12 JUNE 11, 2020 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Time to press the issue on credentials
Why does the NYPD control
the press credentials that
reporters and editors need
to cover news across the city?
We were left to ask that question
aft er seeing report aft er report last
week of journalists in New York City
being harassed, intimidated and even
arrested for covering the George
Floyd protests past the curfew hours.
The executive order that Mayor Bill
de Blasio signed on June 1 establishing
the curfew included protections for
essential workers such as health care
workers, food delivery workers and,
yes, even reporters and editors. It’s
hard to report on the news if you’re
not allowed out of your home to cover
it.
But over and over again last week,
we saw police officers completely
ignore or not understand the order
covering essential workers. Our staff
wasn’t immune to the problems.
Reporter Ben Verde, while out
covering a protest in Brooklyn aft er
curfew on June 4, was approached by
a ranking offi cer who threatened to
take his “f---ing press pass” if he didn’t
move along.
EDITORIAL
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The NYPD should no longer be in charge of issuing press credentials in New York City. Photo via Gettu Images
De Blasio responded that police
intimidation of essential workers
shouldn’t have happened, and
promised that the NYPD wouldn’t be
allowed to do it again. He promised
change, but didn’t go into very many
specifi cs about it.
Meanwhile, City Comptroller
Scott Stringer came up with an idea:
Remove the NYPD from the press credential
process itself, and transfer that
authority to the mayor’s offi ce instead
to keep journalists free from NYPD
intimidation.
It’s a good start, but even that plan
has inherent fl aws. What if, someday,
New York City elects a mayor that’s
as hostile to the press as President
Trump, who could then wield that
authority to punish media outlets or
reporters they do not like?
We believe that the credential
powers ought to go to a city agency
that operates apolitically, such as the
Department of Investigation or the
Department of Emergency Management.
Both agencies focus on good
government rather than politics.
The press card qualifi cations that
the NYPD maintains are also antiquated
and cumbersome, with rigid
requirements based mainly on a reporter’s
portfolio. They must change
as well.
Certainly, this issue is minor in
comparison to the long-standing
racial injustice our city is fi ghting to
change. As we work to bend the arc of
justice in favor of a more equal city for
all, we must also ensure that journalists
are able to cover that eff ort free
of retribution.
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