MEDIA ADVISORY: Journalist Amy Goodman to Turn Herself in to North Dakota authorities

[G_j]

http://m.democracynow.org/web_exclusives/3028


October 13, 2016 – Award-winning journalist Amy Goodman, charged with criminal trespassing for filming an attack on Native American-led pipeline protesters, will turn herself in to North Dakota authorities on October 17.

Amy Goodman will surrender to authorities at the Morton County–Mandan Combined Law Enforcement and Corrections Center at 8:15 a.m. local time (CDT).

"I will go back to North Dakota to fight this charge. It is a clear violation of the First Amendment," said Goodman. "I was doing my job as a journalist, covering a violent attack on Native American protesters.”

The charge in State of North Dakota v. Amy Goodman, stems from Democracy Now!’s coverage of the protests against the Dakota Access pipeline. On Saturday, September 3, Democracy Now! filmed security guards working for the pipeline company attacking protesters. The report showed guards unleashing dogs and using pepper spray and featured people with bite injuries and a dog with blood on its mouth and nose.

Democracy Now!’s report went viral online, was viewed more than 14 million times on Facebook and was rebroadcast on many outlets, including CBS, NBC, NPR, CNN, MSNBC and the Huffington Post.

On September 8, a criminal complaint and warrant was issued for Goodman’s arrest.

Ironically, in the state’s criminal complaint, North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation Special Agent Lindsey Wohl, referencing the “Democracy Now!” video report in a sworn affidavit, stated, “Amy Goodman can be seen on the video identifying herself and interviewing protesters about their involvement in the protest.” This is precisely the point: Goodman was doing the constitutionally protected work of a reporter.

The pipeline project has faced months of resistance from the Standing Rock Sioux tribe and members of over 200 other tribes from across the U.S., Canada and Latin America.

The Committee to Protect Journalists has said that the warrant is "a transparent attempt to intimidate reporters from covering protests of significant public interest.” Steve Andrist, executive director of the North Dakota Newspaper Association, told The Bismarck Tribune, “It’s regrettable that authorities chose to charge a reporter who was just doing her job.”

Goodman is the host and executive producer of Democracy Now!, a national, daily, independent, award-winning public television/radio news program that airs on over 1,400 stations worldwide. Goodman has co-authored six New York Times bestsellers and won many of journalism’s highest awards in her more than three decades working as a reporter.

Democracy Now!’s coverage of the pipeline and the protests is available here.
Press Statement:
Time: 8:00 a.m., Monday October 17, 2016
Place: 211 2nd Ave NW, Mandan ND 58554
Followed by short walk to jail:
Time: 8:15 a.m. Monday October 17, 2016
Place: 205 1st Ave NW, Mandan, ND 58554
For more information, contact Denis Moynihan at [phone] (on-site cell) or [e-mail].

Live camera position/uplink available.
To book contact Denis Moynihan.

Press availability will follow Amy Goodman’s arraignment, expected (but not guaranteed) to be several hours after 8:15 a.m. Goodman will be available for TV interviews via live TV camera position.

Live camera positions with satellite uplink connection available onsite to interview Amy Goodman or for use by your correspondent.

Broadcast/print quality video and still photos of Amy Goodman entering Morton County Jail will be available at democracynow.org or by emailing request to [e-mail].

[malaise]

1. Go Amy!!

You will win

[underpants]

2. Her show is what actual news is supposed to be

I get to catch the beginning on the local indie radio station.

They really ought to consider moving it more into drive time IMHO.

[Achilleaze]

3. Not standing up for Amy is a disgraceful FAIL for Corporate Media, Inc.

on a key principle.

In general, corporate media is choosing to actively ignore what historians will regard as a major action leading to a major turning point in native & energy history.

[G_j]

5. exactly

unprecedented history being made, ..crickets..

[panader0]

4. Big K and R for Amy Goodman and for the Native and non Native

Americans there protecting the earth.

[red dog 1]

6. + 1

[red dog 1]

7. K&R

As a regular listener to Democracy Now, I will be following this case very carefully.

The person who should be turning herself in is the female cop who let her dog loose to attack the peaceful protesters, and her fellow cops who used pepper spray on non-violent peaceful protesters.

[G_j]

8. I believe she worked for a private

security company. And yes, she and others should be arrested and held accountable.

[G_j]

9. Kick