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Those who view this stunt by Georgia state legislators as a local journalism story rather than a threat to press freedom on a global scale should consider one salient fact.
CNN is headquartered in Atlanta.
CNN is headquartered in Atlanta.
This bill also proposes to create a nine-member "Journalism Ethics Board" (chosen by the state uni system's chancellor) responsible for accreditation and sanctioning. The board would operate secretly without any accountability from the courts.
The bill: documentcloud.org/documents/5792…
The bill: documentcloud.org/documents/5792…
Nine members: Like the Supreme Court, but secret, unaccountable, appointed by a different panel of unelected deciders installed by one state apparatchik, and responsible for sanctioning and accrediting all journalists working in the state of Georgia.
Any producer, editor, journalist or scholar willing to legitimize a board that is—by its very structure and design—a Star Chamber of censorship should weigh long and hard whether he or she is competent to judge the journalism ethics of others.
For completeness, the bill states that the board "may, but is not required to" be involved in "voluntary" accreditation processes and sanctioning accredited journalists.
Even if not enacted, the board's ability perform these tasks in secret is itself disturbing.
Even if not enacted, the board's ability perform these tasks in secret is itself disturbing.
After filing "formal charges" in a disciplinary matter, all information will be "open and available to the public." But, all "communications" and "testimony" in disciplinary proceedings "shall be absolutely privileged."
Transparency for accusations; opacity for evidence.
Transparency for accusations; opacity for evidence.
The bill proposes @UGAGrady, home to the prestigious @PeabodyAwards, as the site of its "Journalism Ethics Board."
The head of Grady College's journalism dept just told me: "We did not coordinate with legislators on this bill. We were as surprised by it as everyone else."
The head of Grady College's journalism dept just told me: "We did not coordinate with legislators on this bill. We were as surprised by it as everyone else."
The University System of Georgia's chancellor, who's supposed to be responsible for the appointments board that would set it in motion, did not immediately return requests for comment. Neither did CNN's spokeswoman.
Look out for my story soon at @CourthouseNews.
Look out for my story soon at @CourthouseNews.
.@JonathanWPeters, a media law professor at @UGAGrady — the GOP lawmakers’ proposed site of the Journalism Ethics Board — called their bill a “publicity stunt” with little chance of passing or surviving judicial scrutiny.
