Hey, my Stage32 Doc Filmmakers!
I saw this on Variety today about the arrest of the CNN reporter in Minneapolis. There is a large claim that the ID should have been enough, but what has your experience been? When you're in the field and in/around an event of great tension/unrest, what measures have you had to take to ensure you could still get your footage?
I'd love to know your thoughts below!
https://variety.com/2020/tv/news/george-floyd-cnn-minneapolis-omar-jimen...
I have been OK with just securing a press pass. I recently was approved for an International Press Pass from the National Writers Union (NWU) in partnership with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ).
This is not an instance of whether ID is good or not - it is an instance of blatant illegality on the part of thugs. Watch the clip, you know they were there for some time and asked, and were told, several times where they should be to not interfere with the police. After complying each time it became apparent to these police that the camera crew were not going to do anything objectionable, so they arrested them one by one. It is an example not of credentials or right to film, but of bad people feeling empowered to the point of doing it while being filmed by multiple angles.
Ricardo Santiago Soto - Is there a scan code on your badge? Something that would allow someone to confirm its authenticity? I have been on duty for a production company before where they just told me to wear a lanyard to look official. I took the initiative to print out something that would look good behind a plastic ID holder, but really, it was more of a name tag than anything else LOL!
Hi Karen! National Writers Union (NWU) has begun distributing press passes once again, so I will check my mailbox later this week to see if it has arrived. According to the IFJ website, your photo is on the Press Card, which has the following statement on its website: "A guarantee of IFJ assistance across the globe. Journalists travelling in conflict zones have testified to the benefits of the IPC . It has helped many journalists get out of tricky situations in dealing with soldiers, police or officials" @ https://www.ifj.org/press-card.html
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my cousin is a newspaper reporter and she said riot Police and Looters don't give a fuck about ID.
Protect yourself at all times. You're on your own doing a job.
Dan MaxXx Hopefully they are traveling with a buddy for safety. One of my first professional experiences was on a documentary during the 2008 DNC in Denver and during our training, we joked about how the buddy system is good for interviews, B-roll, and bathroom breaks LOL! #SafetyInNumbers
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With wind on my back: "The U.S. Supreme Court has consistently held that speech may not be prohibited simply because some may find it offensive. Virtually every time someone is arrested for this, assuming there is no criminal behavior, the case is either dismissed before trial or the person is convicted at trial and wins on appeal" (Mayes, 2010).
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Mayes, Steve. "Clackamas Man Exercises Free Speech Rights by Giving Cops the Finger." The Oregonian, March 1, 2010.