Another reminder journalists aren’t the enemy of the American people

Ben Jacobs, a reporter for The Guardian, said a Montana congressional candidate body-slammed him to the ground and broke his glasses Wednesday night, setting a whirlwind of events into motion. The Republican candidate, Greg Gianforte, was cited for assault by the sheriff’s office. Three Montana newspaper editorial boards took the rare step of withdrawing endorsements of him on the eve of the election. And Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, told The Associated Press the next day that, “It’s not appropriate behavior. Unless the reporter deserved it.”

Hunter’s chief of staff, Joe Kasper, later admonished a reporter for The San Diego Union-Tribune who asked about it, saying, “There’s so much more important stuff going on in the world, who even cares. It’s dumb you’re even writing about this.”

But assaulting journalists verbally or physically is neither dumb nor unimportant. It’s not appropriate when Hunter says, “Unless the reporter deserved it.” Or when Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Vista, dismissed questions about the GOP health care bill by telling a reporter, “None of your business.” Or when San Diego Unified School District spokesman Andrew Sharp joked about a reporter’s dead body.

Journalists are not the enemy of the American people. For proof, look to the First Amendment.

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