Reports of intimidation raise concerns about the press’ ability to bear witness to...
A group of bikers attempt to obstruct a television photographer in Uvalde. The press is there on the ground as the public’s eyes and ears, working to cover the shooting and its aftermath fully and accurately.There is little else that can convey to the nation the horror of the school shooting in Uvalde than a grieving community going through two-and-a-half weeks of funerals — funerals of little children and their teachers.
That’s why it’s so concerning that public officials and some private individuals appear to be improperly preventing members of the news media from doing their job in Uvalde. Journalists have reportedly been denied access to buildings and areas that would otherwise be open to the public. Reporters seeking to question school district officials were threatened with trespass.
The law around this is clear. The press doesn’t have any special right to be anywhere, but if the public is allowed to be in a place, so is the press. And everyone has the right to record or otherwise document activity in public spaces.