By Vanguard Staff
The Society of Professional Journalists has joined a coalition of more than a dozen press freedom and civil liberties organizations in a letter led by Reporters Without Borders urging the National Guard to uphold press freedoms during its current deployment to Washington, D.C.
The letter, addressed to Chief of the National Guard Bureau Gen. Steven Nordhaus, reiterates concerns raised during the Guard’s deployment to Los Angeles in June, when numerous journalists were assaulted or detained while covering protests. The coalition calls on the National Guard to ensure troops are fully aware of journalists’ First Amendment rights and to avoid interfering with members of the press.
While the current situation in Washington does not resemble the widespread protests seen in Los Angeles, the coalition stressed the need for vigilance in protecting journalists covering Guard activity. The letter emphasizes that members of the media are legally permitted to document law enforcement procedures in public spaces, that they are not legally required to display credentials, and that any detention of a journalist chills the First Amendment.
“We urge the National Guard to ensure its members are fully informed of journalists’ Constitutional rights and to take every precaution to avoid interfering with their work,” said SPJ National President Emily Bloch. “Respecting press freedom means respecting the public’s right to be informed.”
Signatories to the letter include SPJ, Reporters Without Borders, Freedom of the Press Foundation, Radio Television Digital News Association, National Association of Black Journalists, Washington Association of Black Journalists, Society of Environmental Journalists, National Press Photographers Association, International Women’s Media Foundation, Committee to Protect Journalists, Protect Democracy, Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in the USA, and the National Press Club.
SPJ noted it continues to champion journalists by recognizing achievement, defending press freedom, promoting high ethical standards, and educating new generations of professionals.
