We must do better at protecting journalists and free speech

With Israel attacking Gaza, anti semitism has been on the rise everywhere. Hate speech abounds as well. Many anti war protesters exercising their speech rights are being unfairly labeled anti semitic simply for speaking out against Israel or showing solidarity with Palestinians. And notwithstanding, freedoms of press, a number of journalists have been arrested for simply documenting police handling of those protesters. As a professor of Media Law, I can confirm that our society is on the First Amendment struggle bus, and it is careening toward utter chaos. The charges recently filed against New York City video journalist Sam Seligson is case in point. In early August, prosecutors charged selaga sin with criminal mischief plus a felony hate crime enhancement. And why? Well, because he was present when pro Palestine protesters graffitied people’s homes. The credentialed independent videographer filmed a small group of people when they spray painted anti Zionist slogans on the home of a Brooklyn museum director and others associated with the museum, who is being accused of mistreating pro Palestinian protesters. But Seleka sin didn’t spray paint or vandalize property, nor is he being accused of doing so on that June night in NYC, Celica sin just did his job. He documented the events as a journalist, the fact that he’s facing prosecution with a hate crime enhancement should have anyone who cares about fighting anti semitism or protecting free press up in arms if we don’t stop unjustified weaponization of anti semitism and unwarranted prosecution of journalism our society as a whole will suffer. Foremost, let’s talk weaponization of anti semitism. Those objecting to the war in Gaza or supporting Palestinians are not de facto anti semitic. In fact, a number of those fighting against the attacks in Gaza are Jewish. Yet individuals are still pushing this false and dangerous de facto narrative to silence others so that they disregard the substance of their concerns. This weaponization of anti semitism is incredibly problematic because it intensifies discrimination against marginalized communities, including members of the Jewish community. Claiming that objection to Israel alone is inherently anti Jewish waters down instances of actual anti semitism, making individuals more blase about hate that in turn makes it far more difficult to fight anti semitism, which is extremely important now. FBI data in 2023 shows that 55% of all religion based hate crimes are driven by anti Jewish bias, and according to the survey of attitudes about anti semitism, US and Jewish adults, nearly half of Jewish respondents said that they have had to change their behavior due to fear. Anti semitism is a serious problem. We cannot afford to have it diluted or disregarded because of undue weaponization, particularly when that weaponization impacts the Fourth Estate,

freedom of the press. It’s a cornerstone of our democracy. It is essential to hold our government to account. Yet attacks on press freedom have been skyrocketing over the past year and worldwide, from Gaza to Sudan to Russia, journalists are being slaughtered, silenced for reporting, corruption, civil war, genocide. We rely on journalists to shed light on truth, tell stories and document events. We must protect them, no matter the nation they’re from or in and in the United States, well, we claim to be the beacon of free press, but hey, that’s not the case. It’s just the opposite playing out when law enforcement attacks journalists, according to the US press freedom tracker, in the past six months, 34 journalists have been arrested or charged criminally. 44 have been assaulted while covering the Gaza war protests. These individuals were just doing their jobs, like selighan says he was no one suggesting tagging private property is lawful, or that anti semit, anti Zionism is anti semitism, not at all. The problem is that we cannot become a society that is so intent on silencing certain messages that we harm marginalized communities and erode the fourth estate in the process.