“His sixth life term was for my attempted murder. … I wish every day we could go back to June 27th and have it be like it was with my coworkers and me working in our newsroom and just try to tell the stories from our community. … That’s what keeps me going is trying to honor my colleagues. I struggle every day with PTSD and depression and anxiety … It’s something that I don’t think will ever go away.”

–  Paul Gillespie, Capital Gazette

“We need this backstop of federal protection in the event that local authorities decline to act whenever a journalist is attacked … it will send a strong message to the American people that violence against anyone, particularly journalists, seeking and reporting the truth on behalf of the public, will not be tolerated.”

–  Dan Shelley, RTDNA

Guests: Paul Gillespie, Capital Gazette and Dan Shelley, RTDNA

In this first episode of News Take: Free Press Focus, a subseries of the News Take podcast, we hear from RTDNA CEO Dan Shelley and Capital Gazette Photojournalist Paul Gillespie about the dangers that journalists face on the job and what can be done to combat the threat of violence. Gillespie is one of six survivors of the 2018 shooting at the Capital Gazette in Maryland and speaks on his experience and the importance of shielding journalists from harm. Dan Shelley speaks to RTDNA’s major priority in passing the Journalist Protection Act, a law that would make assaulting a journalist a federal crime. With extensive experience in the media industry, both Gillespie and Shelley illustrate the significance of journalists as a whole and what we, as a community, can do to support them.

Listen or download the audio file to listen offline:

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Speaker bios:

Paul Gillespie has been a photojournalist at Capital Gazette Communications since 2000. He is a 2019 Pulitzer Prize recipient and was named Time Magazine’s Person of the Year alongside the staff at Capital Gazette. Gillespie is one of six survivors of the 2018 shooting at Capital Gazette in Annapolis, in which he lost five close colleagues. He is one of two survivors who still work for the publication today.

Dan Shelley is the President and CEO of the Radio Television Digital News Association, RTDNA, the world’s largest professional organization dedicated to broadcast and digital journalism. He has an extensive background in digital media, including his previous role as Senior Vice President, Digital Content Strategy at iHeartMedia. Since the Journalist Protection Act was introduced in 2018, RTDNA has heavily advocated for passing the legislation.

Related links:

Journalists Matter Project – Faces of the Capital Gazette

The Journalist Protection Act – Senate press release

RTDNA – Journalist Protection Act Advocacy Toolkit

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Send your suggestions for future News Take guests to Senior Counsel & Director of Public Policy, Charlotte McBirney, at charlotte@newsmediaalliance.org.

News Take Production Team:

Host and Executive Producer: Charlotte McBirney, Senior Counsel & Director of Public Policy, News/Media Alliance

Production Support, Editing & Distribution:

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Lindsey Loving, Director, Communications, News/Media Alliance
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The post News Take: Free Press Focus: Preventing Another Capital Gazette Shooting: Why We Need The Journalist Protection Act appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

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As we head into what is going to be a truly historic election, we must remember the importance of the freedoms granted by the First Amendment and the value of the free press. For many years – but especially in the last four years – journalists in the United States have been literally under attack for doing their jobs. A fact that has conveniently been forgotten as of late, the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution gives journalists the right to do their jobs without fear of being physically harmed. We are once again calling for these attacks to come to an end, and for freedom of the press to be enforced at the highest levels of government – allowing journalists and others working at news organizations to do the incredibly important work of providing important news and information to the public.

Attacks on the press are nothing new. As CNN Chief International Anchor Christiane Amanpour noted in a recent interview, “Political leaders don’t like journalists. Even in democracies we don’t exist in a warm bath of love.” Journalists are watchdogs for their community, and part of their job is to hold those in power accountable, reporting on corruption by government officials. Regardless of the contempt with which some of those officials regard the media, reporters have continued to work tirelessly, serving as the eyes and ears of the public to ensure our rights are represented.

Often, as part of their job, journalists must put themselves at risk, such as reporting from the front lines of war, or from a hospital experiencing an outbreak of the coronavirus. They should not, however, expect to be harmed or even killed while in their own office newsroom, such as was the case of the five employees of the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, who were killed by an armed gunman in 2018. Or while reporting from peaceful protests, such as those following the killing of George Floyd this summer. Nonetheless, journalists covering the protests in many towns across the country were shoved, arrested and shot at with pellet guns by law enforcement. Physical attacks on members of the press are not only criminal acts, they constitute a direct assault on freedom of the press as guaranteed by the First Amendment.

