News of limits put on the Capitol press has made lots of news now in old and new media venues. The House created rules that told the press where, when and what they could record in a public building involving publically elected people. We were told yesterday the new rules would not take effect, two hours later one longtime properly credentialed member of the Capitol press had two State Troopers dispatched to question him for taking photos in a public meeting, in a public building of a publically elected lawmaker.
This is a building we all pay for and lawmakers we pay for making laws that affect us all. We in press take our responsibility to tell you what is happening very seriously. Needless to say there is great outrage that the young House DFL leadership would allow this to happen. The Senate which is traditionally the less open and media-friendly body hasn't tried to restrict the press, neither has Gov. Pawlenty who handled the new media surge but simply asking people to identify themselves as they asked him questions last week. There seems to be fear about new and partisan media. True the media landscape is changing and that makes a lot of us fearful too, but fear never leads to good decision making.
In the House Tax Committee today, there were several TV cameras there and no one was arrested. But we were cautiously eyed. When we arrived we noticed a House Sergeant hustle over to the pages (the committee assistants who called the troopers out yesterday), they pointed and looked quizzically at the press. Nothing more happened. The image is below, they are in the background behind Dr. Stinson. But it is the same sergeant who grabbed and pushed my photographer for touching a railing in the House Media Gallery a couple of years ago. So there is some history here...
