Once again, it’s been a busy week for the media – Wall Street is breaking down (and no one can figure out what to call the situation), rescue plans are being hashed out, and poor Sarah Palin just can’t seem to answer a question. It’s a good thing that Brooke and Bob are here to help us make sense of this mess.
 This week, though, I’d like to focus on some of the non-major stories – like what happened to a credentialed reporter who happened to be covering the protest outside the Republican National Convention. Reporter Amy Goodman from “Democracy Now” was inside the convention when she got word that two of the producers she worked with were arrested. She showed her credentials to the cops and asked to talk to the commanding officer. And then, she was arrested.
Some very disturbing audio of cops forcing a credentialed photographer to the ground. She’s screaming “Press! I’m with the press!”, and they’re yelling at her to get on the ground. It made me a queasy, but this was an awesome editing choice. I cared about the story before the cut to the arrest, but having heard it, I’m now emotionally involved.
It doesn’t appear that anything is going to be done to protect reporters who cover protests. At the end of the interview, Brooke (who sounds a bit like the story has made her a little queasy, too) asks what pre-emptive strikes Goodman will take to avoid a similar incident next time. Goodman’s response? “Wear a gasmask?”
Also this week, there’s some secrecy news. A bill has been proposed that would require the Attorney General to report to congress every time the Department of Justice issues an opinion exempting the White House from the law. This is an awesome bill. Sadly, it’s probably not going to pass. Brooke notes this, and says that while the bill is most likely just a “primal scream”, she’s happy that “sometimes, it’s nice to hear the screaming”.
Poor Brooke! I want to hug her and tell her that there’s a chance that this could pass, and that journalists covering protests won’t be wrongfully arrested, and that everything will be ok. Somehow, I doubt she’d believe me.
This week’s recap was written by Kerry. Matthew didn’t even look at it, as he’s at work. Like the bill to rescue the economy, I’m without oversight.
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