The NYPD Wednesday took steps to change the rules that govern when they can take away journalists’ press credentials — weeks after massive protests against police brutality where working reporters were arrested doing their jobs.
The department is proposing changes to the rules that govern the suspension and/or revocation of press credentials issued to members of the media.
The policy changes specify that a reporter’s credentials, which allow journos to go behind police lines when reporting the news, could be suspended if they are arrested — though not necessarily convicted — or fail to comply with a “lawful order of a police officer” and if they attempt to interfere with a “police officer’s official function.”
The new rules also cite “misusing or misrepresenting the press credential while not acting in a news gathering capacity” and “other conduct that endangers public safety or interferes with legitimate law enforcement needs” as reasons to take away credentials.
But an NYPD spokesman said the NYPD had to change the rules per a court settlement with a freelance reporter.
“As part of the settlement negotiations, our agreement is that we will make amendments to the rules regarding press credentials,” Sgt. Jessica McRorie said. “This is a result of a lawsuit.They’re asking us to define both revocation and suspension.”
She said they would have had to make the changes even if there were no protests because of the five year old lawsuit that challenged the way the credentials issued by cops were being removed in certain cases. It has led to ongoing settlement discussions between the city and the plaintiff, Jason Nicholas, a photojournalist, who had his credentials removed in 2015, following a building collapse in Midtown Manhattan.
The proposed changes come on the heels of an incident during protests on June 2 when NYPD officers surrounded, shoved and harassed a duo of Associated Press reporters covering the George Floyd protests in the city. Other reporters, including a senior reporter at Huffington Post, were arrested.
Part of the tense encounter with the AP reporters was captured on video, and released by the wire service the same night, showing videojournalist Robert Bumsted and photographer Maye-E Wong trying to cover the Lower Manhattan-area rallies.
“Why are you essential?” one cop repeatedly yells at the pair after they identified as credentialed journalists.
At the time, working journalists were considered essential workers and were permitted to be out past the citywide 8 p.m. curfew, according to the mayor’s office.
“I don’t give a s–t,” another cop responds on the video.
“Get the f–k out of here, you piece of s–t,” another cops says.
Cops continued to push the two, trying to separate them and force them toward Bumsted’s car, according to the AP.
Both were wearing their AP identification, according to the report.
City Council Speaker Corey Johnson said he doesn’t think the NYPD should be in charge of granting press passes.
“This is all the more reason that the NYPD should not be in charge of press passes at all,” Johnson said. “The Mayor should act immediately to move this responsibility to a neutral agency with limited political influence, and if he doesn’t, the Council will legislate on this important issue. New York City must do everything we can to protect the freedom of the press.”
No authorized NYPD credentials have been removed during the protests that began in late May. But there have been several instances of journalists working without credentials issued by the police department who have been arrested, police officials said.
Wednesday’s developments that the rules will be given a public hearing on Aug. 18, where people will have the opportunity to comment on the rule changes the NYPD is seeking.