The AP and other news outlets said journalists will face restrictions as they try to cover the U.S. Senate's impeachment trial of President Donald Trump. The AP reported that all throughout the Capitol building, reporters were prevented from stopping to wait for senators or talking to them outside designated media pens.
Media organizations have objected to the restrictions.
The Shop Talk panelists believe reporters should be given more access to the proceedings. They said the impeachment trial is historic – just the third one in U.S. history – and the Senate should strive for transparency.
The panelists said Senate leadership has not provided a legitimate reason for the restrictions. They said the restrictions ultimately limit the general public’s access to the process.
Shop Talk is a weekly panel discussion about journalism issues. This week’s program featured Will Buss, who teaches in the Department of Broadcasting and Journalism at Western Illinois University and advises the student editors at the Western Courier, the students at student radio station The Dog, and the WIU chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists; Rajvee Subramanian, who teaches in the Department of Broadcasting and Journalism at Western Illinois University; and TSPR News Director Rich Egger.
