The Rochester chapter of the National Association of Black Journalists (RABJ) says that the local police department exposed it’s implicit bias when two black reporters were detained during a Black Lives Matter protest last week.
Carlet Cleare and Justin Carter of 13 WHAM, the local ABC affiliate, were detained for 15 minutes with no prior warning. Both reporters were actively reporting and were among other, non-black, reporters when they were handcuffed at the protest. Cleare was wearing a 13 WHAM shirt.
13 WHAM was broadcasting live at the time of their detainment. In a statement to the Democrat and Chronicle, Richard J. McCollough, president of the RABJ, spoke about the irony of the two reporters’ detainment.
“This is a sad and unfortunate irony, as our two colleagues were precisely there to cover reports of widespread implicit bias on the part of police,” said McCollough. “The fact that they were placed in handcuffs and detained nearly confirms and underscores such bias.”
He also called on local officials to have a conversation about how this could be prevented moving forward.
“Our colleagues were there guaranteeing citizen’s First Amendment right to get information on public affairs through a free press,” McCollough said in the statement. “We think an open and free discussion of community concerns would well serve everybody in the long run.”
13 WHAM also called for the same action in an official statement on the station’s website.
“We encourage further dialogue with law enforcement to better identify reporters in the field to avoid a situation like this,” statement read. “As a news organization, we are continuing to investigate the police handling of the situation and will have further dialogue on the issue with the city in the coming days.”
Additionally, B.L.A.C.K. (Building Leadership and Community Knowledge), the organizers of the protest where the journalists were arrested, are asking that charges be dropped against everyone that was arrested and a public apology issued.
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