Aaron Haynes

You know, we're seeing what's playing out right now, like journalists doing their jobs, covering protests, documenting government action, bearing witness in moments of public tension

are increasingly having their credibility challenged and their safety threatened.

People like you, people like Joy, who are our highest profile trailblazers in this new independent media ecosystem are being targeted for a reason.

They want to silence, they want to chill.

People like you who are out here, who are telling the truth,

independently.

When you said that you were going to Minneapolis over the weekend, I knew that that meant that we were going to get an honest and accurate record of what was happening on the ground.

So recent public warnings aimed at people like you for covering a protest should really concern anybody who believes in a free and independent press, because honestly, that kind of rhetoric sends a really chilling message that journalism itself can be

She's exactly right, Don.

She's exactly right.

And I know that you know this, but I just want to point out for folks watching that not only did NABJ issue a statement, but many of our allies in journalism and beyond are standing with us.

with, uh, standing with, press freedom and press i American Society of Journa to the American, I mean, of foreign correspondence, journalists, the freedom journalism and women's sy are with us, the Arab and the Asian American journa is with us.

The radio, te news association reporters

i could go on and on the association of lgbtq plus journalists all of these folks are standing with us because they know that this is an issue of press freedom this is about all of us not only as journalists in our profession but also uh here's about the founding ideals of this country which we must mention as we head into our 250th anniversary free press is foundational

to that, as Joy pointed out, in our founding documents.

And so that that could be under threat, that that could be wielded and weaponized in an attempt to intimidate the press, that is something that we must push back against and that we are seeing a growing number of groups pushing back against, and we invite more people to join us and to stand with us.

Yeah.

And if I can just jump in here, because Don, you know, when you are somebody that is able to take your audiences from Bourbon Street to the front lines of a protest to see what's going on, you are on to something.

And those who would seek to be the gatekeepers of what journalism is or is not supposed to be, they know that you are on to something.

And that is why