On Aug. 20, during the Democratic National Convention, three accredited journalists were arrested while documenting pro-Palestine protests in Chicago — a similarity to the arrest of two journalists at the University of New Mexico earlier this year.
The three photojournalists working at the protests in Chicago faced misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct after spending hours in jail, according to the Intercept.
In May, Bryant Furlow and Tara Armijo-Prewitt were arrested on the UNM campus during their coverage of the UNM Police Department and New Mexico State Police dismantling a pro-Palestine encampment. Furlow is a freelance journalist who regularly contributes to New Mexico In Depth.
“It’s been an extraordinary year in 2024, because my way of thinking about press freedom has always been more about how accessible public officials are,” said Trip Jennings, executive director of New Mexico In Depth. “But recently I’ve been forced to contemplate how protected journalists are in terms of being protected from arrests.”
As of Sunday, Sept. 1, the press freedom ranking of the United States has dropped to 55th out of 180 countries, according to Reporters Without Borders.
Earlier this year, journalist Carlos Sanchez was charged with assault of a peace officer in Austin. Police alleged that he hit them with a camera, despite video footage from multiple angles showing that did not happen, according to U.S. Press Freedom Tracker.
After his own arrest, Furlow released a statement via New Mexico In Depth.
“We, at all times, followed instructions we received from police and stayed behind the yellow police tape. We were arrested while photographing the operation and shortly after asking an NMSP officer for his badge number and name,” Furlow’s statement reads.
Furlow and Armijo-Prewitt have both had their charges dropped.
“My sense with Gaza is that maybe there’s not as much thought given to, ‘Hey maybe these people who’ve identified themselves as press, maybe we should not arrest them’ … One of the great traditions of American journalism is speaking truth to power,” Jennings said.
Lily Joy Winder is an Indigenous activist from Albuquerque who attended the Democratic National Convention in August. As a content creator who had a press pass, she said that she was able to move around freely at the DNC but felt there was censorship against pro-Palestine activists.
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“The DNC did reject the carefully crafted proposal made by the uncommitted movement for a Palestinian elected official to speak, limiting the amount of overall conversation and press about the devastation in Gaza,” Winder said.
Jennings also said the shrinkage of newsrooms in New Mexico has contributed to the decreasing leverage and power of the press.
“When I started at the (Albuquerque) Journal in 2005, I think there were around several dozen journalists (covering the legislature). Now there might be fewer than 10,” Jennings said.
This scale of journalists’ arrests is unusual in recent history, according to Jennings, who said he has been around tense standoffs but has never been arrested.
“I do wonder what it means for journalists who are sent out to cover these protests,” Jennings said.
Reporters Without Borders recommended both presidential campaigns to commit to protecting press freedom, especially during a contentious election year.
Shin Thant Hlaing is a freelance reporter for the Daily Lobo. She can be reached at culture@dailylobo.com or on X @dailylobo
