It's Up to Us to Protect the First Amendment | Save the News

10.2.12

It's Up to Us to Protect the First Amendment | Save the News: An array of local and national press freedom organizations has stepped up, sending letters to local police departments and providing legal and financial assistance to arrested journalists. However, they can’t win this fight alone. That’s why we at Free Press and SaveTheNews.org called on our members this week to stand with the arrested journalists and with press freedom groups like the Newspaper Guild, the Society for Professional Journalists and the National Press Photographers Association.

In the last 48 hours, more than 16,000 people have signed on to support the arrested journalists and defend the First Amendment in their communities. The number keeps growing. Our members support the efforts of journalism organizations in Oakland and New York to improve relationships between police and press, but we also recognize that this is a national issue touching at least 10 other cities. With more political events — and likely, more protests — in the year to come, we all need to be part of solutions that strengthen the First Amendment.