米抗議デモ、取材班への暴力相次ぐ　トランプ氏のメディア批判が一因との声も

【ワシントンＡＦＰ＝時事】米国で黒人男性の死亡事件に対する抗議活動が拡大する中、デモを取材する記者が暴力を振るわれる事案が相次いでおり、メディアの間で懸念が高まっている。また、ドナルド・トランプ大統領が暴力を助長する空気をつくっていると批判する声も一部から上がっている。（写真は米ミネソタ州ミネアポリスで行われた抗議デモで負傷したメディア関係者）
　ここ１週間、複数のメディア監視機関は取材班に対する警官らによる暴力を多数確認しており、記者らは銃で撃たれ、殴られ、蹴られ、ペッパースプレーを噴射され、逮捕されるなどし、多くの事案はカメラで撮影もされていた。中にはオーストラリアのテレビクルーが、ホワイトハウス周辺にいた警官に地面に押し倒される様子を捉えた映像もある。
　報道の自由を監視する計１８の団体は警察当局宛ての公開書簡で、「現場で取材する記者を標的とした意図的で激しい暴力行為」をやめるよう呼び掛けた。
　監視機関の集計によると、抗議デモの現場で発生した報道の自由に反する事案は１９２件。うち１３１件で記者らに対する暴力があり、さらにそのうち１０８件は警察による暴力だった。また記者らの逮捕は３１件、ゴム弾の使用は４６件、機材の損傷は３０件、催涙ガスの使用は３０件、ペッパースプレーの使用は１７件あったという。
　メディアを擁護する側からは、トランプ氏によるメディアたたきが取材陣への暴力の糸口となっていると指摘する声も上がっている。
　ワシントン・ポストの元編集長で、トランプ政権とメディアに関する研究論文を今年執筆したアリゾナ州立大学のレナード・ダウニー教授は、トランプ氏のメディア批判について「明らかに報道陣に対する攻撃が発生しやすい空気をつくり出している」と述べ、「米国は大統領を信じる人々と、報道を信じる人々とに分断している」と指摘した。
　またプロフェッショナルジャーナリスト協会のパトリシア・ギャラガー・ニューベリー会長は、トランプ氏のメディア批判が「有害な影響」を及ぼしてきたと述べ、「これは米国内で起こってはならないことだ。報道の自由は憲法で保障されており、警官や抗議デモの参加者が記者を攻撃することは違法で、また衝撃的で極めて憂慮すべきものだ」と語った。
　現在、多くのメディア企業が新型コロナウイルス感染拡大による経済的な打撃に見舞われており、読者や視聴者に重要な情報を届け続けることが困難な状況だ。
　ジャーナリストの労働組合「ニューズギルド」のジョン・シュレイス代表は、「記者やフォトグラファーはリスクを理解し、特別扱いされることは期待していない。しかし、取材中の記者を攻撃することは全ての米国民に対する違憲行為だ」と訴えた。【翻訳編集ＡＦＰＢＢＮｅｗｓ】
〔ＡＦＰ＝時事〕（2020/06/04-13:23）

A wave of attacks on journalists covering US protests is driving growing anxiety in the media, with some blaming President Donald Trump for creating an atmosphere that encourages violence.
Over the past week media watchdogs have logged scores of incidents of police violence against journalists -- with crews shot at, beaten, kicked, pepper-sprayed or arrested -- with many incidents captured on camera.
An open letter to law enforcement endorsed by 18 press freedom organizations including the National Press Club and Committee to Protect Journalists called for a halt to the deliberate and devastating targeting of journalists in the field.
A tally by media watchdog groups cited 192 press freedom violations during the latest wave of protests including 131 assaults, of which 108 were by police.
The tally included 31 arrests, 46 firings of rubber bullets, 30 cases of damage to equipment, 30 incidents of tear gas and 17 pepper sprayings.
Some media advocates say Trump's persistent bashing of the mainstream press has opened the door to attacks by undermining the credibility of journalists covering the protests following the police killing of a black man in Minnesota last week.
This definitely creates an atmosphere where you are likely to see attacks on reporters, said Len Downie, a former Washington Post executive editor who is a professor at Arizona State University and authored a study earlier this year on the Trump administration and the media.
Downie said that while Trump may not explicitly encourage violence against the press, his harsh rhetoric deepens the divide over credibility.
The country is split between those who believe the president and those who believe the press, he said.
- 'I'm with the press! -
Some stunned journalists took to Twitter recounting mistreatment, while others posted videos.
After showing my badge and yelling 'I am with the press' a @RichmondPolice officer sprayed pepper spray in my face and shoved me to the ground. Had 3397 on his helmet, tweeted radio reporter Roberto Roldan of Richmond, Virginia.
One video showed an Australian TV crew being pushed to the ground by police near the White House in Washington
This is alarming, said National Press Club president Michael Freedman.
The instances I've seen have all included journalists playing by the rules, and we hope officials on the other side play by the same standards.
Patricia Gallagher Newberry, president of the Society of Professional Journalists, said Trump's attacks have had a harmful effect.
Instead of attacking the media, elected officials should speak out in defense of journalists and call on the community to protect journalists, Newberry said.
This is not supposed to happen in the United Stated of America. We have press freedom built into our Constitution. So to see police and protesters attacking the storytellers is shocking, is disheartening, is illegal and it is really disturbing.
- Making things worse -
Joel Simon, executive director of the Committee to Protect Journalists, also highlighted the importance of the Trump attacks on media.
While Trump didn't make covering US protests dangerous, he has made the situation worse, Simon wrote in a column for the Columbia Journalism Review.
It is certainly possible that the president?s anti-media rhetoric has emboldened local police, who are attacking and arresting journalists at a pace not seen in recent history. And it is also possible that some protesters who have attacked journalists are Trump supporters motivated by his denunciations of fake news.
The latest incidents come with many media outlets taking an economic hit from the virus pandemic while struggling to keep readers informed on critical issues.
Media advocates say the shocking incidents underscore an erosion of respect for the constitutional guarantees of free press in recent years.
The scenes that played out across the country over the last week cannot be covered from a 'safe' distance, said Jon Schleuss, president of the NewsGuild, the union representing thousands of journalists.
Reporters and photographers understand the risks and don't expect special treatment. But attacking them for newsgathering is an unconstitutional attack on all Americans.