FTVLive

View Original

Clinton Campaign Limits TV News Cameras at Her Event

While Donald Trump calls the media, "horrible and disgusting people" it appears that Hillary Clinton isn't to found of them either.

Especially TV news and their cameras. 

KOMO (Seattle) Anchor/Reporter Lindsay Cohen says that while she and a Photographer were attempting to cover a Clinton campaign stop, they were told they could only be in the back of the room. 

Still cameras were allowed to room freely, but video cameras were locked down. 

Cohen sahres her ordeal on social media, "We introduced ourselves to Secret Service, shot video outside, and had our gear sniffed by a canine. We had our bags searched, our items picked through, and our bodies wanded. And then we went inside.

There, we met Travis Merriweather, identified in emails from the campaign as the media contact for the event.

Merriweather informed us we would not have access to the front of the room, which had been cordoned off. "Still cameras" would, he said.

When questioned, Merriweather said we would be “rotated in.” But as soon as the event started, he only allowed those so-called “still cameras” forward. He stood firmly next to a barrier to control access -- and would not move. 

Merriweather would allow photographers from newspapers and websites roam freely. He permitted members of the public to walk through, along with people who identified themselves as VIPs. Many carried smart phones, took photos, and shot video with their devices.

But Merriweather wouldn’t budge when it came to us – with or without a camera.

We pointed out that those “still cameras” – traditionally carried by newspaper photographers – also take video. We alerted him to the fact that members of the public – smart phones in hand – could shoot video, share it, upload it, and the like.

He still wouldn’t move. When we pressed, he told us he was “doing us a favor” and to “relax.”

We tried to explain this was a First Amendment issue – and he was limiting press access.

So Merriweather called over security.

That security officer offered to have police escort us out.

We took video of what was happening as protection, in case it came to our removal – or worse, our arrest."

Here is the video of the incident:

See this content in the original post

See this content in the original post