Very little freedom of speech in US: Journalist
Freedom of speech in the United States is restricted by mass media amid efforts by US government to “suppress” protests against police brutality, a journalist in Detroit says.
“America prides itself with the notion of freedom of speech, yet there is very little freedom of speech as far as the corporate media is concerned,” said Abayomi Azikiwe, editor of the Pan-African News Wire.
“The media is controlled by a small number of corporations, therefore they are able to suppress the news that they don’t think the ruling class is interested in hearing or watching,” Azikiwe told Press TV on Tuesday.
He made the comments after reports that four journalists arrested while covering racial unrest in Ferguson, Missouri, last year filed a lawsuit Monday claiming they were mistreated and falsely arrested by police trying to prevent them from covering the protests.
The lawsuit was filed by US citizen Ryan Devereaux of The Intercept and three German nationals living in the United States – Ansgar Graw of Die Welt, Frank Herrmann of the Rheinische Post group and freelance reporter Lukas Hermsmeier.
The lawsuit claims the actions against the journalists were part of a "concerted effort to suppress constitutionally protected newsgathering."
Protests erupted in Ferguson for several weeks in August after the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown by white police officer Darren Wilson. Another wave of demonstrations broke out in November after a grand jury decided not to indict Wilson for the killing.
Excessive force by police against protesters “was carried out across the United States as the federal government attempted to suppress these anti-racist demonstrations,” Azikiwe said.
AHT/GJH
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