Press freedom group objects to Gov. Ricketts' new media credentialing process
A national press freedom group pressed Gov. Pete Ricketts on Thursday to adopt a "less onerous" media credentialing process that allows unbiased access to the governor's press briefings.
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, a Washington-based group that provides free legal help with free speech issues, wrote Ricketts on Thursday objecting to his recently announced process for credentialing news organizations. The group said the policy may be used as a pretext to exclude media based on their perceived political viewpoint.
The letter comes after the governor's office denied media credentials to an online North Omaha news service, NOISE Omaha, saying it was "an advocacy organization funded by liberal donors,” and not a mainstream media outlet.
The denial, and objections to it raised by the Lincoln Journal Star, Omaha World-Herald and other Nebraska media outlets, prompted the governor's office on April 15 to announce a new application process to obtain credentials.
Read more: https://journalstar.com/news/state-and-regional/govt-and-politics/press-freedom-group-objects-to-gov-ricketts-new-media-credentialing-process/article_51136896-9d93-5c65-b2f9-8204aa8af12b.html
(Lincoln Journal Star)