The Dangerous Job of Protest Reporting

Protests are among the most powerful ways that citizens express their discontent with those in power. It follows that stories and coverage of protests are an essential and powerful form of reporting that can help people understand the events on the ground where protests unfold. But reporting from protests is also one of the more hazardous places for a journalist to be. Throughout last summer, we saw attacks and arrests increase starkly against journalists doing the important work of covering protests on the ground. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker reported a significant uptick in these incidents, and we even saw the dramatic scenarios play out on TV. 

CNN's Omar Jimenez was arrested on live television in Minneapolis last summer. This highly publicized event brought to the spotlight the real risks that protest reporters undertake when bringing these important stories.

This of course plays out internationally as well. Over the last two months, violent clashes between protestors and the military have played out in Myanmar, where the military overthrew the government in a coup. This dramatic event has of course demanded the attention of the region's reporters. Such a volatile situation, however, can be dangerous. 

Three weeks ago, AP reporter Thein Zaw was arrested while doing his job of covering the protests in Myanmar. He was finally released on Wednesday, but he says that many other journalists remain in a Myanmar prison and that he was worried every single day that he was detained. Thein Zaw is one of hundreds who are arrested for doing their jobs every year, and these incidents especially occur in the critical times of cultural and political upheaval. It is important to remember and appreciate the efforts by these reporters who bring such critical coverage. 

                                             Thein Zaw, AP Reporter