejudice. “We will continue the fight,” said NewsGuild President Jon Schleuss.

June 9, 2020 – The Communications Workers of America and The NewsGuild-CWA joined a class-action lawsuit on Monday against Minneapolis and Minnesota law enforcement agencies, accusing them of deliberately targeting, assaulting, and arresting journalists as they covered protests following the police killing of George Floyd. The lawsuit, initiated by the ACLU-MN, was filed in U.S. District Court in Minnesota on June 3. Continue reading “CWA, NewsGuild join ACLU class-action complaint against Minneapolis, Minnesota law enforcement agencies”

NewsGuild joins call to MN officials: End arrests, attacks on journalists

June 3, 2020 – The NewsGuild-CWA  joined more than 100 news organizations on June 2 to call on Minnesota officials to “end the series of police arrests and attacks on credentialed and clearly identifiable journalists.”

“Police have arrested, detained, and threatened journalists, and have physically assaulted them with rubber bullets, pepper spray, tear gas, batons, and fists. In every case that we are aware of, there are strong indications that officers knew the journalist was a member of the press,” the organizations wrote, in a letter initiated by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press. Continue reading “NewsGuild joins call to MN officials: End arrests, attacks on journalists”

‘No place in our democracy.’ NewsGuild condemns arrests, assaults on journalists.

June 1, 2020 – More than 100 journalists were arrested and assaulted by law enforcement over the weekend while covering unrest across the country, according to the Harvard’s Nieman Lab. Among them were a Los Angeles Times reporter who was tear gassed at point-blank range, a freelance reporter who was permanently blinded in her left eye after being struck with rubber bullets, and a photojournalist for WCCO TV, who was struck with a rubber bullet and taken into custody by Minnesota State Patrol. And millions watched CNN reporter Omar Jimenez and his crew get arrested on live television.

“I was disturbed to see blatant attacks on our press freedom over the weekend. From Fox News to MSNBC, from Minneapolis to Louisville, journalists were among those singled out for simply doing their job — covering protests following the death of George Floyd. Attacks against members of the press, violence against Black communities and brutality against peaceful protesters have no place in our democracy,” said NewsGuild President Jon Schleuss.

Continue reading “‘No place in our democracy.’ NewsGuild condemns arrests, assaults on journalists.”

NewsGuild joins press freedom groups seeking attorneys’ fees in FOIL case

Nov. 15, 2019 – The NewsGuild-CWA has joined the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, the Society of Professional Journalists and a coalition of more than 20 media organizations supporting a New York newspaper’s fight for attorneys’ fees after a state agency failed to promptly release documents in response to a Freedom of Information Law request. Continue reading “NewsGuild joins press freedom groups seeking attorneys’ fees in FOIL case”

Press freedom advocates win victory in case arising from Epstein sexual abuse charges

Updated Aug. 9, 2018 – The Second Circuit denied a pending petition for rehearing  filed by Ghislaine Maxwell in the case of Giuffre v. Maxwell.  Immediately after entering the order, the Court began unsealing the material. Continue reading “Press freedom advocates win victory in case arising from Epstein sexual abuse charges”

Guild joins groups opposing expansion of Intelligence Identities Act

Aug. 9, 2019 – The NewsGuild-CWA joined the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and three dozen other organizations in signing a letter to members of Congress urging them to oppose the dramatic expansion of the Intelligence Identities Protection Act of 1982, one of the few laws that criminalizes the publication of truthful information about government activities. The bill expanding the law was recently rushed through Congress without meaningful debate, the letter said. Continue reading “Guild joins groups opposing expansion of Intelligence Identities Act”

Guild joins press freedom groups in FOIA brief

Aug. 7, 2019 – The NewsGuild-CWA joined the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press and two dozen other organizations filing a “friend of the court” brief in the case of Amadis v. Department of State, a federal Freedom of Information Act case on appeal to the DC Circuit. The case presents the first opportunity for the DC Circuit to address FOIA’s new “foreseeable harm” standard, which was added as part of the FOIA Improvement Act of 2016. Continue reading “Guild joins press freedom groups in FOIA brief”

Congress Dives Into Local News Crisis

This article first appeared on June 3, 2019, on DFMworkers.org.

By Julie Reynolds

June 4, 2019 – Legislative efforts to save local news continue in Washington after New York hedge fund Alden Global Capital’s failed takeover of the Gannett newspaper chain.

Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) has vowed to “continue watching Alden closely.” Continue reading “Congress Dives Into Local News Crisis”

On World Press Freedom Day, NewsGuild warns of danger to local news; Urges shareholders to reject Alden’s hostile bid for Gannett

May 2, 2019 – On May 3, World Press Freedom Day, The NewsGuild-CWA will warn of the danger to local news coverage in communities across the United States and urge Gannett shareholders to reject a looming hostile takeover bid by Alden Global Capital, a New York hedge fund.

Alden, reviled as a “destroyer of newspapers,” owns Digital First Media, the second largest U.S. chain by circulation. Alden is backing a slate of three “hopelessly conflicted” candidates running for Gannett’s board at the company’s May 16 shareholder meeting. Continue reading “On World Press Freedom Day, NewsGuild warns of danger to local news; Urges shareholders to reject Alden’s hostile bid for Gannett”