Multi-media journalists face jail time after reporting on North Dakota pipeline protest
Posted by Michelle Moquin on October 17th, 2016
Good Monday morning.
Multi-media journalists face jail time after reporting on North Dakota pipeline protest
Investigative reporter and co-founder of Democracy Now!, Amy Goodman, is now facing riot charges in the state of North Dakota after her report on a Native American-led pipeline protest there went viral on Facebook.
Democracy Now! issued a statement about the new charges against Goodman late Saturday.
The news organization, which spun out of WBAI-FM, creates programming which is syndicated via radio, podcasts, cable television, public access television, live streams and Web downloads.
Goodman’s story, posted to Facebook on September 4th, has been viewed more than 14 million times on the social media platform, Democracy Now! said, and was picked up by mainstream media outlets and networks including CBS, NBC, NPR, CNN, MSNBC and The Huffington Post (a site owned by TechCrunch’s parent company Verizon).
Additionally, documentary filmmaker Deia Schlosberg, is facing felony and conspiracy charges that could carry a 45-year sentence for filming at the protest, IndieWire reports.
Edward Snowden noted Schlosberg’s predicament on Friday with a tweet that said, “This reporter is being prosecuted for covering the North Dakota oil protests. For reference, I face a mere 30 years.”
Authorities released Schlosberg, who also runs a production studio called Pale Blue Dot Media, after originally detaining her but they confiscated her footage and refused to release it according to public tweets from Josh Fox, a fellow filmmaker.
For those unfamiliar with the pipeline protests, the Standing Rock Sioux are seeking to halt the construction of a $3.8 billion pipeline saying its development will encroach on their tribal burial sites and taint their water supply at the Standing Rock Sioux Reservation.
The demonstrations in North Dakota have been ongoing for months. Native American advocates and environmentalists have protested the pipeline’s development in other cities and states, as well.
On October 10th, witnesses at a rally in Reno, Nevada captured footage of a pickup truck plowing into a group of activists protesting the pipeline’s development, and calling for Columbus Day to be changed to Indigenous Peoples’ Day in their state.
Several posted their footage and thoughts about the apparent attack on Facebook as well. The Reno incident injured five and sent one to the hospital. The rally was organized by the American Indian Movement of Northern Nevada (AIMNN).
It remains to be seen whether the charges against Goodman, Schlosberg and other journalists covering the Standing Rock protests against the Dakota Access pipeline will stick.
But these cases highlight the increasing power, and risks, associated with online distribution for news stories covered by independents, and earlier missed by mainstream networks. Virality and independence, it seems, can attract prosecutorial ire.
*****
Readers: These people should be protected by the First Amendment. It is not a crime to report what is happening. These reporters were simply doing their jobs, documenting protests, exercising their First Amendment rights. Goodman was not rioting – she was there documenting what was happening – again doing her job.
How can this woman, a reporter, Deia get 45 year sentence when Snowden is only facing 30? Really? The freedom of the press is a fundamental right in our free society. This is so unjust. In my opinion, this is absolutely crazy, and something everyone should be concerned about when it comes to our freedoms.
Is this surprising that this is happening to two women?
I had technical difficulties this morning and I am running late so please pick up where I am leaving off and support our reporters in their right to do their jobs so that all of us can be informed. I signed the petition, I HOPE you will too. Thanks to Josh Fox, her associate, for his support in getting the charges against Schlosberg dropped. Need more info? Click here.
Beverly: Woo hoo! Thank you. Take your friends with you too. No one should believe that their vote doesn’t count.
Zen Lill: Happy Belated Birthday! Happy to hear you enjoyed yourself.
Nora: You and me both. It is so much more than just getting Hillary in. We need the Senate too. We can’t celebrate yet – this is no shoo-in. Encourage all you know to go vote. I wold love to have the House too.
Got to run…
Peace out.
Lastly, greed over a great story is surfacing from my “loyal”(?) readers. With all this back and forth about who owns what, that appears on my blog, let me reiterate that all material posted on my blog becomes the sole property of my blog. If you want to reserve any proprietary rights don’t post it to my blog. I will prominently display this caveat on my blog from now on to remind those who may have forgotten this notice.
Gratefully your blog host,
michelle Aka BABE: We all know what this means by now :)
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October 17th, 2016 at 7:55 pm
Glad to see the topic is still on the radar here. I was outraged when I first heard of this. Fortunately the judge saw through that shit and dismissed the charged. I’m not sure there’s been an update on the filmmaker’s situation. I’m happy ms goodman has been exonerated but let’s not forget this BS legal tactic got the AgGag laws passed.
Happy belated birthday zen Iil
And i wanted to share this – I saw an old timey photo of some suffragettes holding a parade sign together with this wonderful quote by Susan b Anthony:
“No self respecting woman should wish or work for the success of a party that ignores her sex.”
woman still anticipating voting trump really need to think about that quote because obviously they’re too stupid to figure it out in their own Maybe you can’t fix stupid.
