United States: Photojournalist Stephanie Keith Arrested Covering Vigil For Jordan Neely in NYC

Location: United States, New York City
Date: May 10, 2023

Photo Credit: Reuters/Andrew Kelly

NYPD arrests photojournalist Stephanie Keith while covering a gathering protesting the violent death of Jordan Neely. The Coalition For Women In Journalism is outraged by the NYPD's blatant disregard for media freedom. We demand the immediate withdrawal of any legal proceedings against Stephanie Keith. 

"She's press. She's with us. Look at her press card," someone can be heard saying in a video that captured Stephanie Keith's arrest by NYPD officers on May 8. NYPD arrested Keith and ten others during a demonstration against the documented brutal killing of Jordan Neely, a homeless man choked to death on NYC's subway a week earlier. 

“I was trying to photograph what I thought was an arrest, but I never even got a chance to see since they grabbed me as soon as I tried to photograph,” veteran photojournalist Stephanie Keith told the Daily News. “I said, ‘I’m press,’ and they said, ‘You’re not. You’re arrested,’” she added. 

NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell can be heard shouting "Lock her up. Lock her up," in other video footage. 

Keith told CFWIJ she has been charged with disorderly conduct, congregating with two or more people, and failure to disperse. The charge, considered a violation, cannot be disputed in criminal court. Keith faces a maximum penalty of $100. 

"It's like a new technique,” says Keith about the violation charge. “They’re trying to get you to plead guilty to it, because it doesn't create a criminal record. But I'm not going to plead guilty to even a low level violation like that."

Others arrested during the incident had their charges dropped, including misdemeanors and felonies. However, Keith is still dealing with her charges. Her next court appearance is scheduled for the end of July.

Press Freedom in the United States 

The US has experienced a significant decline in press freedom over the past couple of years. Especially in 2020, The Coalition For Women In Journalism documented a sharp increase in press violations. Journalists have had to operate in a climate of great animosity, including harassment, intimidation, and assault. 

On April 19th, 2023, the court convicted LGBTQI journalists Matilda Bliss and Veronica Coit for trespassing while covering the clearing of a homeless camp by police forces. 

On June 25, 2022, police grabbed Tina Desiree Berg’s neck, shoving her to the ground while she was covering anti-abortion rights protests in Los Angeles, California.

On July 17, 2021, The Guardian journalist, Lois Beckett, was verbally and physically assaulted while reporting on an anti-trans and anti-vaccination protest. 

Stephanie Keith

Stephanie Keith is a news and editorial photographer based in New York City. She has worked with Getty Images, Reuters, The New York Times, and Bloomberg. Her photos have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, The Daily Mail, and Al Jazeera. 

CFWIJ and several other press freedom and civil liberties organizations co-signed a letter on June 21, 2023 — led by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) — urging the New York County District Attorney's Office to dismiss the disorderly conduct charge against Stephanie Keith. 

The letter highlights Keith's exemplary record as a journalist and photographer and states the charge against her is a violation of press freedom and could set a dangerous precedent for other journalists.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns Stephanie Keith's arrest and demands all charges against her are dropped. Arresting and charging reporters covering events is a serious violation of press freedom, limiting the public’s ability to receive truthful information. We call on the NYPD to uphold first amendment rights to higher standards and reprimand the officers who violated them. We urge the District Attorney to drop all charges against Stephanie Keith and uphold principles of press freedom. 

The Coalition For Women In Journalism is a global organization of support for women journalists. The CFWIJ pioneered mentorship for mid-career women journalists across several countries around the world and is the first organization to focus on the status of free press for women journalists. We thoroughly document cases of any form of abuse against women in any part of the globe. Our system of individuals and organizations brings together the experience and mentorship necessary to help female career journalists navigate the industry. Our goal is to help develop a strong mechanism where women journalists can work safely and thrive.

If you have been harassed or abused in any way, and please report the incident by using the following form.