Lawmakers in Utah are facing a new First Amendment lawsuit after denying longtime Utah journalist Bryan Schott press credentials to cover the statehouse. Represented by the Institute for Free Speech, Schott and his news outlet Utah Political Watch claim that the move is retaliation for his critical coverage of state lawmakers.
But that’s not all. As Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) Senior Advocacy Adviser Caitlin Vogus writes in The Salt Lake Tribune, the legislature has gone a step further and banned all independent and freelance journalists from receiving press credentials.
Vogus writes:
“Maybe lawmakers don’t believe freelancers who publish online are journalists. But the Supreme Court disagrees. So does Utah Sen. Mike Lee, who last Congress co-sponsored a federal shield law that would have protected freelance and independent journalists from being forced to reveal their sources. Utah’s own reporter-source shield law also covers independent reporters.
“More importantly, excluding independent journalists reduces Utahns’ access to information. These days, people across the political spectrum get their news through social media, podcasts, newsletters and even blogs. But Utah’s new policy would bar everyone from Joe Rogan to Paul Krugman from receiving a press credential.”
