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.

Natasha Lennard (Salon.com, International News Safety Institute) and John Knefel (Salon.com, Radio Dispatch) discussed their own arrests, which occurred while they were reporting on Occupy Wall Street demonstrations, and shared their advice for other reporters. Andy Sellars of the Digital Media Law Project gave legal guidance for reporters planning to cover the conventions in Tampa and Charlotte.

You can view the Webinar below in full, and we have gathered all the links that the panelists and audience shared. Be sure to tune in to the second part of the conversation on Aug. 23 at 8 p.m. Eastern.

Stories of Journalist Arrests:

John Knefel on his arrest: My 37 hours with the NYPD: http://www.salon.com/2011/12/14/my_37_hours_with_the_nypd/

On Natasha Lennard’s arrest: Police Arrest More Than 700 Protesters on Brooklyn Bridge: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/01/police-arresting-protesters-on-brooklyn-bridge/

On Robert Stolarik’s recent arrest: Times Photographer Is Arrested on Assignment: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/06/nyregion/robert-stolarik-times-photographer-is-arrested-while-on-assignment-in-the-bronx.html

On Robert Stolarik’s arrest in 2004: Photographers Describe Picture of Rough Treatment: http://www.thevillager.com/villager_71/photographerdescribe.html

On the arrest of Joshua Lott during the NATO summit: Photojournalists Arrested, Injured, Covering Chicago NATO Protests: http://www.nppa.org/news_and_events/news/2012/05/nato.html

Phil Datz case: NYCLU Files Civil Rights Lawsuit on Behalf Of Cameraman Arrested by Suffolk Police: http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2012/04/11/nyclu-files-civil-rights-lawsuit-on-behalf-of-cameraman-arrested-by-suffolk-police/

On Press Credentials:

The Debate Over Press Credentials: http://storify.com/jcstearns/the-debate-over-press-credentials

Inside Gothamist's Absurd Struggle to Get NYPD Press Passes:  http://gothamist.com/2011/12/15/inside_gothamists_absurd_struggle_to_get_nypd_press_passes.php

Notes on the NYPD Press-Credentialing Process, from the (Ineligible) Editor-in-Chief of the New York Observer: http://observer.com/2011/11/nypd-press-credentialing-11182011/

Information on Covering the Conventions:

Covering the Conventions and Protests (NPPA blog): http://blogs.nppa.org/advocacy/2012/08/07/cover-the-conventions-and-protests/

Tips on Covering Civil Unrest: http://na.newssafety.org/?p=34

Recording Police Officers and Public Officials: http://www.citmedialaw.org/legal-guide/recording-police-officers-and-public-officials

Reporters Committee Readies Free Hotline for Journalists Covering Republican, Democratic National Conventions: http://www.rcfp.org/reporters-committee-readies-free-hotline-journalists-covering-republican-democratic-national-convent

Packing for a Protest: The Gear Journalists Take to Report in Conflict Areas (Storify): http://storify.com/jcstearns/packing-for-a-protest-the-gear-journalists-take-to

National Lawyers Guild website: http://www.nlg.org/

Crashing the Conventions: http://www.salon.com/2012/08/16/occupy_the_conventions/

A law professor and cop explain why you shouldn't talk to cops in this viral lecture: Don’t Talk to Police: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wXkI4t7nuc

NPPA Advocacy "Know Your Rights" page: -http://nppa.org/member_services/advocacy/restrictions_on_public_photography.html

ACLU Know Your Rights page for photographers: http://www.aclu.org/free-speech/know-your-rights-photographers

General Press Freedom and Journalist Rights:

Photos of Journalist Abuse and Arrests at the NATO Summit (Storify): http://storify.com/jcstearns/photos-of-journalist-abuse-and-arrests-at-the-nato

Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index 2011–2012 (U.S. is ranked number 47): http://en.rsf.org/press-freedom-index-2011-2012,1043.html