WGAE Calls On Authorities To Respect Press Freedom

WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA , EAST CALLS ON AUTHORITIES TO RESPECT PRESS FREEDOM

We believe that the arrests and harassment of working journalists by the police, local and federal officials at the Democratic and Republican National Conventions go against the nature of our democracy.

Journalists have not only the right, but the duty, to be present at important events and to keep the public informed. Whether they represent independent media or mainstream outlets, they are the eyes and ears of the people. They must be respected and allowed to work wherever a story takes them.

We decry the mass arrests, raids, and questionable tactics that the police have deployed against working journalists at these conventions. We call for the immediate release of all journalists, the dropping of charges against them, and an investigation into allegations of police misconduct.