This article is of particular interest because it points out the ostracizing going on with the NYPD towards credentialed newspaper journalists. Ozier Muhammad is a journalist for Newsday and the New York Times, and has been so for the past 26 years. Muhammad is reported to have lost his credentials and to have been cited for disturbing the peace recently in New York City. This just seems to be one of many recent instances in which the NYPD have blocked, restricted and even in some cases restrained photographers and journalists from doing their particular job. Luckily for Muhammand, he was reissued his credentials and the citation was revoked, but he still is outraged at how so many journalists are doing their job the right way, yet the NYPD are still harassing them in some situations.
This circumstance has gotten so bad, that some journalists are being arrested for disturbing the peace, or disorderly conduct resulting from arguing with the authorities about photographing a certain situation.
New York City Police Department
A NYPD Ford Explorer Special Service Vehicle.
English: NYPD beach buggy Deutsch: Strand-Buggy de..."There's a history of conflict between the police and the press," says Muhammad. "However, it's come to the point where tensions have turned into a punitive attitude on the part of the police. Their perspective is, 'we're not going to recognize you [credentialed journalists] as someone with access.' The credential doesn't mean anything to them (The Nation)."
Because these conflicts, it is important to look at the reason why this is happening and where it is starting from. According to Muhammad, it stems from when Mayor Rudolf Giuliani took office in 1993. He says that instances started to increase his first year in office, and has sustained that increase every year since.
The worst part of all of this criticism and harassing seems to be towards the younger less credentialed journalists, they can't seem to...