Posted on 02/05/2018 6:17:06 PM PST by EdnaMode
Rep. Eric Swalwell told THR that a recent threat against CNN staffers showed his bill is needed. Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, who represents California's 15th Congressional District, wants legislators to do more than just use words to convey the importance of a free press. He's hoping the House of Representative will pass a bill he introduced on Monday, the Journalist Protection Act, which would make it a federal crime to harm a journalist in the field with the intent of impeding their work.
The safety and security of journalists has been top-of-mind throughout Donald Trump's presidency, and was ratcheted up in importance after a Michigan man was arrested and charged on Jan. 19 with threatening to kill CNN employees. (CNN president Jeff Zucker assured his employees that they were never at risk.)
Swalwell, in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, said the bill was already in the works at the time of the arrest but that efforts were expedited. He said the threat against CNN "hastened the need" for his bill and validated the concern he and his co-sponsors have for members of the news media.
The bill announcement mentioned the president's decision to tweet, on July 2, a video that was edited to show him body-slamming and punching a person who had the CNN logo superimposed on them. Swalwell called the tweet "childish."
"It's the president of the United States, who has millions of followers and who is supposed to be the leader of our country doing it," he said. "I do fear that could embolden people themselves to take up violence against a journalist who they don't like."
But, Swalwell, who makes regular appearances across cable news, made clear that his bill is intended to protect journalists of all stripes. "I seek to protect the CNN journalist as much as I seek to protect the Fox News journalist," he said.
According to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, 44 journalists were attacked last year.
Bernie Lunzer, president of The NewsGuild-CWA, offered his support of the bill in a prepared statement. The bill, he said, should be embraced by "everyone who believes our democracy depends on a free and vibrant press."
Swalwell's bill stands little chance of passage in the Republican-controlled House, but he said he's hopeful it will attract bipartisan support.
They are not journalists and they are not the “free press” anymore... they have abdicated their place of “reporting” to the people...they have become an arm of he democrats and they have been allowed to spread the lies of the left to all who hear them. Most do not get channels that are not so blatantly biased... they get their news from abc, cbs and nbc... and cnn plays in all the places that have a public TV... They have to pay extra to get channels like Fox or the ones that still give the news.
They have to cut off their ability to do what they do.. It’s a running tabloid of lies... where does it say they can stop reporting and still be free to tell the public all that hurts and destroys our nation!
If I were the President, (pardon the yelling)
THERE IS NO WAY I’D PUT UP WITH ANY OF THIS!!!!
I’d be firing. tearing into, arresting, demanding, getting those blankety criminals into court/prison, or on a boat outta here! This _____ has gone on too long... it’s way too serious, and they don’t have the power to do what they are doing!!!!!!
The lies being fed to the public are on a scale of treason!!
Yeah exactly.
Good point! We’re all journalists. :D
Yes...
What about journalists attacking people. They just hide behind the first amendment when they get caught or claim absence without malice and print a retraction on page 98 a week later. Moral degenerates.
rwood
Totally agree!
Yes. Swalwell is insane. I think he is a clone of Adam Schiff. He has to be. No two people can be that insane.
Oh wait! Excuse me. They’re Democrats and I think both are from California. That’s a “Double Insanity Curse”.
Pencil-Neck and Satan. A new comedy team on the DNC Channel. Hosted by Nancy “I’m not stuttering, I’m drunk as a skunk” Pelosi, the toast of every liberal bar west of the Pacific.
In that case, I declare myself a journalist because I post on an internet forum. Any threats to me will become a federal crime.
Eric Swalwell, you’re going to have to prove a more
strident dedication to speech freedom before I will
ever support your grandstanding bill. What I would
like to have you do is to be seen (w/prior publicity)
attending a Milo Yannanopoulos speech at Cal Berkeley.
In fact, I want you to escort Milo to the venue and
quietly take a seat in the audience. By this action
you can teach the hateful liberals that listening to
your opponent is not a death sentence. Eric, if
you care enough about free speech to widen your
bill to cover protection for college speakers then
I will consider supporting it.
As soon as it becomes a Federal Crime for “journalists” to lie to the People and use fake news to collude with enemies of the Constitution...
He needs that SMIRK wiped off his face!
While we’re at it, let’s make it a federal crime for politicians to lie to their constituents.
When I saw the Small Smell bot on Tucker, I immediately thought back on that one debate in which Little Marco robotically repeated the same pre-rehearsed line multiple times, and Christie called him on it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vQUThGwRFMM
Attack law and kill Freedom of Speech? I don’t think I will follow that one.
Propagandists are extremely dangerous.
History is rife with examples.
That’s the same pasty faced, slimy, rat-bastard.
“Is it the clintons have that much power over them all?”
That mostly. That’s the head of the snake. Then what they say/do trickles down to the propaganda arm, i.e., the MSM. Then the sheeple who pay attention to them pick it up.
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