The dispute over Knock LA, a community journalism outlet in Los Angeles, has escalated into legal battles, featuring lawsuits over copyright and trademark infringement and defamation. One side includes prominent independent journalists who created a strong public following through investigative reporting, while the other consists of Ground Game LA, the advocacy group that established Knock LA. This situation exposes sharp divisions over control and ownership in independent media, particularly amidst the backdrop of significant political shifts and the outlet's rapid growth during recent protests and public health crises.
The question of who controls a small independent media outlet has roiled Los Angeles' left for more than a year.
Ground Game LA formed Knock LA in 2017, billing the nonprofit community journalism project as "by and for Los Angeles progressives."
Camacho and Castle charge that Ground Game LA has continued to profit off their work without authorization, even after blocking their access to the site.
Ground Game LA argues that the journalists essentially tried to hijack the news outlet, taking its trademark.
Collection
[
|
...
]