Spring Break
Panel discusses degradation of first amendment in journalism
Jeff Sullivan
Issue date: 9/23/08 Section: News
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Titled, "What Happened to the First Amendment during the Bush Administration," the forum topic ranged from alleged direct violations of the First Amendment by the Bush administration to local grievances. The effects of 24-hour news channels and how they are changing the perception of news was also discussed.
Panelists included Steven Brown, director of the Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union; Jim Taricani, a reporter for WJAR NBC Channel 10; Robert Flanders, former Rhode Island Supreme Court Associate Justice, law professor and partner at Hinckley, Allen & Snyder; and Linda Lotridge Levin, chairwoman of the URI Journalism Department.
The main topic discussed was the impact President Bush's administration had on the First Amendment. Levin cited a recent example in which police arrested protestors and a news crew covering the protestors at the Republican National Convention earlier this month.
She said even though they were acting peacefully, the protestors and the news crew were forcibly subdued and taken into custody for rioting and obstruction of an officer.
The news crew and protestors were later released, but Levin pointed out that they were denied their constitutional right of free speech, public assembly and petitioning and protesting grievances of the government.
Flanders elaborated later on that topic, explaining that there is a manual sent to every public event President Bush attends. He explained the manual's instructions in dealing with demonstrators.
"There are several ways in advance a person can prepare a site to minimize demonstrators," he said. "First work with the secret service, have them ask local police to designate a protest area where demonstrators can be placed, preferably not in view of the event site."
