WGA East Statement On Assault of Reporter By Candidate For United States House of Representatives

NEW YORK, NY (May 25, 2017)— The Writers Guild of America, East (WGAE) issued the following statement regarding the assault of a reporter by a candidate for the United States House of Representatives:

“It is not the job of serious journalists to comfort the powerful, to avoid controversy. In a robust democracy, public officials and candidates for office must respect the essential role of journalists in pursuing difficult questions. Candidate Greg Gianforte’s assault on The Guardian’s Ben Jacobs cannot be tolerated.”

ABOUT WRITERS GUILD OF AMERICA, EAST
The Writers Guild of America, East, AFL-CIO (WGAE) is a labor union representing writers in motion pictures, television, digital media and broadcast news. The Guild negotiates and administers contracts that protect the creative and economic rights of its members; conducts programs, seminars and events on issues of interest to writers; and presents writers’ views to various bodies of government. For more information on the Writers Guild of America, East, visit wgaeast.org.

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