In a statement released this afternoon, the NAHJ called on "police and local and federal officials to respect the First Amendment right to free speech and free press of journalists doing their job, especially as it relates to coverage of recent political conventions and the surrounding public protests. Reporters have a duty and a constitutional right to be present at sometimes volatile events and situations, and to inform the public."
"In this era of new technology and broader participation in citizen and independent journalism, it may become increasingly difficult for police to tell journalists from those who are not," the NAHJ statement continued. "But police must be aware it is their duty to try, and to respect the role of the press in a democracy.
Two Missouri sheriff's deputies were shot and killed and two more were injured after a suspect...
