President-elect Joe Biden’s inauguration is this week, and plenty of journalists will be in attendance covering the event.
However, after the incident on January 6th, where rioters stormed the Capitol, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is against media members wearing press lanyards and conspicuous clothing.
The CPJ cites an attack on Associated Press photographer John Minchillo by pro-Trump rioters in Washington DC to argue against the wearing of lanyards around reporters’ necks. The group suggest that credentials should be worn on Velcro pouches around their biceps.
“Wear clothing that helps you ‘blend in,’ that doesn’t look too ‘tactical’ or ‘military,’ and that allows you to move swiftly,” the CPJ said in an advisory. “Try and avoid loose clothing, political slogans, media branding, military colors/patterns, colors associated with certain groups (e.g., black is associated with anti-fascist [antifa] groups), and flammable materials (e.g., nylon).”
Furthermore, the CPJ also wrote about what media members should do if they’re in a hostile situation while covering the inauguration. “If individuals or the crowd, in general, becomes hostile to the media, it may help to deliberately avoid eye contact and to stop taking pictures/filming,” the CPJ wrote. “You will need to balance the risk versus reward, but engagement of any sort can be perceived as a challenge.”
Eduardo Razo is the Assistant Content Editor for BNM, which includes writing daily news stories on the news media industry. He can be found on Twitter @eddierazo_ or you can reach him by email at eddie1991razo@gmail.com.
