Balderas, an assistant professor of journalism and an attorney with expertise in First Amendment issues, spoke with KCUR and the NPR Midwest Newsroom about the raid of the weekly Marion County Record by local police.
Media coverage of the recent raid of the Marion County Record, a family-owned weekly newspaper in Kansas, by police has generated scrutiny of the reasons for the raid and its impact on press freedom.
A recent report on the raid and its implications by KCUR, an NPR affiliate in Kansas City, and NPR’s Midwest Newsroom featured insights from Israel Balderas, an assistant professor of journalism and an attorney with expertise in First Amendment issues.
Balderas told reporters that the actions by police are a sign of the times. “I think this is a small event in a larger story,” said Balderas, who is also secretary-treasurer of the Society for Professional Journalists. “I think Marion has become a battleground over the First Amendment and the important role that it plays in making sure that a free press is protected. The press now is attacked more frequently, not just from politicians, but powerful forces. And this is just an example of people at the local level.”
Read and listen to the report by KCUR, which was also shared by Iowa Public Radio, for more details.