Professional Documents
Culture Documents
LA_141
PaulColardo
AsstudentsintheMultiMediaCommunicationdepartment,wehearandarecautionedabout
potentialinfringementsajournalistmayruninto.Inreadinesseachweekwetakeourcameras
andothermediadevices,toprepareforourcareerinjournalism.Weareencouragedtotakethem
withusandfilmandrecordasweseefitespeciallyintheevent,atraumaticeventoccursinour
location.Althoughevenwiththisknowledge,weasstudentsarestillsounfamiliarwiththe
depthofthedebatesoncasesinrelationtoTheFirstAmendment.Simplyput,TheFirst
Amendmentexiststopreventgovernmentcensorshipofspeech(16ArkansasEducational
TelevisionCommissionv.Forbes,523U.S.666(1998))TheroleoftheFCC(Federal
CommunicationCommission)isalicensingsystemthatcontrolsandsurveyswhatisbeingput
onair.TheFCCabidesbyTheFirstAmendmentslawsandreinforcesthem.HereatAAUwe
havearadiostationthatstudentsactivelyparticipatewithinandevenleadthebroadcasts.
AccordingtotheFCC,whilestudentsmaynothavetotalcontroloverthestationandits
broadcasts,theycanassistandparticipatetoenhanceouractiveeducation.
Sometimesashumanswefeelempoweredinourrole,andintheheatofthemomentwhatwe
dontrealizeisthat,itisnotalwaysstrictlyaboutus,andourabilityasajournalist,togetthe
story,butabouttheeffectwehaveonpublicandprivateparties.Weneedtounderstandour
boundariesbutalsobalanceourrightsasstudentjournalists.Aswepursueourcareersin
journalismwewillhavetorespectandunderstandthesixlawswewillmostcommonlycomeup
against,censorship,libel,invasionofprivacy,copyright,freedomofinformationlawandthe
reporter'sprivilege.Whileacknowledgingthesetopics,wemayalsobeindenialthatweas
studentscouldbeaccountableforanyofthesedangerousandevenunlawfulsituations,andmust
learnskillstomanagethem?
JasonHornicklearnedthislessonthehardway,whenhewasarrestedwithagroupofprotestors
andjournalistswhilecoveringtheinternationalmonetaryfundandworldbankprotest.Alawsuit
waslaterfiledindefenceofhimselfandsevenotherGeorgeWashingtonUniversityStudents.
AfterthechargesweredroppedHornickexpressed,whathesawtobeavaluablelesson.Police
shouldbeawarejournalistsarejustdoingtheirjob,andjournalistsneedtobeawarepoliceneed
identification.
Reflection:
Itseemstome,thatthelawenforcementdoesntalwaysactappropriatelyunderpressureand
inhighstresssituations,especially,intheeventofaprotest.Inmyopinion,JasonHornicks
analyzationafterthefact,ofthejobswemustrespect,wasappropriate.
Iamlearningthatreportinghasitsdangersanditsdownfalls,Ivelearnedthatpeoplearent
alwayscooperativeandwillingworkwithjournalists,norauthoritiesalike.
Hornickwasoneofmanystudentsinthiseventandhewasntthefirstandwontbethelast
studentreporterthatwillbearrestedintheattempttoproduceastory.Icouldfaceasimilar
challengeswhilereportingonalocaleventorprotestinmyarea,ifIlikeHornickmaybein
therightplaceatthewrongtime,unidentifiabletotheauthorities
Accordingtothefirstamendment,hereintheUSwehavefreedomofspeechandexpression.
Basedonmyresearch,AboutNews,reflectsonTheCodeOfConductasareporterwhereis
itoutlininghowtobehaveinthefield.AfterreadingthearticleWhyshouldnewsoutletshave
codesofconductsforjournalist?IbelievethatIntheeventIwasputintoasituationsimilarto
HornickIwouldabidebythissimpleyetcommonlyknownCodeofConduct.Acoupleof
examples,Ibelievethathonestyandbeingclearaboutwhatyouaredoingwillhelpavoidalegal
situationorconfrontationwiththeauthorities.Inmyopinion,Hornickmayhavepossiblybeen
tryingtogetaninterviewwithagroupthatcouldhavebeenratherheatedaboutthetopicand
resultedintheattentionoftheauthorities.Inthisparticularsituation,reportersneedtodistance
themselvesfromanyverbalorphysicalinteractions.
Inanefforttobeproactiveinidentifyingmyselftoauthorities,IwouldinsureIhadpress
credentialsprominentlydisplayed,aswellasaschoolsweaterorlogotobeabletoidentifymy
role,.unlikeHornick,whowasworkingwithoutanysortofcredentialsandImguessing,was
notdresseddifferentlythanthepublicinvolved.Itshouldbenoted,inthisparticularincident6
collegereportersandphotographerswithcredentialswerestilldetained,Whilenotall
circumstancesareinourcontrol,thebestthingyoucandoisactinamannerthatisprofessional
anddifferentiateyourselffromthecrowd,byyouroutwardpresentation.This,Iwouldexpect
includes,butnotlimitedtoattire,pressbranding,andprominentlydisplayedcredentials.
Inconclusion,reportersmustabidebytherulesofTheFirstAmendmentbothwrittenand
unwritten.ReportersarefacedwithlegalchallengesandhaveaCodeofConductthatisvery
importanttoabidebybecausetheycanbeheldtoitbylawintheeventyouareinThewrong
placeatthewrongtime.Aftermyresearch,Irealizedhowimportantitistoknowyourrightsas
areporterandasacitizenbecauseeverydayrightsaretemporarilyviolated.
Citedpages
http://www.fcc.gov/topic/licensing
http://constitution.findlaw.com/amendment1.html
http://www.splc.org/article/2002/10/dcdropschargesagainstphotographerarrestedatprotests