By Lena Williams, Guild-CWA :: State courts in Iowa and Wyoming this month have upheld the media’s right to open court proceedings and to photograph court cases. The rulings, though local in scope, are major First Amendment victories for journalists and media organizations. The Wyoming Supreme Court ruled Aug. 12 that an Eighth Judicial Court […]
Citizens and Journalists Have the Right to Record You, Memo States By Lena Williams, Guild-CWA :: The NYPD has issued an internal memo that firmly reminds New York City police officers that the public is legally allowed to record officers and police activity. “Intentional interference such as blocking or obstructing cameras or ordering the person […]
By Lena Williams, Guild-CWA :: President Obama criticized Thursday the arrests of two journalists by police in Ferguson, Mo., and called for an “open and transparent” investigation into last weekend’s shooting death of an unarmed 18-year-old black man by a white Ferguson police officer. The president spoke out in response to the growing violence in […]
By Lena Williams, Guild-CWA :: A group of journalism and open government organizations has asked to meet with President Obama about press restrictions by federal agencies. The request, made in an August 5 letter to Denis R. McDonough, assistant to the president and chief-of-staff, comes one month after 38 journalism and open government groups sent a […]
By Lena Williams, Guild-CWA :: Journalism and open government groups, including The Newspaper Guild-CWA, are accusing the administration of failing to uphold President Obama’s stated commitment to “an unprecedented level of openness in government and transparency.” In a July letter to Obama, the organizations reminded him of his inaugural pledge “to bring a new era […]