/SB
October 17th, 2016 at 9:18 pm
Thank you, /SB & Mischa
No you cannot fix stupid but I was happily reading that the smart people (even smart gop-ers who are NOT backing trump due to his clear lack of credentials AND his open racism/sexism/-ism ism) that they are hitting him at the cash register. No more trump hotels paid fr by the company they won’t reimburse, cutting up or returning his ties made in Indonesia, a black woman took back her ivanka trump dress even though she loved it, old white haired guys are cancelled their $10K long weekend golf excursions with buddies, boom, it is coming home to roost.
Go vote for her and vote even further with your dollars.
SuzyQ did you see WF bank CEO resigned, I have to go see how much he walked with but good riddance to the corrupt jerk.
About today’s write, I’m glad the judge dropped such stupidity. That’s ridiculous, even Snowden compared his own sentence for reference, is common sense and sensitivity & objectivity completely lost??
The US mentality concerns me, it’s like living in a special little gun totin’ media sound byte obsessed bubble gone awry.
Happy voting! luv, Zen Lill
October 18th, 2016 at 6:35 am
Michelle, Snowden is a white man. He will be given the benefit of the doubt that his actions had some good intent.
October 18th, 2016 at 6:36 am
I signed the petition also. It is one of the ways we can show unity with the cause.
October 18th, 2016 at 6:41 am
Social Butterfly, no you can’t fix stupid. I am a long time republican, but no more. Many of my female friends are so virulently for Trump that they are daring anyone in our circle to think or speak differently.
I have decided to just keep my mouth shut around them, but I speak to the others quietly about my intent to vote for Hilary. I also intend to vote left on the rest of the down ticket.
Frankly, I don’t see a reason to elect misogynistic down ticket either.
October 18th, 2016 at 6:47 am
Michelle, you Zen Lill, Social Butterfly, Alycedale and others have been a crutch to lean on here in Minnesota. We have arrived with nothing but your governments help to survive and the fear of where we come from.
I got the link for your blog from friends in Egypt, أريد أن ب المائة غرام لكل يوم يا تي أوه قاعدة الحيل ليبرتي في الحادي و لى يوان د.
Translated – the blog’s that’s a girl’s best friend.
Hearing females voice their opinions and hearing that we can overcome bigotry because there are those who hear our tears at night is so much help.
October 18th, 2016 at 6:53 am
Social Butterfly “stupid” is so accurate. My father tells us girls that we must vote for trump because he will help him make his business better.
What about us? Our mother said your father is only thinking about you when he supports trump. Stupid for him saying that and even more stupid for her accepting that bullshit.
I hope you ladies reach more people. I have my mother reading this blog every day.
Now she says. Women have power. I say to her, no shit.
October 18th, 2016 at 6:54 am
Nothing makes sense anymore Zen Lill. We are being discriminated against by people who tell us to vote for a man because he will help them do it legally.
October 18th, 2016 at 6:56 am
Zen Lill he walked away with $134 million. Someone should punish me like that.
October 18th, 2016 at 6:58 am
This blog has convinced me that I have been viewing the world through my mother’s idiotic glasses. Thank you Aunt Lisa for the link.
October 18th, 2016 at 7:00 am
Mexicans for Trump are out trying to get him votes. I cannot believe there is such a group.
Oh, yeah, Zen Lill, and Social Butterfly, stupid is as stupid does.
October 18th, 2016 at 7:05 am
Is this not covered under “freedom of speech”? I wil admit, I need to look more into this and do not know enough, but she did not promote the “riot” did she? She was just reporting facts? This is just another example of our government overreach, and people like the Clinton’s in power (and no I am not saying Trump is any better) this will continue to happen.
I also agree with you Michelle. How is it that what these journalists have done have worst reprocutions than what Eric Snowden did?
People need to wake up and take our country back to “for the people” and not “for the few.”
October 18th, 2016 at 7:06 am
Unbelievable ! Are we living in a totalitarian nation? It appears so. If the elitist left wing in this country keeps pushing their screwball agenda, they will eventually wake the sleeping giant that will one day crush them.
October 18th, 2016 at 7:07 am
Riot is different from protest. What they did to the reporter is unconstitutional and violation of free speech, it is undemocratic. We are in the USA not in China.
October 18th, 2016 at 7:10 am
Wade#12, You’ve made quite a leap of logic here. What does Hillary Clinton’s running for president have anything to do with local police in North Dakota arresting a journalist?
I mean North Dakota is a traditionally conservative state normally run by Republicans. This is about powerful companies using their leverage with their bought and paid for politicians and judges to try and silence people existing their bottom line.
