After the arrest of two African American journalists, Don Lemon and Georgia Fort by federal authorities in connection with their involvement while covering a protest at Cities Church in St. Paul, Minnesota on January 18, URL Media released the following statement:
The arrest of independent journalists, Don Lemon and Georgia Fort, is an egregious attack on the First Amendment and especially journalists of color nationwide.
Like other journalists in Minnesota,
[Editor’s Note: Native News Online is URL Media partner.]
Don and Georgia were doing their jobs when they were reporting on the community’s response to the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement operation in the state.
Reporting the facts, shining a light on the truth, and most importantly, holding the powerful accountable is not a crime — it’s a constitutionally protected right that we have as journalists, publishers, and newsrooms. The First Amendment is clear: The work we do as journalists is not only protected, but plays a critical role in our society.
URL (which stands for Uplift, Respect, and Love) Media is a network built to uplift Black and Brown newsrooms, audiences, and journalists nationwide. Earlier this week, we hosted a solidarity mixer with the Committee to Protect Journalists in New York City, showing our clear support for journalists facing unprecedented attacks.
We take this action — of solidarity — not just seriously but as a founding pillar of our own organization. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.
We stand with Don Lemon and Georgia Fort and with every journalist unfairly silenced or criminalized for doing their jobs.
In solidarity,
Sara Lomax, President and CEO of WURD Radio, LLC
S. Mitra Kalita, CEO and Publisher of Epicenter NYC
Co-founders of URL Media