Guild protests violent arrest of KPCC reporter

The Guild has joined nearly 70 advocacy organizations and news outlets in a letter to the L.A. County sheriff, written and sent by the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, protesting deputy sheriffs’ violent arrest of KPCC radio reporter Josie Huang for “obstruction.” Arresting officers claimed Huang didn’t identify herself as a journalist; her videos prove she did. In a response letter to RCFP Executive Director Bruce Brown, Sheriff Alex Villanueva said Huang had become “part of the problem by inserting herself too close to the situation” she was covering.

The Local 39521 Guild Legislative and Political committee meets the first Wednesday of every month. The committee is in discussions with community allies to explore a legislative solution to the ongoing harassment of journalists by police. If you would like to contribute to this discussion, please email committee chair, Richard Knee, at rak0408@sonic.net.

On September 17, Los Angeles County Supervisor Barger sent this response.

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Pacific Media Workers Guild

We are the Pacific Media Workers Guild, Local 39521 of The Newspaper Guild-Communications Workers of America. We represent more than 1,200 journalists and other media workers, interpreters, translators, union staffs and freelancers.