Just what is a "journalist" - SURPRISE! (Ohio police / journalist credentials)

[BB62]

In the fight for government recognition of us serfs, the right of the people to expect responsiveness from their government, and the right to keep and bear arms, Ohioans for Concealed Carry has taken up the charge.

A journalist by any other name, Chad Baus of OFCC was refused journalist credentials by the Ohio State Patrol (yes, the police!). Using public record requests, OFCC delved into just who qualified as a "journalist". The story so far will astound you!

Please read, comment, and act!

http://ofccpac.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2476

The story starts: "Ohioans For Concealed Carry’s investigation of the Ohio State Highway Patrol/ Department of Public Safety’s administration of issuing press credentials has turned up startling new information which raises new questions about the safety and security at the Ohio Statehouse and at crime and accident scenes, or any other critical incidents..."


Here is a thread I started on Free Republic:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1392799/posts



BB62

 

[pax]

Journalist credentials??

Journalist credentials???

Issued by the police????

Please tell me that a government agency has not gotten involved in determining who may, and may not, have access to public information for the purposes of writing about it.

OFCC shouldn't be fixated on how the program is administered. The problem is that it exists at all.

pax

No matter how cynical you become, it's never enough to keep up. -- Lily Tomlin

 

[BB62]

Issued by the police????

Please tell me that a government agency has not gotten involved in determining who may, and may not, have access to public information for the purposes of writing about it.

Sorry, Pax. I can't tell you any such thing.

Read the linked article. There are links within it too.

OFCC, I and others are is concerned about many things involving the police and the media - separately or together.

In Ohio the media pushed bigtime for access to records of who had a CHL. Media in northern Ohio, mainly, have published such lists "in the public interest", dontcha know?

This is a BIG story, made possible by public records requests and stoked by antipathy to gun owners/CCW holders.

The start of this story was when someone at OSHP tipped off the media to what should have been a private request.

Spread the word!


BB62

 

[pax]

From the Ohio State Patrol website at http://www.statepatrol.ohio.gov/opio.html :

The State of Ohio News Media Credential Card

The Ohio News Media Credential Card is recognized by state and local law enforcement, government agencies, and news organizations. In a time of heightened security across our nation, the card identifies legitimate media representatives and meets the security needs of law enforcement and government agencies.

OFCC is fighting the wrong battle. Instead of fighting to join the club, they should be dragging this clear to the Supreme Court to abolish the club.

The government has no right, obligation, or business defining who is and is not a journalist.

pax

 

[Trebor]

The government has no right, obligation, or business defining who is and is not a journalist.

Police issued "press cards" are old news. Many large cities issue credentials to the "working media" to allow the reporters or photographers beyond police lines or special access to otherwise restricted events.

The only saving grace is that a lack of police issued "credentials" does NOT prohibit you from writing or publishing. It does make it harder by denying you access to areas normally off limits, but it does not prohibit you from writing.

Btw, I agree with your absolute statement. Just pointing out that this is a long accepted practice.

 

[Joejojoba111]

Lol you don't want to KNOW what is going on, you just don't. Imagine the slackest job you ever had, where you and your buddies got away with everything, where you'd clock in for each other and take long breaks. Then magnify that, and magnify it again, and you're getting an idea of what's going on.

As for instituting the press cards, if you look at it from policy, it's beautiful, a beautiful example. You restrict people's rights, and get them to thank you for it, because they are now differentiated from the masses. The masses don't understand that they've lost some power, and those receiving the cards don't care that they've gained nothing, because relatively they've increased in status. They didn't go up, everyone else went down, but the result is about the same. Simply beautiful, I'm definately going to remember that one.

 

[itgoesboom]

I know everyone hates this idea, but I am hoping that I can clear this up a little.

First of all, I am a photojournalist, and where I live now, I don't have gov't issued press credentials, since they aren't issued. However, I used to live in a city that did issue credentials, and I was issued them.

The reason what actually quite simple and logical, and it wasn't to keep people quiet.

As a journalist, especially as a photojournalist, there were times where I was allowed to cross police and fire lines to cover stories, areas where the police and fire dept had need to keep most everyone out. Without some sort of ID, everyone would claim to be a journalist and try to cross the lines (actually have seen people try), and that would create problems. I have also been past fire lines in areas the had been evacuated due to large fires in the area. The credential is there to let the Fire Dept know who is and isn't a journalist, so they didn't waste time escorting people who weren't journalists. So the main reason was to identify people who had a need to cross police and fire lines.

A secondary reason, and one of the reasons why we had to submit to a background check was that we were also allowed pretty much full access to schools as journalists. While we still had to check in with the offices, the credential was used to let the administrators know that we weren't a child molester.

It used to be in many cities, and is still common in some cities, that newspapers print IDs for their employees, but that leaves out the freelancers (like myself). Unfortunatly, many people have also created false credentials to gain access to places where they aren't allowed.

While the idea of a press ID is offensive to some, it really isn't to limit anyones speach - anyone can still report anything they want- it is just to limit access to people who actually are journalists in various circumstances (ie, fires, SWAT raids and such,)

I.G.B.

 

[BB62]

OFCC is fighting the wrong battle. Instead of fighting to join the club, they should be dragging this clear to the Supreme Court to abolish the club.

OFCC is not "fighting" to join the club. You need to read the entire story and linked stories. > Read between the lines. <

For example, think about the dichotomy between regulated, CHL "club" members and privileged, effectively unregulated, inconsistently identified "media" members.

There are lots of angles to the matter - I'm sure my example is just a small sliver of the paths which can be taken, or the issues which can be raised. Besides, I have no doubt that the matter is nowhere near over.


HTH,
BB62

 

[BB62]

Itgoesboom,

The credential is there to let the Fire Dept know who is and isn't a journalist, so they didn't waste time escorting people who weren't journalists. So the main reason was to identify people who had a need to cross police and fire lines.

Please take a moment to READ the story I provided the link to.

> Read between the lines. <

It should become clear that this is NOT about making sure that only "bona fide" journalists get to cross police and fire lines, etc.


BB62

 

[itgoesboom]

BB62,

I am not arguing for what Ohio just did, which is obviously wrong. The system there is being mis-used.

I am arguing against the people that say Press Credentialing is wrong and shouldn't be done. There are very valid reasons for Press Credentials for certain situations.

What I wrote was in response to Pax who said

Journalist credentials???

Issued by the police????

Please tell me that a government agency has not gotten involved in determining who may, and may not, have access to public information for the purposes of writing about it.

I.G.B.

 

[BB62]

Igb,

I am not arguing for what Ohio just did, which is obviously wrong. The system there is being mis-used.

I am arguing against the people that say Press Credentialing is wrong and shouldn't be done. There are very valid reasons for Press Credentials for certain situations.

In that case, I agree with you!




BB62

 

[Standing Wolf]

OFCC shouldn't be fixated on how the program is administered. The problem is that it exists at all.

Sure. No doubt about it. Unfortunately, the only way to make it apparent the "program" is sheer idiocy is to push it toward its logical conclusion.

 

[gunsmith]

only liberals may be journalist

is what it seems to saying to me

 

[BB62]

Standing Wolf,

Unfortunately, the only way to make it apparent the "program" is sheer idiocy is to push it toward its logical conclusion.

Right on!

Thanks for "getting it"!


BB62