USA: Arrest Warrant Filed Against Photojournalist Julia Rendleman For Covid-19 Coverage

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Date: April 2, 2020

The Liberty University Police Department has issued arrest warrants against freelance photographer Julia Rendleman and ProPublica reporter Alec MacGillis for reporting a critical story about the university's handling of the pandemic.

The Coalition For Women In Journalism condemns the issuing of warrants against the two journalists. We urge the Liberty University Police Department to revoke the warrants and allow them to do their job without feeling threatened.

Julia, who regularly photographs for the New York Times, reported the story with Alec. The story stated that Liberty University had twelve students with coronavirus symptoms on campus. A statement was published on the school’s website that announced that no coronavirus cases have been confirmed on the campus.

Julia, who regularly photographs for the New York Times, reported the story with Alec. The story stated that the Liberty University had twelve students with coronavirus symptoms on campus. However, the university management has refuted their report and alleged that the journalists trespassed on campus while gathering information for their stories.

When speaking on a radio show, hosted by conservative radio host Todd Starnes, the Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. claimed the Times’ article to be “materially false”. He also resorted to welcome students who wanted to come back to campus amid the coronavirus outbreak, despite the fact that most universities had moved classes online and warned students to stay at their homes.

A spokesperson from The New York Times said that the Times is disappointed in the university’s decision.

“Our freelance photographer was engaged in the most routine form of news gathering: taking a picture of a person who was interviewed for a news story. We are disappointed that Liberty University would decide to make that into a criminal case and go after a freelance journalist because its officials were unhappy with press coverage of the university's decision to convene classes in the midst of the pandemic,” said the spokesperson.

CFWIJ denounces this arbitrary action against Julia and Alec. We urge the relevant authorities to look into this matter and let the journalists inform the public without being legally harassed. This approach of silencing fair coverage of the novel coronavirus will lead to misinformation. It is times like this when the services of journalists must be acknowledged by all and sundry.

It is already challenging for journalists, especially women journalists, to step outside and report during the pandemic, and inconsiderate actions as such would do nothing but damage their morale. We demand that they are allowed to inform the public without any fear and threats of persecution.

 

The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.

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

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