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The Tennessee Conservative [By Olivia Lupia] –
Mainstream media outlets in Tennessee are claiming their reporting on law enforcement activities and locations falls under constitutionally protected speech after lawmakers chastised local Fox13 Memphis for “urging citizens to report the locations of federal law enforcement officers conducting operations.”
A letter sent to the station’s general manager stated Fox13’s reporting “undermined public safety and put officers’ lives at risk.” It was signed by several Republican lawmakers including Sen. Brent Taylor, Rep. Mark White, Rep. John Gillespie, Rep. Kevin Vaughan, and Rep. Tom Leatherwood.
The letter read in part, “A safe and thriving Memphis benefits all of us- citizens, businesses, and your station as well. But encouraging the public to disclose the whereabouts of federal law enforcement officers in our community does just the opposite. It risks compromising ongoing operations and jeopardizes the safety of the very officers who are working hard to enforce our laws and protect this community.”
According to The Tennessean, the letter did not explicitly state what coverage the lawmakers were referring to, but Fox13’s website did publish a page on Oct. 1 titled “Federal Crime Crackdown Task Force Tips” which contained a link to “send a tip on the location of federal authorities.”
“Fox13 is committed to monitoring the movements of federal authorities across Memphis and documenting the impact the ‘Memphis Safe Task Force’ has on our community. If you see federal authorities, such as U.S. Marshals, FBI, DEA, ATF, or National Guard, send Fox13 a tip on their location,” the site reportedly read.
As the page was deleted sometime recently, only archived versions of the webpage were available, and Fox13 did not respond to requests for comment from other outlets.
The Tennessean states reporting on the location of law enforcement is a “constitutionally protected activity and common aspect of robust news coverage,” which is true, but fails to mention that the media does not have a right to be any place the public is not allowed or to disrupt law enforcement officers in their duties, including with threats, incitement to lawless actions, harassment, or as an intent to obstruct a criminal investigation.
Media may not engage in unlawful conduct under the guise of gathering news, and publicly reporting such information like locations or operations could also fall under anti-doxxing laws depending on a state’s definition and the nature of the information shared.
Kevin Goldberg, a vice president and “First Amendment expert” at the Freedom Forum, (whose advisory council is full of those attached to leftist, Islamic, and anti-religious organizations), agreed with The Tennessean’s assessment that Fox13’s activities fell under protected speech.
“Urging people to give information on law enforcement’s location, that still does not cross the line into any aiding or abetting of crimes, threats, incitement, or any areas of unprotected speech,” he said. “That requires an actual intent for people to do harm to these law enforcement agents. And that clearly doesn’t exist. They were stating the truth so people can be more informed and make decisions on their own.”
Yet ICE Agents, as one of the 13 federal agencies with a presence in the city as part of the Memphis Safe Task Force, are facing more than a 1,000% increase in assaults against them, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
Under such circumstances, reporting on the locations or activities of federal agents could be used by protestors or others with anti-law enforcement sentiments to harass or otherwise impede the officers and would therefore likely not be considered constitutionally protected reporting.
“It is outrageous that a local TV station would work against these efforts by tipping off offenders and endangering the officers sworn to protect us. This irresponsible reporting must stop so law enforcement can do its job without interference,” said Sen. Paul Rose (R-Covington-District 32), another signer of the letter sent to Fox13.
As of Oct. 7, the Memphis Safe Task Force has made 321 arrests since starting operations last week with approximately 45% of those arrests on ICE warrant pickups according to a breakdown from the Department of Justice.
About the Author: Olivia Lupia is a political refugee from Colorado who now calls Tennessee home. A proud follower of Christ, she views all political happenings through a Biblical lens and aims to utilize her knowledge and experience to educate and equip others. Olivia is an outspoken conservative who has run for local office, managed campaigns, and been highly involved with state & local GOPs, state legislatures, and other grassroots organizations and movements. Olivia can be reached at olivia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
9 Responses
It sounds like you don’t want news reporters doing ANY stories on law enforcement activities. Aren’t the activities of the police,
ICE, and the National Guard newsworthy? Telling reporters they’re jeopardizing public safety just for doing their jobs is a very worrysome trend. But apparently this sort of creeping authoritarianism is what you want.
