YouTuber detained for videotaping news event
Cory Bergman March 9th, 2007
A student videotaping the transfer of military equipment bound for Iraq at the Port of Tacoma was detained by police and ordered to turn off the camera after he refused to move out of the area. “You better show me before it gets broken,” a Tacoma Police officer said. The student maintained that he was standing in a public area in the same place where mainstream media crews have videotaped in the past, but police officers singled him out. Of course, it’s all caught on tape and posted on YouTube here. The student said he was detained for an hour, then released. The Tacoma Police Department is now investigating the matter. This will become a growing challenge for law enforcement in the years to come, as I imagine it won’t be long before citizen journalism photographers outnumber TV photographers at news events, especially controversial ones. Shouldn’t they have the same access?
Adds Safran: “We don’t license the media. Anyone can shoot anything from a public vantage point. The first reaction of government is to suppress speech, no matter what our rights are. Now, it’s not pragmatic for 50,000 people to show up at the White House with camcorders and demand access to Tony Snow’s briefing. But one guy shooting from a public vantage point? Seems like an over-enthusiastic cop, and hopefully a clarification of the First Amendment will be in order.”
13 Comments Add your own
1. invitedmedia | March 9th, 2007 at 10:17 am
odd thing is even though he was “held for an hour” he probably beat all traditional media as they held it for the 6 and 11pm news.
2. SS | March 9th, 2007 at 10:18 am
They should have the same freedom the press has on public places! If they should get access to the same places press gets, well only if they get the proper clearance (in which case the essentially become press). But in a public area they should not be singled out or treated differently than press photogs.
3. invitedmedia | March 9th, 2007 at 10:20 am
ya’ gotta wonder who called the boys too.
4. Eric Kanagy | March 9th, 2007 at 10:38 am
France just passed a new lawy that prevents people who aren’t “professional journalists” from videotaping violent acts (arstechnica had a post on it today)…kinda scary as governments bumble their way through trying to control the new youtube world.
5. Safran | March 9th, 2007 at 10:55 am
We don’t license the media. Anyone can shoot anything from a public vantage point. The first reaction of government is to suppress speech, no matter what our rights are.
Now, it’s not pragmatic for 50,000 people to show up at the White House with camcorders and demand access to Tony Snow’s briefing. But one guy shooting from a public vantage point? Seems like an over-enthusiastic cop, and hopefully a clarification of the First Amendment will be in order.
Unless a new clause of the Patriot Act is…
6. Todd Thorpe | March 9th, 2007 at 2:55 pm
Absolutely they should have the same righhts and access!
7. flotsawm | March 10th, 2007 at 4:52 am
the press gets run out of and off public spaces as well. cops say move or other kinds of guys with guns say move, the choices are limited.
what’s going to happen now is that the universe of youtube cj-ers are going to start testing limits and a lot of things will be hurt: them; access; the rights they are trying for.
sometimes a little restraint goes a long way.
but i expect in this universe flaming disagreement follows.
8. Steve | March 10th, 2007 at 11:07 am
Have you been reading about all those nifty new non-lethal weapons the military is developing? Guess who they’re going to use them on?
9. Michael Rosenblum | March 11th, 2007 at 5:30 am
In Romania they used to register and license the typewriters.
10. Jack | March 11th, 2007 at 9:26 am
I remember a news cameraman I worked with being threatened with arrest simply because he wanted to tape an event from where the public was. He was told he had to stay in the media area, or he’d be arrested. He never did get to the “public” area.
11. Hussman | March 12th, 2007 at 6:14 am
“In Soviet Russia, Law Enforcement records you!”
12. thewashingtonchannel | March 12th, 2007 at 7:06 am
soviet russia dc?
13. Emilio Williams | February 27th, 2008 at 8:05 am
So, what is the bottom line? I agree with the freedom of speech but is it against the law to videotape a public rally and then run it on YouTube? Do I need consent. Please feel free to respond directly. Thanks.
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