Journalists realize they have a great responsibility to the public, and as such are held to a higher standard than your average citizen. Just as yelling “fire” in a crowded theater is not protected under the First Amendment, professional journalists are held to a set of ethics and standards to ensure that they are using their Constitutionally protected rights for the betterment of society, and in hard news reporting, to provide a balanced and accurate portrayal of all sides of a story.

Without the ability, via journalists, to question authority and speak truth to power, America would be a very different place. In fact, it is our nation’s belief in speaking truth to power that allowed for the birth of the United States more than 200 years ago. It is impossible to support the First Amendment and freedom of speech without also supporting the freedom of the press, but we see that very brand of hypocrisy growing every day.

This election season and beyond, our democracy depends on free speech and a free press. In this ever-changing world, where we are faced with new threats every day, from viruses to systemic racism to voter suppression, we need our press now more than ever.

The post To Reap the Value of a Free Press, We Must Allow Them to Do Their Jobs appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

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Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation press release:

Washington, DC – (September 21, 2020) The Fallen Journalists Memorial (FJM) Foundation, News Media Alliance, National Newspaper Association and National Association of Broadcasters today commended the U.S. House of Representatives on passing bipartisan legislation authorizing the FJM Foundation to establish a national memorial that honors the many reporters, editors, photographers and broadcasters who have lost their lives reporting the news.

“Washington has many monuments honoring those who have sacrificed their lives to protect our freedoms – yet, there is no memorial on public land to recognize the journalists who have made the same sacrifice,” stated FJM Foundation President Barbara Cochran. “Such a memorial will demonstrate to citizens and visitors from around the world that our country values a free press, honors the sacrifices of journalists, and supports the families, friends and colleagues of the fallen.”

The Fallen Journalists Memorial Act, H.R. 3465, was sponsored by Representatives Grace Napolitano (D-CA) and Tom Cole (R-OK). Similar legislation (S. 1969) was introduced in the Senate by Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Rob Portman (R-OH).

“I am grateful to my former colleagues in Congress for approving this legislation and recognizing the sacrifices of those journalists who have been attacked, imprisoned and murdered around the world,” stated the Hon. David Dreier, former chairman of Tribune Publishing. “This memorial will be a testament to our commitment as a nation to the freedom of the press and an enduring symbol of freedom.”

“Over our nation’s history, hundreds of U.S. journalists have lost their lives while bringing critical news and information to Americans,” stated News Media Alliance President & CEO, David Chavern. “We applaud members of the House of Representatives for voting to approve the Fallen Journalists Memorial Act, which recognizes the ultimate sacrifice that these journalists have made to bring high-quality journalism to the public and to shine a light on domestic and world events. We also commend Representatives Raul Grijalva (D-AZ), Grace Napolitano (D-CA) and Tom Cole (R-OK) for their leadership in championing the legislation.”

“Journalists put their lives on the line for the American public whenever they go out into the world to cover conflict,” stated Matthew Adelman, President of the National Newspaper Association and Publisher of the Douglas Budget in Wyoming. “They do it because they believe in the public’s right to know. But they cannot always do their jobs safely. We recognize their valor and commitment in the plans to establish a memorial to Fallen Journalists and hope the lessons of their contributions will help to inform future generations about the importance of journalism in our democracy.”

“A free press plays an indelible role in American democracy by reporting the facts to keep communities engaged and informed,” stated the Hon. Gordon H. Smith, President and CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters. “Sadly, hundreds of journalists have lost their lives throughout our history performing this invaluable public service. NAB, local radio and TV stations and our broadcast network partners thank the House of Representatives for passing the Fallen Journalists Memorial Act to honor their memory, and we strongly support the establishment of this monument to their ultimate sacrifice.”

The legislation authorizes the FJM Foundation to establish a memorial on federal land in Washington, DC to commemorate America’s commitment to a free press by honoring those journalists who sacrificed their lives in service to that cause. It precludes the building of such a memorial on what is known as the “Reserve,” the area of the Mall in Washington, DC where new commemorative works are prohibited.

The measure also prohibits the use of federal funds. It requires the FJM Foundation, which operates under the auspices of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, to follow a particular process to ensure that the memorial is appropriately designed, constructed and located, and that sufficient private funds are provided to the National Park Service to maintain the memorial.

Other organizations supporting the legislation include the Military Reporters and Editors Association, National Federation of Press Women, Committee to Protect Journalists, Freedom Forum, News Leaders Association and Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and the Radio Television Digital News Association.