Michelle, people like you who put the spotlight on these crooked politicians and judges are the victims of theirs power only hope.
October 18th, 2016 at 7:12 am
Mark#13, are supposed to believe that your “sleeping giant”(fat pot bellied white men with AK15s) is going to rise up?
You idiots couldn’t piss in a bucket without you white male privilege.
October 18th, 2016 at 7:13 am
Bejerano#14, The riot charges were BS but the criminal trespass is perfectly fine. They were not on public property, they were within the construction zone and were told by police and security to leave prior to being arrested. Freedom of the press does not provide you with immunity to trespassing.
October 18th, 2016 at 7:14 am
Mark#13, You known that Any Goodman is a lefty right? Trump has gotten the masses so riled up they just believe everything is a left wing conspiracy.
October 18th, 2016 at 7:16 am
Wade#12, The populism of the French Revolution will be repeated in the Unitied States very soon Wade and it will be bloody.
I believe Donald J Trump will win by a landslide and shock the status quo. The ones calling for a resurgence of populism instead of adhereing to our Democratic Republic roots are going to find a pretty large platform to enforce their views with the new Trump administration.
Sadly, this is a deadly mistake that will see our Bill of Rights totally abandoned. For the People!!
October 18th, 2016 at 7:21 am
Mark #13, North Dakota is a republican controlled state. Therefore the actions against the Native Americans are by Republican, right-leaning government agents, not Democrats.
When will you sick bastards stop trying to have it both ways? You control both Houses of Congress and you blame Obama for the shit the Congress passes and ignores.
Refer to Social Butterfly#1, “…Maybe you can’t fix stupid.”
October 18th, 2016 at 7:22 am
If you’re surprised ponder this: The world started calling America an Oligarchy when Bush Jr was elected.
And you can legally buy votes. So this is 100% true. On top of that, who ‘donates’ most money to their favorite politicians? Oil & gas companies.
I worked in North Dakota on these jobs. You could still work with these protests outside of work.
The government stepped in. Why? It might delay their completion due date; which would cost them about $985,000 per week. Free speech means nothing in an Oligarchy.
October 18th, 2016 at 7:23 am
Audrey#20, Republican bent people like to blame their own party’s shenanigans on the Dems and call anyone that does not agree with them liberals. It’s rather amusing.
October 18th, 2016 at 7:24 am
Audrey#20, What evidence do you have that Ladd Erickson, the prosecutor for McClean COunty, is a Republican? He is the one responsible for and pressing the charges.
October 18th, 2016 at 7:27 am
Apparently the corporate world doesn’t care how they are perceived any more. They are willing to move ahead with out regard to anything…..because no one in authority is willing to stand up to them.
Oh there are some “bitches” and their names are Michelle, Zen Lill, Social Butterfly and the rest of Michelle’s posse here.
Go get’em Ladies.
October 18th, 2016 at 7:30 am
Allen#23, his boss, Wayne Stenehjem, is a Republican, and he could not prosecute this without his boss’s permission.
Of course you knew that, but as per you right’s tactics, you tried to float that question as if you didn’t.
This is Michelle’s blog. We do our homework. Bring your lies, and bullshit here and you will be called out.
October 18th, 2016 at 7:31 am
Raphael#24, Yeah, too bad his answer for it is garbage though. Who wants to work hard just so someone else can be lazy all day and live almost as comfortable. There would be no point to working hard, people would see that, and we’d end up like Europe.
October 18th, 2016 at 7:35 am
Unfortunately the bottom line is the story here big company’s and corporations don’t care about anything or anyone but profit at all cost.
And there are plenty of underlings to do their bidding for them ie… government be it local state or federal we are at the crossroads in this country and the elections process is being made a mockery of.
Its a shame that it has come to this in this country!! And with so much going on in the world there is a lot of anxiety and stress going on in the world people are worried for their future and and the power’s to be in the world ain’t helping the situation at all.
The pipeline deal is going to play it’s self out the way it’s supposed to in favor of big business but karma is a bitch and not only karma is in play here but who’s to say that disturbing those sacred grounds of those indigenous people does not carry a much bigger consequence then?
Let the fool’s dig cause some how i just think they are digging their own grave!!!
October 18th, 2016 at 7:37 am
Michelle, thanks for the article. And Social Butterfly thanks for bringing it to everybody’s attention here.
Just thinking …… We have come a long way from shooting Native Americans out of existance. That is progress, I suppose.
October 18th, 2016 at 7:38 am
Where did my comment Go Michelle?
October 18th, 2016 at 7:39 am
I changed my name because it seems if I used Mohan my comment doesn’t get published.
October 19th, 2016 at 9:01 am
[…] Mohan: I’m sorry about that. Not sure why they wouldn’t post. I found your comments in spam and approved them. […]