"But moments before the Nov. 14 media event began, the Oakland Police Department barred the Peralta Citizen reporter from entering, a remarkable blockade against a college newspaper covering a national story about beloved Laney coach John Beam, who was fatally shot on campus a day earlier. The reason? The Citizen reporter an associate editor had not first obtained a police-issued press credential."
"Hours after Gonzalez-Zaragoza's removal, First Amendment lawyers and advocates fired off a letter to police officials and Mayor Barbara Lee, saying the practice interferes with the ability of the press to keep the public informed, threatens press independence and hurts the community's ability to get news from a diverse range of sources. This is a high-profile case, but I felt comfortable going in there it's not fair that any reporter was kicked out, Gonzalez-Zaragoza, who grew up in Oakland, later said."
"She was not alone. Journalists on assignment for The Oaklandside and the San Francisco Chronicle were also not allowed inside and a photographer with the Bay Area News Group as well as another Citizen reporter were only permitted to attend after agreeing on the spot to apply for an OPD press credential, according to the letter from the First Amendment Coalition, Pacific Workers Media Guild and the Society of Professional Journalists of Northern California."
Oakland Police Department barred Peralta Citizen associate editor Nelzy Gonzalez-Zaragoza and other reporters from a Nov. 14 Laney College press conference because they lacked police-issued press credentials. The press conference followed the fatal shooting of beloved Laney coach John Beam on campus. Journalists from The Oaklandside, the San Francisco Chronicle and the Bay Area News Group faced similar restrictions or were told to apply for OPD credentials on the spot. First Amendment lawyers and media advocates sent a letter to police officials and Mayor Barbara Lee, saying the credential policy interferes with press access, threatens independence, and limits diverse community news sources. Oakland police say press passes are meant to ensure safety.
Read at www.mercurynews.com
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