###

Contact: Vince Randazzo
(202) 577-9411
vince@fallenjournalists.org

About the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation
The FJM Foundation was established to support the enactment of the Fallen Journalists Memorial Act and, once enacted, to lead the effort to raise funds to design, develop, construct and maintain a memorial that will be an enduring tribute to the reporters, photojournalists, producers, editors and others who have died while performing their jobs as journalists. The FJM Foundation operates under the auspices of the National Press Club Journalism Institute (NPCJI), which is the non-profit educational affiliate of the National Press Club. Additional information about the FJM Foundation can be found at www.fallenjournalists.org.

The post House of Representatives Passes Fallen Journalists Memorial Act appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

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A national memorial is important for paying tribute to journalists who perished not only while reporting on the front lines of battle, but those whose lives were lost while simply fulfilling their duty to deliver the news. That was the message delivered at a December 4, 2019, Congressional hearing by advocates for legislation to establish a Fallen Journalists Memorial in Washington, DC.

“Washington has many monuments to those who have sacrificed their lives to protect our freedoms,” said Barbara Cochran, President of the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation, in testimony before the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands. “Yet there is no memorial on public land to the journalists who have made the same sacrifice to protect those same freedoms.”

Cochran also highlighted the Foundation’s partnership with the News Media Alliance in pushing for Congressional enactment of the legislation.

Cochran is an experienced news executive who is leading the effort to raise funds to design, develop, construct and maintain a memorial “that will be an enduring tribute to the reporters, photojournalists, producers, editors and others who have died while performing their jobs as journalists,” she stated.

Legislation in Congress (H.R. 3465 in the House and S. 1969 in the Senate) would authorize the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation to lead the effort to build the memorial on federal land without the use of any taxpayer funds.

The legislation was introduced on June 25, 2019, by Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Rob Portman (R-OH), and Representatives Grace Napolitano (D-CA) and Tom Cole (R-OK) around the anniversary of the deadliest attack on journalists in U.S. history, which took place at the office of the Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, resulting in the deaths of five newspaper employees.

“Journalists put their lives on the line every day to protect our democracy as well as a free and independent press,” stated Rep. Napolitano in a statement before the Subcommittee. “Located all over the nation’s capital are federal monuments dedicated to Americans who have sacrificed their lives while promoting the values of our democracy, and it is long overdue that we have a similar permanent commemorative work to honor the journalists who put their lives on the line at home and abroad to bring us the truth and defend our first amendment rights.”

The Subcommittee hearing was the second step in a process that the Foundation hopes will lead to Congressional enactment of the legislation in 2020. The Fallen Journalists Memorial Act cleared its first hurdle on September 24, when the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission reviewed the legislation, as required under the Commemorative Works Act.

In a letter to Rep. Raul Grijalva, Chairman of the House Natural Resources Committee, the Commission “offered support for the purpose and need to establish a commemorative work honoring journalists who have sacrificed their lives as guardians of democracy and for a free and independent press.”

Click here for Cochran’s full testimony, as well as an archived video of the hearing.

You can contact your representative/senators in Congress to encourage action on the legislation and/or access digital ads provided by the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation that you can run on your websites in support of the memorial.

The post Congressional Hearing Highlights Importance of National Memorial to Fallen Journalists appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

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In preparation for the National Capital Memorial Advisory Commission meeting today, the News Media Alliance submitted a written statement to show its support for the establishment of a Fallen Journalists Memorial on federal land in Washington, D.C. Members of the House and Senate introduced legislation (H.R. 3465/S.1969) in June that would start the process for a memorial honoring journalists who have been hurt or killed while in the process of reporting the news. If approved, the memorial would be created through private funds.

At the meeting, the Commission will review the legislation that would specifically authorize the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation to undertake the process to plan, design and build a memorial. The Commission must give the Memorial a positive recommendation in order for the planning process to move forward.

News Media Alliance President & CEO David Chavern stated, “Over our nation’s history, hundreds of U.S. journalists have died doing their jobs so that the American public could stay informed on important matters of the day and world events. When a journalist is killed in the line of duty, the entire community suffers, but outside of their newsrooms, they rarely receive the recognition they deserve for their sacrifice. We strongly encourage the Commission to support our efforts for this memorial and recommend its establishment to the U.S. Congress.”

Given increased attacks on members of the press in recent years, the Alliance believes the time is right for a memorial to honor the journalists who have given their lives in pursuit of the truth. The memorial will also serve as a reminder of the importance of journalism and a free press to a strong democratic society.

