Desantis/Vance rally in OH disregards 1st Amendment rights of journalists

Vance, DeSantis rally puts ‘highly unusual’ restrictions on press

Journalists must agree to give access to their footage to the event organizer, pro-Trump GOP youth group Turning Point Action, and explain how they intend to use it

The press policy also restricts journalists to specific events and parts of the venue, and bars them from recording speakers who do not wish to be filmed. Turning Point Action has warned that violators could be kicked out of the event.

“These are highly unusual conditions,” according to Monica Nieporte, the president and executive director of the Ohio News Media Association, which represents outlets across the state.

In particular, Nieporte called out organizers’ demand for access to journalists’ footage — something that many newsrooms would consider an attempt to meddle with coverage. “We do not agree that the Unite & Win Rally has any standing to be asking for blanket access to the content that is created by journalists in exchange for permission to cover their event,” she told The Washington Post. “The journalists work for their media outlet and not for the Vance campaign. Their content is owned by their employer.”

She said her group has not been asked by member organizations to fight the restrictions, but she warned: “We strongly discourage our members from agreeing to any conditions which could lead to their content being censored or altered by a third party not affiliated with their media outlet.”

Kirstin McCudden, vice president of editorial for the Freedom of the Press Foundation, said Turning Point Action’s demand that journalists explain and provide access to their footage “runs contrary to the role of the media as objective watchdogs” — though she said it’s becoming more common as a way to shield politicians from the press.

“Unfortunately, it’s the public electorate that loses when journalists can’t freely cover candidates,” McCudden added.

Andrew Kolvet, a spokesperson for Turning Point Action, said the press pass preconditions “protect the organization from being taken advantage of by organizations or companies — usually non-traditional press — that don’t intend to report on the event at all, but rather want to monetize raw footage/pics. These policies also maintain guest and speaker privacy in green rooms, backstage, etc., and protect our underage attendees.”

“That said,” he added, “we frequently [waive] certain clauses for legitimate press outlets that are covering the event in good faith, as we’ve offered to do with Washington Post reporters for the very events in question.”

The restrictions were met with outrage on social media from some journalists who cover Ohio and national news.

“Wow. This seems a little anti-democratic,” wrote Marty Schladen, a reporter for the Ohio Capital Journal, on Twitter. Emma Henderson, a reporter for WKYC 3News in northeast Ohio tweeted: “Yiiikes.”

Another Ohio reporter, Morgan Trau of News 5 Cleveland, questioned how the policy would be applied. “Who is to say certain reporters wouldn’t be excluded and denied — despite having accurate and fair coverage?” she asked on Twitter.

It’s still unclear whether Turning Point Action can enforce its rules.

An Ohio reporter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to protect their ability to attend the event, said the restrictions “seem intended to intimidate, but in reality they’re pretty easy to ignore or circumvent.”

In particular, this person told The Post, a requirement that journalists formally request to interview participants by emailing Turning Point could be bypassed by interviewing rallygoers before or after they leave the premises. “If it draws a tenth of the turnout for a Trump rally, we won’t have trouble finding people to talk on the way in or out,” they added. A spokesperson for the organization said the policy is intended primarily for events featuring students, who may be underage.

While Turning Point Action’s demand to see journalists’ footage is unusual, it’s hardly the first time in recent years that the press has been hindered from covering a political event. Trump briefly banned Post reporters from covering his rallies while running for president in 2016, and he was openly hostile to much of the White House press corps throughout his administration.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/media/2022/08/16/vance-desantis-rally-media-restrictions-ohio/

That's some loony bin bullshit.

Singing the old nazi tune of "the press is the enemy of the people".

@zaryia: I wonder what footage they're afraid of showing?

I'm sure constitutional fundamentalists will never vote for someone who does this.

Jokes aside, this is pretty terrible.

GOP has thrown out the Constitution and gone full authoritarian. Can't wait for the spin from the usual suspects.

Doesn't seem a very strong believer of the first amendment, in Flordia he's paying teachers to sit through education seminars that push the belief on school children that the separation of church and state as we know it is a misinterpretation of the constitution peddled by the Supreme Court and that the founding fathers intended for Christian nationalism.

Baffled people think he's a safer Trump alternative, if anything he's just as bad, if not maybe worse in other regards. He even appointed an anti-vaxxer to be Florida's Surgeon General, and stopped reporting his Covid data in the height of the pandemic. He's currently being sued by a prosecuter he fired because he took a stance to support abortion and transgender rights. He took away certain privileges Disney provided for speaking out against his "don't say gay" laws and footed the locals with the bill for local infrastructure that Disney paid for. He's every bit as petty and supports horrible policy.

I'd say he's worse than trump actually.

Since when did Turning Point turn into a governmental body? lol

On one hand

Isn't this technically speaking private property? Thus, they pretty much have the right to do this, under privacy laws? No lawyer or anything, but that is how I believe it works.

On the other hand,

Just because it is probably legal doesnt make it moral. The biggest threat to free speech does not come from wokescold mobs on Twitter, nor does it come from republican book bannings. Arguably the biggest threat to free speech comes in the form of libel laws.

DeSantis is government though....

@LJS9502_basic: Correct but, is Turning Point government?

This is still woefully immoral and deeply troubling. But I am not sure they are breaking any laws.

