News/Media Alliance Joins Coalition Letter Calling for Charges Against Journalist Covering Demonstration to be Dropped

On October 22, 2024, the News/Media Alliance joined a coalition of media organizations in a letter, led by Freedom of the Press Foundation, to New York District Attorney Gary Pasqua urging him to drop all charges against Indian Time reporter Isaac White, who was arrested at a land claim demonstration in New York on May 21, 2024. The request comes in light of new guidance from the Department of Justice that explains that law enforcement may not disperse or arrest journalists during mass demonstrations. Especially given this guidance, the letter explains that White's arrest amounts to a violation of his First Amendment rights, which in turn may deprive the public of newsworthy information, and that journalists should be free to accurately report on events like mass demonstrations. Read more here