Statement against campus violence
The Executive Committee of Media Guild of the West issued the following statement May 1, 2024:
On the UCLA campus Tuesday night and early Wednesday morning, Guild-represented journalists from the Los Angeles Times – as well as other news organizations, including those run by students – found themselves caught in the middle of a maelstrom. One L.A. Times photographer coped with tear gas and pepper spray around him and someone who threatened to break his camera as he took a photo. Another L.A. Times journalist video recorded, just inches away from him, a group of people jumping on someone and hitting him with a stick, as the reporter yelled for them to stop.
We condemn violence. Violence against any journalists doing their jobs – reporting, photographing, and video recording the news is unacceptable. Any attack on journalists is an attack on the public’s right to know.
We are disturbed by accounts that journalists from the Daily Bruin were followed and assaulted early this morning. We stand with them and call for their safety and their ability to report freely. Student journalists are journalists – period – and are due equal protection.
As protests have become more widespread and intense on college campuses and in public spaces across the country, we expect all news organizations, law enforcement, university leaders and public officials to do everything in their power to maintain safety and respect the civil liberties of journalists and other civilians.
Media Guild of the West is committed to protecting journalists on the job by holding news organizations accountable to all relevant collective bargaining agreement provisions. The newsrooms that employ our members must provide necessary equipment for covering these assignments safely and allow staff members to turn down or depart assignments they consider dangerous.
Assaults against journalists must be investigated, and those responsible for their harm must be held accountable.
This work can be harrowing, but it is essential for informing the public and contributing to the historic record. Just as essential is protecting the journalists who do it.
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Media Guild of the West is a local union of The NewsGuild-CWA, founded in 2019, that represents journalists at the Arizona Republic, Austin-American Statesman, Dallas Morning News, Desert Sun, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Houston Landing, Long Beach Post and Long Beach Business Journal, Los Angeles Times, San Antonio Report, Southern California News Group, Texas Tribune and Phoenix New Times.