During this difficult time in which people are grieving the deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and others who were unjustly killed by the actions of current or former law enforcement officers, and the protests that have ensued across the country and world, the significant role that journalists play in informing the public about challenging issues has been accentuated.
As current and former journalists as well as journalism educators and students who affirm the importance of a free press, ETSPJ endorses the open letter to police officers and protesters that SPJ wrote asking that journalists be allowed to cover the protests without fear of harm and/or intimidation.
We also want to recognize the positive approaches taken by our local law enforcement officers in dealing with large crowds of protesters and applaud the effort being taken to revisit police department policies.
We also support our local journalists and the impactful work that they have produced for our communities.
Signed by the ETSPJ board.
