More than 40 organizations that champion journalists and the public’s right to know released a joint statement led by the Society of Professional Journalists condemning the campaign underway in Washington to penalize independent reporting on the government and its activities.
The Feb. 21 statement calls on the Trump administration to lift its ban on The Associated Press from White House events and cease punishing news organizations based on their reporting.
“When leaders try to silence reporters through intimidation, legal threats and denial of access, they are not protecting the country; they are protecting themselves from scrutiny. This is how authoritarian regimes operate — by crushing dissent, punishing those who expose inconvenient facts and replacing truth with propaganda,” the statement said.
Read the full statement, which contains the names of all 40 organizations, here.
Phoenix SPJ joins other chapters, outside journalism groups to petition White House to restore AP’s access
And on Feb. 25, the Valley of the Sun (Phoenix) chapter of SPJ joined a long list of SPJ chapters and other media organizations who petitioned the White House to restore access to events there to The Associated Press.
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SPJ: Phoenix, Arizona Chapter 