The event is a rally for members of public office. There is nothing private about it

Agreed. This is just a loony group being loony. Nothing illegal or unconstitutional in particular it seems.

Now if we want to discuss actual examples of that from DeathSentence, there's other recent stories that deserve their own threads:

Federal Judge Declares Ron DeSantis’s Ridiculous “Woke Indoctrination” Law Unconstitutional | Vanity Fair

Judge Blocks Ron DeSantis' Social Media 'Censorship' Law (businessinsider.com)

Exactly. It's a political rally and they cannot ban press/censor press.

This is so backwards and screwed up, I just don't understand how anyone can support this unless you are a 100% unapologetic contrarian or a legitimate fascist.

It's fucking scary is what it is.

Youth group? And not a Republican youth group, no no no...a Trump Youth Group. Do these people not know their history?

In Florida, the state thinks they should be able to limit speech while private entities cannot. Unless that private entity is dedicated Dear Leader, of course.

Yeah, that is the scary thing about DeathSentence. Unlike Trump who was so stupid he would inevitably break the law and thus could be prosecuted. DeSantis is far more cunning, and will bend laws to get away with heinous garbage.

Glad his attempts to reinterpret laws didnt work though.

A thread on those topics would be well worth it though. If only to see the usual self proclaimed defenders of the 1st amendment do their usual mental gymnastics. Now that these people are not explicitly disagreeing with the courts themselves.

Better to bend definitions of words instead.

Ooh wow i can post again after left mob flagging!

GOP: "We can't trust just anyone with the truth of what we do here."

Do members of the press have a constitutional right to enter the venue? If not, which seems to be the case, the fact they're being let in is up to the whim of the people running the event. So if members of the press sign an agreement to be granted access, they're accepting the restriction. That's not a 1A violation.

By that logic, it would be a violation of a persons first amendment rights if a private venue said "no guns."

Bad analogy.

In certain situations I agree with you.

For example, when conservatives try to change the definition of vaccine or climate change, this is indeed more dangerous than the story in the OP. In my opinion.

Both situations are bad though.

Not sure in this case particularly. Still a shitty and unusual thing to do for an event like this.

Oh no!!! Politician speaking at a private event lol

It's almost like their core platform of tax cuts for the wealthy, benefit cuts for the poor and middle classes, and oppressing minority groups is broadly unpopular outside of the party's base.

@mattbbpl: tax cuts for the middle class. I'm middle class I got nice tax cuts under trump

Oh no!!! The press doing what they have usually been doing for decades now at rallies! Can't have that, lets get an Incel group (TPA) to check their work teehee.

Or say a giant tech/social media company like Twitter or Facebook, making guidelines for their site and banning who they please....

Funny how rights and the constitution really only matter depending on who is being targeted and what side a person is on.

Getting tax raises soon, aren’t you?

2025, yes. The others are permanent, lol.

@sargentd: Just the bone they threw to get nimrods to sign off on it. Yours expire in 2025, and most of that initial cut money went to the highest quintile anyway.

You shouldn't be shocked. It's entirely in line with their modern history and continued stances of cutting programs those classes rely on while funneling more cash to the wealthy.

@horgen: Bidens inflated economy is worse than any tax raise you can think of. Thank God he's passing hundred million dollar bills to double the IRS and give out EV rebates to rich people who want Tesla's.

@mysticaldonut: are you for or against Twitter/Facebook banning who they please?

Biden caused the current global inflation, even though it is mostly a result of Covid and the illegal Russian invasion according to fact checks? Interesting. Tell me more, climate denying anti-vaxxer.

Yes, as those people break the TOS. How about you guys not tweet out shit like this:

GOP candidate for Florida House is booted from Twitter after post about shooting federal agents (nbcnews.com)

Rights are government rights. Rallies are political and thus government. Facebook and Twitter are not.

Funny how so many people don't understand the difference.

No sh*t, they gave the middle class small 'f*ck all' break, then snuck in a sunset provision so that it could meet reconciliation rules.

I don't really care either way, my goal is to just show the hypocrisy of those who fight so hard for one side to be moral and righteous. As per my last comment.

Wouldn't be banned if they just complied.

I'm opposed to anyone who tramples on the rights of the press or the right to free speech. Some people think that these things are ok to limit if it benefits their particular views at that particular time, but I believe that to be a very nearsighted view on their part.

Not surprising. Republicans are the party of restricting rights.

I have it on good account the norwegian government is to blame for the current inflation. I was told so on a forum.

So if people want to cover the event, they have to do so in a way that Turning Point wants? I'd call it a joke if it was funny. They're not doing anything illegal, but it's still dystopian garbage.

Like, imagine if Obama was holding an event and had the same conditions about coverage. The right wingers would be losing their minds.

So, someone applying to be/aspiring to be an elected official means they're officially governmental actors? Or does "rallies/fundraisers" on private property (which routinely restrict access to "sponsors") only matter when it's an incumbent? Let's use our thinking caps on this one. lol

Biggest issue according to voters this election is democracy.

Are we going with the chebacca defense here? lol

Edit: I'll take that as a yes.

How is this enforceable, exactly? Is it considered a private event thus they can place whatever stipulations they want?

It is a private venue. Free press doesn't grant anyone claiming to work for media to go wherever they want. They accept the terms in exchange for access.

If this is the case the Republicans will walk away with the elections.