Silencing the Press

Ferguson has been a hot topic in the media for the past month since the shooting death of Michael Brown. Recently, a new addition to the Ferguson situation has risen: Police Officers are now trying to silence the press by throwing reporters in jail or shooing them away. The biggest problem with this is that it is infringing on part of the First Amendment, which gives freedom of press. Several new reporters and journalists have written about their experiences with the Ferguson Police and they have not been pretty. (What's Going On?)

There were two reporters and a photographer arrested and assaulted by police while trying to cover what was going on in Ferguson. Wesley Lowery, a reporter for The Washington Post, and Ryan Reilly of The Huffington Post, were detained and led away by armor-clad police carrying assault weapons who ordered journalists to leave a McDonald’s restaurant where news media were working and recharging equipment. Both were later released without explanation, with one report saying their release came after the city police chief was asked by the Los Angeles Times about the arrests.(Huffington Post) Scott Olson of Getty Images was also arrested while taking photos during a protest. The police requested that he stop taking photos and while he was trying to pack up they arrested him because he was “moving too slow.” (Arrest) 

This behavior by the Ferguson police force displays a blatant disrespect for the first amendment. The press have every right to get as much information as they can about things going on throughout the city. The police were unjustified for assaulting the reporters due to them not moving fast enough. My question is this: Why  were the police being so aggressive about keeping the press out in the first place? They know as well as every other citizen that the press has a right to report the news, whether it is good or bad. Personally I feel like they were trying to cover up their aggressive behavior toward citizens which was a bit over the top. Honestly I see no other reason behind them purposely imposing on a vital part of the bill of rights. Shooting tear gas and bean bags at people during a protest is most definitely over the top. The officers who were involved in the assaulting of these reporters should be reprimanded and the chief of police needs to take a good look at the tactics used in Ferguson. (Investigations)