In journalism, it happens – mostly through misunderstanding the law – that working members of the press are detained while trying to cover a story.
Whether it is being held because police officers think the press is getting in the way, or owners of a business thinking a writer or photographer is trespassing on private property, there are times when the press is held back and are illegally held. And that’s in the U.S. and happens today.
In America, its citizens and members of the press are protected by a number of laws. It is part of a checks and balance system to offer transparency to how things are handled in our society.
The hard truth is journalists tell stories of fact and entertainment. The written word, or the audio reaction or the video images we take in not just educate and inform, they are a recorded place in time. The work is something to be studied of where we are and where we are going. The fact that journalists are held in prisons or are killed for doing their work in 2014 is sickening. We need to push for a better day, where the public’s right to know is greater than anything else we may hold dear.
Now imagine, trying to tell the story of what is going on in a place where the protections are not in place, and the government wants complete control to what its citizens know and don’t know.
There are foreign correspondents who lose their lives each year in areas of conflict. And there are many, many others that are detained and still held for simply doing their jobs as professional journalists.
Al Jazeera America marks the one-year anniversary of the arrest and wrongful incarceration of the media network’s journalists – Australian correspondent Peter Greste, Canadian-Egyptian Bureau Chief Mohamed Fahmy and Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed – with "Journalism Is Not A Crime," an hour-long special at 8 p.m. this evening.
Hosted by anchor John Seigenthaler, the special examines the state of journalism around the world and the increase in reporter deaths and imprisonment in the last several years.
On Dec. 29, 2013, three Al Jazeera journalists were detained in Egypt on the charge of spreading false news deemed damaging to the Egyptian state. In June 2014 Mohamed and Peter were sentenced to seven years and Baher to 10 years without a shred of evidence. The journalists will appeal their sentence before the Egyptian court on Jan. 1, 2015.
"Journalism Is Not A Crime" features an interview with Peter Greste’s brother via Skype and the following stories from Al Jazeera America’s correspondents:
- Paul Beban looks at what happened to the AJE journalists and where things stand now.
- Ali Velshi, Stephanie Sy and Randall Pinkston take a deeper look at each man’s personal story.
- Nick Schifrin looks at the Geopolitical climate that has led to tougher treatment of journalists, concentrating on China, Syria, Iran and Egypt.
- Ash-Har Quarashi looks at the U.S. and why freedom of the press is unevenly protected.
- Roxana Saberi reports the personal stories of other global journalists who’ve experienced hostile regimes including capture and the threat of violence.
- Al Jazeera English’s Sue Turton discusses her ten-year sentence and how she is "wanted" in Egypt after being convicted in absentia.
- Excerpts from an interviews with Jon Stewart and Abdullah Elshamy, Al Jazeera’s reporter who was freed earlier this year after a hunger strike, opinions from Bob Simon, Christiane Amanpour and Dan Rather (all recorded earlier).
NEW YEAR’S EVE: The Fox News Channel will present a special New Year’s Eve program, "All-American New Year," starting at 8 p.m. on Wednesday. Co-hosts Kimberly Guilfoyle, Bob Beckel, Lisa "Kennedy" Montgomery, Anna Kooiman and Jesse Watters will ring in 2015 live from Times Square in New York City.
Fox News’ senior correspondent Rick Leventhal will be reporting on the safety and security of New Year’s Eve celebrations across the city and contributors Bernard McGurik and Joanne Nosuchinsky will be live from Times Square covering the spectators. During the program, viewers will be encouraged to share New Year’s resolutions on social media by using the hashtag #foxnews2015.
The Fox News Facebook page will offer viewers the opportunity to vote on their favorite music video of 2014, the winning selection will be announced during the special. Additionally, Foxnews.com will host a New Year’s Eve event page that will provide users with access to multiple live video streams and highlight all content related to the occasion, including the biggest moments of 2014.
Media is bombarding us everywhere.
Instead of sheltering his brain from the onslaught, Steve embraces the news stories, entertainment, billboards, blogs, talk shows and everything in between.
The former writer, editor and producer in TV, radio, Web and newspapers, will be talking about what media does in our community and how it shapes who we are and what we do.