For more information, visit the Fallen Journalists Memorial Foundation.

The post Statement: Alliance Encourages Memorial Advisory Commission to Recommend Establishment of Fallen Journalists Memorial appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

June 28 will always be a hard day for any journalist­ – that was the day, exactly one year ago, that five newsroom staffers were lost to the hands of a gunman who shot his way into The Capital Gazette newsroom in Annapolis, Maryland, barring a grudge against the local paper. While the gunman was later arrested and will soon stand trial, The Capital Gazette is only one of many newsrooms that have faced losses in the past year.

Despite this, journalists continue to risk their lives every day, facing threats not only out in the field, but in their own newsrooms. Growing anti-journalist sentiment around the world has increased the dangers faced by reporters, whether they’re working in a war zone or their local communities.

This year, the state of Maryland is marking the tragic day with a message of support, naming June 28 Maryland Freedom of the Press Day. In honor of those lost, the city of Annapolis will host a summit on preventing gun violence, while The Capital Gazette, Baltimore Sun Media and Tribune Publishing will dedicate a memorial garden to the victims, with a rose bush being planted for each of the five lost Capital Gazette staffers. In addition, there will be a concert and community gathering in the evening, as well as a moment of silence at 2:33 p.m.

As the first anniversary of the tragic shooting approaches, a new foundation, the Fallen Journalists Memorial (FJM) Foundation, is seeking to create a Fallen Journalists Memorial in Washington, D.C. The charge is being led by David Dreier, chairman of Tribune Publishing, the parent company of The Capital Gazette. The memorial project has congressional support as well, with Senators Ben Cardin (D-MD) and Rob Portman (R-OH) and Representatives Grace Napolitano (D-CA) and Kevin Hern (R-OK) introducing a bill this week that would allow the memorial to be constructed on federal land. If enacted, the memorial will be privately funded.

The memorial, which would honor the lost Capital Gazette staffers as well as the dozens of journalists lost each year in the line of duty, has already garnered support from the Annenberg Foundation and the Michael and Jackie Ferro Foundation, both of which have already committed to providing initial funding for the project.

According to the FJM Foundation website, the memorial will “pay tribute to the reporters, photojournalists, producers, editors and others who have died while performing their jobs as journalists.”

In addition to the planned memorial, the Capital Gazette staffers have been honored through a scholarship to aspiring young writers. The scholarship will “provide an annual award for select students pursuing a degree in Journalism at the University of Maryland, College Park,” the alma mater of victims John McNamara and Gerald Fischman. (Robert Hiaasen was a part-time journalism professor at the school, as well.) Two students were awarded the scholarship this spring.

Journalists should not have to lose their lives for bringing us information that helps us to be informed and engaged citizens. On this inaugural Maryland Freedom of the Press Day, we should all remember the value of journalism. Despite the hostility and insults that dismiss our jobs as “fake news,” our industry has continued on, stronger than ever, delivering the news daily to anyone who wants it.

The post Maryland Stands Up for a Free Press, Honors the Capital Gazette Shooting Victims appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

One year ago, on June 28, 2018, the lives of five newsroom employees from The Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland, were senselessly taken by gun violence. Today, we honor those victims — and the three dozen other journalists lost around the world in the last year — by celebrating Maryland Freedom of the Press Day.

While horrific tragedies like that in the Capital Gazette newsroom are not common, threats and attacks on journalists are growing increasingly common, and terrible political rhetoric has only made the world a more dangerous place for the men and women who seek to report the news.

No journalist should have to go to work in fear of their safety, whether they’re covering a war zone or the local city council. Each loss of life in the journalism community affects us all, from the friends and families of the victims, to the colleagues that must carry on in their absence, to the general public who miss out on the valuable work conducted by journalists and other newsroom employees to hold those in power accountable.

We applaud the legislators in Maryland for recognizing the value of the lives lost at the hands of a gunman at The Capital Gazette. Today, we ask you to remember Rob Hiaasen, Wendi Winters, Gerald Fischman, John McNamara and Rebecca Smith, the Capital Gazette staffers we lost, as well as all of the other journalists who sacrificed their lives while working to deliver the news.

The post Statement: Alliance Commemorates Maryland Freedom of the Press Day appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

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The News Media Alliance applauds Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Ben Cardin (D-MD), and Representatives Grace Napolitano (D-CA) and Tom Cole (R-OK) for introducing “The Fallen Journalists Memorial Act of 2019” (S. 1969 / H.R. 3465) this week in the Senate and House, respectively. The legislation provides Congressional authorization for a memorial that will be located on federal land in Washington, D.C. If enacted, the memorial will be established through private funds.

