A legislative proposal from Connecticut Sen. Richard Blumenthal could make threatening or attacking reporters a federal crime.
During his announcement on Tuesday morning, Blumenthal notified press he would be reintroducing his bill from last year that would make it a federal crime to attack or threaten “anyone doing fact gathering or news operations,” including reporters, photographers, and book authors.
NEW: Citing threats, violence against journalists, Sen. Richard Blumenthal proposes bill making threatening or attacking “anyone doing fact gathering or news operations” a federal crime. https://t.co/JsAo4rT8TM pic.twitter.com/rQoOqEVL3b
— ABC News (@ABC) October 15, 2019
“There is a segment of the population that feels an antipathy toward the press that they express verbally, in threats, and also, at the extreme, physically in direct attacks on the press,” Blumenthal said. “What we have to address is the continuing threat of physical violence […] against the press that may intimidate them in their vital news gathering operation.”
Blumenthal mentioned the controversial video that played at a Trump resort depicting the president attacking news outlets, but said that is not the reason he made the announcement.
“I offered this bill last session before any of these videos surfaced,” said the senator. “It is a priority for me to protect news gathering operations — no matter what their form.”
Blumenthal’s bill would carry a punishment of up to six years for any attack that lead to the “serious bodily injury” of a news gatherer.
