Iowa Senate won't allow journalists to work in chamber, in shift from longstanding practice

[Nevilledog]

Link to tweet

Tweet text:

Brianne Pfannenstiel
@brianneDMR
Reporters have sat at these press benches day and night for more than a century to act as the eyes and ears of the public. This should offend every person who relies on the media to tell them what their elected officials are doing.

Iowa Senate won't allow journalists to work in chamber, in shift from longstanding practice
Leaders in the Iowa Senate will no longer allow journalists to work at press benches in the Senate chamber, as they have for more than a century.
desmoinesregister.com
1:56 PM · Jan 7, 2022

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/politics/2022/01/07/republican-leaders-end-journalists-access-iowa-senate-chamber-press-benches/9129933002/


Republican leaders in the Iowa Senate will no longer allow journalists to work at press benches in the Senate chamber, ending a tradition that has lasted more than a century.

The GOP-majority Iowa Senate has control over who is allowed into the Senate chamber. Its longstanding practice has been to allow reporters, photographers and multimedia journalists to work at press benches along the front wall of the chamber, facing senators' desks.

The setup allows a clear view of legislative debate in the Senate chamber and gives reporters access to senators who can answer questions and clarify their positions.

This year, journalists will be seated in the public gallery on an upper level, without access to the Senate floor. Senate Republican spokesperson Caleb Hunter said in an email that the Senate struggled with "the evolving nature and definition of 'media'" when considering journalists' access to the chamber.

*snip*

[guillaumeb]

1. What are these GOP politicians hiding?

What are these GOP politicians afraid of?

[Nevilledog]

2. Everything. Everything.