One year ago the Occupy movement took root in a small square in New York City. From there it rippled out across the nation over a matter of weeks and months.

A week after that initial occupation, the New York Police Department arrested  John Farley of local PBS affiliate WNET Thirteen, marking the first of many journalist arrests that occurred nationwide over the course of the Occupy movement.

The close of the Democratic National Convention brought to an end two long weeks of political punditry, public protest and an enormous police presence that engulfed both Tampa and Charlotte. However, even with a reported 15,000 journalists on hand at both conventions and a huge and complicated security force filling the streets, there were relatively few cases of press suppression.

More than 15,000 journalists have descended on Tampa for the Republican National Convention. Journalists planning to cover political conventions and the associated protests need to be careful about the gear they bring — especially in light of new local laws.

On Aug. 16, we hosted a Webinar on press freedom, journalist safety and reporters’ rights. The online event was a collaboration between Free Press, the International News Safety Institute and Harvard University's Digital Media Law Project, but the roughly 40 people who participated all added value to the discussion. 

The event was an interactive discussion that drew on a mix of concrete legal information and advice, interspersed with personal stories from both professional and citizen journalists who have covered protests on the ground.