Columbia Journalism Review reported that as Ron DeSantis prepared to stump in Pennsylvania, organizers of the event laid down strict rules for media organizations wishing to cover it.
CJR said a right-wing group called Turning Point Action required reporters seeking credentials to agree, among other things, to let Turning Point access their recordings of the event “for archival and promotional purposes”; let Turning Point know how recordings would otherwise be used; get Turning Point’s permission before interviewing attendees; agree not to record anything displayed on screens; and grant Turning Point “the final say on all matters.
Turning Point said the rules would “ensure that our media partners (you!) are able to obtain great content, while protecting the experience of our attendees.”
A spokesperson for Turning Point told the Washington Post that its rules were targeted at “non-traditional” media whose aim was to capture and monetize footage from its events. The spokesperson also said the group wanted to protect “privacy” and “underage attendees,” and that the group would waive “certain clauses” for “legitimate press outlets that are covering the event in good faith.”
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, a former teacher in the Department of Broadcasting and Journalism at Western Illinois University; and TSPR News Director Rich Egger.
