As journalists arrive in Milwaukee to cover the 2024 Republican National Convention (RNC) at the Fiserv Forum, local police must be aware of and protect journalists’ constitutional right to report, especially on protests.
In a letter to the Milwaukee Police Department, Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) outlined the constitutional and legal protections available to journalists, and discussed steps police can take to protect press freedom and the public’s right to know.
With the ongoing war in Gaza, disputes over the border, and Donald Trump’s nomination, we can expect the public to take to the streets during the RNC. This is even more true in the wake of the killing of Dvontaye Mitchell at the Hyatt Regency hotel downtown, which put the spotlight on the host city. We told Police Chief Jeffrey Norman:
Officers must foster a safe environment for journalists outside the RNC and any other protests. … The decisions of your department are more important now than ever. Not only can you ensure a well-informed public and a stronger democracy, you can avoid the reputational and legal and economic pitfalls suffered by so many other police departments that have mishandled their protest responses in recent years.
You can read the full letter here. It’s also embedded below.
