August 14, 2014
In a letter to Thomas Jackson, Chief of Police for the embattled City of Ferguson, MO, Radio Television Digital News Association Executive Director Mike Cavender condemned actions by police authorities this week that resulted in the arrest and detainment of two news reporters — Wesley Lowry of the Washington Post and Ryan Reilly of the digital Huffington Post. Cavender (pictured above) called the assault on and arrest of the reporters by cops “unconscionable” and called for such actions to be “stopped immediately.” Copying Missouri Governor Jay Nixon and the state’s Attorney General Chris Koster, as well as U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on his letter to the Chief, Cavender made the RTDNA’s position on the issue crystal clear.
“The journalistic community is demanding that you, other command officials and all law enforcement officers involved in this continuing situation, respect the rights of reporters and other journalists to provide news coverage in Ferguson so long as they operate legally — which these two reporters were doing. Harassment and abuse of anyone in a similar situation cannot be accepted and must not be tolerated by you and others charged with maintaining the peace and security in Ferguson.”
