RSF’s #WeeklyAddress on US press freedom: Week of May 29 - June 4

Organisation:

RSF_en

Below are the most notable stories regarding threats to press freedom in the U.S. during the week of May 29 - June 4:

Below are the most notable stories regarding threats to press freedom in the U.S. during the week of May 29-June 4:

1. Tuesday, May 30, marked the first televised White House press briefing since May 18. This was one of three televised briefings this week. A fourth briefing took place, but the White House banned television cameras and the briefing lasted for less than 12 minutes. President Trump has been considering decreasing the frequency of on-camera White House press briefings.

2. During the May 30 press briefing, Brian Karem, a reporter for Maryland newspaper The Sentinel, asked Press Secretary Sean Spicer if the Trump administration will take a stand against violence against journalists. Spicer responded, “We’ll take a stance against violence against any individual.” When Karem followed up by asking if the administration would support legislation to protect journalists, Spicer said: “We have a Constitution, Brian, that supports the First Amendment.” While working for Texas television station KMOL-TV in 1990, Karem was arrested and sentenced to six months in jail for refusing to reveal the names of sources who helped him get interviews with a jailed murder suspect. He was released after two weeks, when his source released Karem from his promise of confidentiality. Karem is now an advocate for adopting a federal shield law.

3. RSF is tracking an incident that occurred at the office of a newspaper in London, Kentucky, last weekend. On the morning of Sunday, May 28, windows on the lower levels of the Lexington-Herald Leader’s building were shattered, and two windows on the upper level were damaged with what appear to be small-caliber bullets.
Police have yet to identify a suspect, though they have noted that similar cases of vandalism have occurred in the last month at other locations near the newspaper’s building, including an elementary school. The Lexington Herald-Leader had not received any specific threat in relation to the vandalism.

The United States ranks 43rd out of 180 countries in RSF's 2017 World Press Freedom Index after falling 2 places in the last year.