The Latest: Public broadcasters face Congress; LA journalists on protest coverage; Superman + journalism ethics

Ted Alcorn is an independent journalist who reports on health and justice for numerous publications and is an adjunct at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health and NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service. His project focuses on the large and growing health disparities between rural and urban areas in cancer treatment and outcomes.

Jamal Jordan is a multimedia documentarian currently working as an audience editor at The Washington Post. He’s the author of “Queer Love in Color,” a book of photos and stories based on his New York Times project of the same name. He is reporting on the ways public health officials, organizers, and community members have addressed America’s loneliness epidemic among senior citizens as a public health issue.

Eleanor Klibanoff is the Texas Tribune’s women’s health reporter based in Austin, where she covers abortion, maternal health care, gender-based violence, and LGBTQ issues. She is reporting on maternal healthcare in rural communities.

Lygia Navarro is an award-winning bilingual and disabled independent journalist working in long-form narrative print and audio with a focus on health and Latine stories. She is investigating the immigrant workers most affected by H5N1 and how public policy could be improved for the benefit of these workers and the health of the whole country.

Amanda Seitz is a healthcare policy reporter for The Associated Press based in Washington, D.C. Her project is investigating the impact President Donald Trump’s immigration policies have on U.S. public health and how community organizations in Texas are trying to reach migrants to provide health care, despite their concerns about mass deportations and arrests.

Pressing On: Los Angeles journalists face violence, push for accountability

By Maggie Amacher

When journalist Ben Camacho set out to cover protests in Paramount, California, he did not expect to become a part of the story he was reporting. But that’s what happened after he was shot twice by Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies on June 7.

“As a reporter of color, there’s this dynamic where I’m out there on the field and I look like the majority of people that are protesting … there’s this kind of other layer that I feel,” said Camacho, co-founder of The Southlander, during a Freedom of the Press Foundation webinar last week.

Despite having a press badge and camera around his neck, Camacho was hit in the knee and then in the elbow with “less-lethal” projectiles. The pain sent him into shock, screaming and scrambling for cover. The injuries left him unable to work for a week, with lingering pain in his knee and elbow that continues to affect him months later.

Camacho shared his story alongside three other journalists during “Reporting under fire: Protests and press freedom in Los Angeles,” an event spotlighting a growing crisis in California’s streets and newsrooms.

Speakers Adam Rose, press rights chair and secretary at the Los Angeles Press Club, Sean Becker-Carmichael, an independent videographer, and Tina-Desiree Berg, a journalist for Status Coup spoke on the harassment, violence, and intimidation they also faced in their own city covering immigration protests.

They emphasized practical steps journalists can take to protect themselves while continuing to cover critical stories. Among the advice shared:

Wear protective gear. Bring a gas mask, ballistic goggles, and keep your press pass clearly visible. Berg recommended wearing Kevlar leggings beneath pants for added protection.
Travel with colleagues. Watching out for each other can make all the difference, especially if someone is injured.
Be aware of your surroundings. Always assess your surroundings and be prepared to move quickly.
Document everything. Keep records and collect evidence of any First Amendment violations or violent incidents.
Conduct a mental health check-in. Emotional and psychological impacts from covering trauma should not be overlooked. Camacho shared that he gauges how he’s feeling mentally each day before deciding whether to head out into the field.
Utilize your resources. There are numerous training and mental health resources available to journalists. The Dart Center at Columbia University runs a Journalist Trauma Support Network. Many organizations, such as the LA Press Club, offer grants for journalists.

These precautions were shared alongside firsthand accounts , showing how deeply the panelists’ advice is rooted in their lived realities. Click here to learn more.

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This newsletter is written and edited by the National Press Club Journalism Institute staff: Beth Francesco, Holly Butcher Grant, Elliot C. Williams, Allison Prang, and Mitch Harle. Send us your questions and suggestions for topics to cover.

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The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press, and equips journalists with skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. As the non-profit affiliate of the National Press Club, the Institute powers journalism in the public interest. The Institute's tax ID number is 52-1750908.