Kernel photogs, adviser arrested at RNC
September 3, 2008 in College Media News, Legal Issues
Two UK students and the photo adviser for the Kentucky Kernel were arrested at the Republican National Convention Monday afternoon in St. Paul, Minn., on charges of felony rioting. They were photographing the protesting of the convention.Photographers Ed Matthews and Britney McIntosh and adviser Jim Winn were three of 286 people arrested as convention protests escalated into riots Monday. #See also Carlos Miller’s coverage. #
With all the media frenzy over GOP Candidate John McCain‘s pick of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate, images of police in riot gear dispersing protesters have been missing from the coverage of the RNC. #
And the Kernel staffers weren’t the only journalists in the firing line. Amy Goodman, host of “Democracy Now!” was among other journalists arrested as well. Goodman’s arrest was captured and posted on YouTube. #
If any of these journalists is convicted, you can pretty much tear up that Bill of Rights and that First Amendment thing we talk so much about. #
![Reblog this post [with Zemanta]](http://img.zemanta.com/reblog_e.png?x-id=1288abfc-76cb-476e-8aeb-9854dcebd9d4)
There seems to be an attitude that journalists can do no wrong in these situations, though the video of Goodman, as well as the ABC producer arrested at the Democratic convention, seem to show a lack of judgement in handling a volatile situation. Resisting police orders, whether they're legal or not, is not a good idea and will almost always end in arrest. Step back from the situation and contact your attorney. You can't do your work from jail, though I don't doubt someone like Amy Goodman has an agenda in being arrested.
Brendan,
according to accounts, the Kernel folks complied with police orders. I don't think anyone is suggesting that journalists "can do no wrong," but the police usually seem to take an "arrest first, ask questions later" attitude in any type of situation like this. It's ugly, it's un-American, and uncalled for.
An interesting counter perspective from one of the journalists who was arrested: http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=2&aid=15…
[...] Here’s info on two student journalists who were arrested. Link via Innovation in College Media. [...]