The following is a statement from National Press Club President MikeBalsamo:
https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1876197/NPC_v1_Logo.jpg
“We are relieved that felony charges were dropped yesterday against two journalists from Cincinnati Beat: reporter Madeline Fening and photojournalism intern Lucas Griffith. They were arrested while covering a protest on the Roebling Bridge on July 17.
These charges should never have been filed. The journalists clearly identified themselves, were reporting from a public space, and were engaged in constitutionally protected newsgathering. They were doing exactly what a free press in a free society must do – bearing witness, informing the public, and holding power to account.
Their arrest was not only a misjudgment by law enforcement but a direct assault on the First Amendment. Using the criminal justice system to intimidate or silence journalists has no place in a democracy.
Press freedom is not a foreign fight. It is tested here at home, in our cities and counties, every time a journalist steps into the field. When members of the press are punished for doing their jobs, it is the public that loses. We lose access to information. We lose oversight. We lose fundamental rights.
Fening and Griffith still face misdemeanor charges. We call on the Kenton County Attorney's Office to drop those charges immediately. This is not just about two reporters. This is about whether the people of Kentucky – and the nation – will continue to have an informed and independent press.
The National Press Club stands firmly with these journalists and with all reporters who face retaliation simply for doing their jobs.
Journalism is not a crime. It is a cornerstone of American democracy.”
Founded in 2024, the Center for Press Freedom at the National Press Club helps support journalists who have been wrongfully detained, beaten, killed, subjected to lawfare or driven from their countries. For more information, click here.
Contact: Bill McCarren, 202-662-7534 or media@press.org for the Press Freedom Center at the National Press Club.
https://c212.net/c/img/favicon.png?sn=DC37346&sd=2025-07-24
View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/press-freedom-center-releases-statement-on-dropped-charges-against-cincinnati-beat-journalists-302513451.html
SOURCE National Press Club
https://rt.newswire.ca/rt.gif?NewsItemId=DC37346&Transmission_Id=202507241358PR_NEWS_USPR_____DC37346&DateId=20250724