With a report in hand of 52 charges of violations of freedom of press during the Ferguson protests, an association of writers is asking for the federal government to investigate. PEN America Center is asking the Justice Department to create new guidelines for local police departments in treating the press during public demonstrations. (The New York Times, October 26, 2014, by Noam Cohen)
PEN released the 32-page report, “Press Under Fire in Ferguson,” that documents unwarranted arrests of journalists, police threats of journalists, obstruction of on-the-spot reporting and denials of access to information. The report urges “…necessary steps [be taken] to ensure that in an era of instantaneous transmission, cell phone cameras and citizen journalists, the rights of members of the press and of the public at large are upheld in the context of protests and public assemblies.” (Courthouse News Service, October 28, 2014, by Joe Harris)