Andrea Sahouri and her human rights

  

Andrea Sahouri

In the article entitled "In 'exceedingly rare' case, Iowa Journalist faces charges from reporting on summer protests.", it speaks about a Journalist Andrea Sahouri. During the summer amid protests after the death of George Floyd, Sahouri was arrested covering these protests.

Media and journalism groups are fighting for the charges to be dropped - the article states at least 126 journalists have either been detained or arrested in the year of 2020.

Sahouri was arrested while on assignment at the Des Moines mall in Iowa. From what I understand, Sahouri was in the way of the police officers and she repeatedly said "I'm a journalist. I'm a journalist."

Freedom of the press includes freedom to gather news in any way they can - this includes being present at a protest scene.

"Andrea was there as a working journalist, and her job was to be the eyes and ears to the public at a historic moment, witnessing and observing what was unfolding," Carol Hunter said, the newspaper's executive editor. 

The law enforcement believes that the First Amendment does not give journalist a "free pass" to do what the public is not prohibited to do at a protest. If the charge against her is not dropped, she can be fined up to $600 and/or spend 30 days in federal prison.

Watch the livestream of Andrea Sahouri's arrest here

This story intrigued me because after learning more about Nellie Bly, Sahouri reminds me of her. Bly who was one of the first journalist to use investigative journalism, would side with Sahouri.

Journalists are constantly getting in trouble, even thrown into jail, just for doing their jobs. If it were not for brave people like Sahouri, who even got pepper-sprayed, we would not have monumental historical moments caught on tape. Without journalists, what really goes on in the world would never be shared.

Sahouri graduated from the Columbia University School of Journalism. A smart, well-educated, intelligent woman is now facing serious charges for doing her job.

It is fundamental principle that reporters have the right to be anywhere and report on what they are observing. As an aspiring Journalist, this is what scares me about going into the real world.