Where is this “reporting” or “journalism” you refer to? It would be awesome if they actually did their job. No, all we get is propaganda, lies and gaslighting. The Media has become another arm of a seditious, anti-American coup, working to take down America. The fact that you are merely projecting your Marxist authoritarianism is highly entertaining.
Evidently you have a reading challenge, along with being challenged with everything else. Good luck with life. SMH
Fascism is a far-right, authoritarian, and ultranationalist political ideology and movement that rose to prominence in early-20th-century Europe. Fascism is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived interest of the nation or race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy. This is a perfect description of the Trump Administration.
Have you ever heard the phrase, “bread and circuses?” In a political context, the phrase means to generate public approval, not by excellence in public service or public policy, but by diversion, distraction, or by satisfying the most immediate or base requirements of a populace, by offering a palliative: for example food (bread) and/or entertainment (circuses). The ancient Roman poet Juvenal originally used it to decry the “selfishness” of common people and their neglect of wider concerns. The phrase implies a population’s erosion or ignorance of civic duty as a priority.
In other words: “As long as I can watch my football games and have pepperoni pizzas delivered to my door, Donald Trump can do whatever he wants.”
Fascism is a far-LEFT, authoritarian, and ultraSOCIALIST political ideology and movement that rose to prominence in early-20th-century Europe. Fascism is characterized by a dictatorial leader, centralized autocracy, militarism, forcible suppression of opposition, belief in a natural social hierarchy, subordination of individual interests for the perceived interest of the nation or race, and strong regimentation of society and the economy. This is a perfect description of the Biden and Obama Administrations.
Why your obsession with the inversion of gender, forcing sexual material on children, cheering on the crimes of Obama and Biden, and the allowance of ILLEGAL ALIENS? I could go on… Your diversion, distraction, and satisfying your base requirements disallow for any self-awareness nor realization that you are playing into the hands of the actual “authoritarians” you fail to acknowledge…
Are you trying to give Polish Bears a bad name? You seem to be all over the place with your keyboard warrior nonsense. Oh…sorry ….I see it’s just your TDS raising its head again. Oh, you’ve resurrected the “Trump = Fascism” trope again for an encore in 2025, now this time with no real plot twists. Truly, Mussolini would be jealous: he had to march on Rome, but Trump’s just tweeting executive orders while liberal historians like you pack their bags for Canada or somewhere, fleeing what they grandly call “America’s fascist dystopia.” Just wake me when the black shirts show up with artisanal kale smoothies.
You make me laugh. You are nothing but a troll on a conservative site. The left always accuses who they don’t agree with exactly what they have been doing along. They are the biggest polluters of the environment with their laughable green new scam. Electric car batteries, wind turbines, solar panels that aren’t recyclable. Just to be thrown in open pits and covered up. Not to mention how much CO2 is put into the atmosphere to mine the minerals from huge open pits. But thats alright. How about the filth in most major cities in America because of left- wing policies. Lunatics have taken over. Let me ask you a serious question. Why don’t you take a bunch of illegal immigrants and let them live in your home and you can foot all their bills? I can guarantee that you would absolutely not do it. The left is good at virtue signaling. But when push comes to shove. They would never help them out. We have been watching the left destroy America for years because of your , “bread and circuses”. The audacity of your last statement says it all “The phrase implies a population’s Erosion or Ignorance of CIVIC DUTY as a priority.” The left hasn’t had a MORAL COMPASS for decades. Aren’t the activities of Antifa and all the other criminal enterprises supported by NGO’s and well you know who they are. Crimes against humanity? Burning whole neighborhoods to the ground. Destroying all kinds of personnel property. I guess none of that matters. Don’t believe what your eyes are seeing or what your ears are hearing. Because thats not the truth. Only the left tells what is real truth. HA HA
Matthew 12:36-37 NIV
36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. 37 For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Romans 1:18:22 NIV
18 The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of people, who suppress the truth by their wickedness, 19 since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. 20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
21 For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools.
In God we trust not government or man.
Have a Blessed.
Lucifer’s own accursed dimmercrap troll, proving their lack of reason and logic.
Didn’t Fox used to be Conservative? They’re dangerously infested with lucifer’s accursed dimmercraps. They SHOULD be charged with interfering with and endangering law enforcement, aiding and abetting criminals.