INTRODUCTION DO YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO GATHER NEWS? ACCESS TO PUBLIC PROPERTY NOT ALL PUBLIC PROPERTY IS A PUBLIC FORUM ACCESS TO PRIVATE PROPERTY YOU ARE NOT IMMUNE FROM PROSECUTION OFFICIAL PERMISSION FOR ACCESS PRESS PASSES MAY HELP YOU GET IN ATTACKING ACCESS PROBLEMS ASSESS THE SITUATION ENDNOTES ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press would like to thank legal fellows Benjamin Bedrick, Barbara Lerner, and Bryan Whitehead and journalism intern Rob Sherwin for their help in updating this guide.
Reporters are not immune from arrest. Freelance police reporter Julia Campbell was charged with disorderly conduct during a March 1997 public funeral in Brooklyn for a slain rap star. Charges were later dropped. News videotape taken at the scene reportedly disputes the police allegations.
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