We reject the free speech-trampling rules set by J.D. Vance and DeSantis for covering their rally

[JoanofArgh]

Link to tweet

?s=20&t=ZDLg0kewi5qZuKEAXHPnuA


Letter from the editor :

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a likely presidential candidate in 2024, scheduled a trip to Ohio Friday to stump for Senate candidate J.D. Vance, and our reporters were not there because of ridiculous restrictions that DeSantis and Vance placed on anyone covering the event.

The worst of the rules was one prohibiting reporters from interviewing attendees not first approved by the organizers of the event for DeSantis and Vance. When we cover events, we talk to anyone we wish. It’s America, after all, the land of free speech. At least that’s America as it exists today. Maybe not the America that would exist under DeSantis and Vance.


Think about what they were doing here. They were staging an event to rally people to vote for Vance while instituting the kinds of policies you’d see in a fascist regime. A wannabe U.S. Senator, and maybe a wannabe president.

Another over-the-top rule was one reserving the right to receive copies of any video shot of the event for promotional use. That’s never okay. News agencies are independent of the political process. We do not provide our work product to anyone for promotional use. To do so would put us in league with people we cover, destroying our credibility.

https://www.cleveland.com/news/2022/08/we-reject-the-free-speech-trampling-rules-set-by-jd-vance-and-ron-desantis-for-covering-their-rally-letter-from-the-editor.html

[ck4829]

1. Should just say that photos and media of Vance and DeSantis are expressly prohibited

I don't know what they look like. They could look like garden gnomes for all I know.

[JoanofArgh]

2. Actually DeSantis does resemble a garden gnome.

[Probatim]

8. If garden gnomes were fascist bullies. Same height though.

[mopinko]

3. one of those times where silence goes BOOM.

[allegorical oracle]

4. Good for The Plain Dealer. Wish Fla. media would do this. But they won't.

.

[dchill]

10. I know, right? 👍

[Diamond_Dog]

5. Wasn't that long ago

Cities like Cleveland, Cincinnati, Youngstown, were home to many immigrants.

Wonder what this older generation would say to their grandkids and great grandkids who love this fascist.

[Karadeniz]

6. Compare to opposition attendees' treatment by Beto.....not to mention Obama's and Biden's.

[Sky Jewels]

7. We need more of this kind of response.

Thank you, Plain Dealer.

[crickets]

12. +1

[maxrandb]

9. They're Retrumplicans

From what I understand, they don't leave an image when you photograph them anyway.

[DBoon]

14. Vampires don't have a reflection in a mirror, either

[Martin68]

11. Typical Constitution-trampling Republican politico.

There should be a requirement that anyone running of office know the Constitution as least as well as required by the Naturalization test.

[Hassler]

13. Benito DeathSentence is flexing his fascist muscle.