Last year’s tragedy at The Capital Gazette forever changed the face of local journalism. The loss of Rob Hiaasen, Wendi Winters, Gerald Fischman, John McNamara and Rebecca Smith was senseless and traumatic not only for their friends, families and colleagues, but for the entire news industry.

It is in the spirit of the dedicated staffers of The Capital Gazette and the three dozen other journalists and media workers whose lives were lost in the year since the tragedy on June 28 in Annapolis, Maryland, that we share our wholehearted support for the Fallen Journalists Memorial Act. No one should have to go to work in fear of their safety. Journalism cannot flourish in a place where reporters’ lives are at risk for delivering the news, and a democracy cannot flourish without journalism. The memorial would be a small but important reminder for the public of the risks journalists take every day to deliver vital information to their local communities in pursuit of a thriving and informed democracy. The Alliance encourages Congress to enact this legislation as soon as possible.

The post Statement: Fallen Journalists Memorial appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

June 26, 2018: Milo Yiannopoulos posts on Instagram his words to reporters, saying, “I can’t wait for the vigilante squads to start gunning journalists down on sight.”

June 28, 2018, 2:40 p.m.: An armed man enters the Capital Gazette and opens fire. He kills five, injures others. Rob Hiassen, Wendi Winters, Gerald Fischman, John McNamara and Rebecca Smith are dead. Reporters tweeted gut-wrenching details and their own first-hand accounts of curling into a ball, hearing colleagues cry out before being gunned down.

June 29, 2018: The Capital Gazette “put out the damn paper.”

And we all press on.

Following the shooting, PayPal and Venmo banned Yiannopoulos from their platforms (he had a history of wiring money to reporters, such as the time he sent The New Yorker’s Talia Lavin $14.88, a number used by Nazis and White Supremacists).

Last year, Twitter also banned him following his harassment campaign against actress and comedian Leslie Jones. Following his ban, Twitter provided a statement saying, “People should be able to express diverse opinions and beliefs on Twitter. But no one deserves to be subjected to targeted abuse online, and our rules prohibit inciting or engaging in the targeted abuse or harassment of others.”

But he is still active on Facebook and Instagram, continuing to defend his post.  I wonder how Facebook’s famous secret algorithms weigh and balance the value his garbage verses the work of real journalists – like those at the Capital Gazette?

Last year, according to Reporters Without Borders, 326 journalists were imprisoned around the world for doing their work; sixty-five journalists were killed in the line of duty (Society of Professional Journalists sites this number at 74); and another 54 were held hostage by non-state actors.

And that’s considered a “light year”; the lowest in over a decade.

The day of the Gazette shooting, Trump tweeted, “Prior to departing Wisconsin, I was briefed on the shooting at Capital Gazette in Annapolis, Maryland. My thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. Thank you to all of the First Responders who are currently on the scene.”

We believe “first responders” includes not just those in uniform, but those journalists in the field and back in the newsroom, who tell the stories and help the public make sense of these tragedies.

Thank you to the staff of the Capital Gazette, and all the reporters who were on scene and continue in the most tragic of circumstances to “put out the damn paper.”

Thank you to journalists around the world, who feel threatened and scared today and, despite that fact, are going into their offices, where they will report on their own communities.

Thank you to the reporters who, regardless of facing online harassment (even from the highest elected official), continue to work.

Thank you to Rob Hiassen, Wendi Winters, Gerald Fischman, John McNamara and Rebecca Smith. It is in your memory and legacy that we press on.

The post CEO: We Press On appeared first on News/Media Alliance.

We are one family, and we mourn the senseless tragedy at the Capital Gazette together. Our hearts grieve the loss of our fellow newspaper staffers. We wish comfort and peace for their families, friends, co-workers and all who have been touched by this heartbreak – and healing to those who are recovering.

Run this ad in your publications to show your support for and solidarity with the Gazette.

The ads are available in full, half- and quarter-page for print, and can be customized with your logo and contact information.

Access the ads in PDF and InDD below.
Click on the links to download the ads via Dropbox.

We Mourn with the Capital Gazette Ad:

Full-page PDF (11.63 x 22)
Full-page InDD (11.63 x 22)
Half-page PDF (10 x 10)
Half-page InDD (10 x 10)
Quarter-page PDF (5.75 x 10)
Quarter-page InDD (5.75 x 10)

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