Reporters Committee announces hotline for journalists at Republican Convention
With the exception of the recent Democratic convention in Boston, almost every major political event in the last few years has included the arrest of, interference with or outright assault on journalists covering the news. To prevent or at least minimize these disruptions during the Republican National Convention in New York City next week, a hotline has been established to ensure that cost-free legal assistance will be only a telephone call away.
In cooperation with the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, attorneys with the law firm of Levine Sullivan Koch & Schulz L.L.P. have volunteered to operate a 24-hour Media Hotline for credentialed journalists covering the convention. Police and other officials will cooperate with Hotline lawyers to minimize problems for journalists arrested or detained during demonstrations or other disturbances that occur during the convention.
The Hotline number is (212) 850-6122, and will be available to all journalists carrying Republican National Convention credentials throughout the convention. The lawyers staffing the Hotline will be David Schulz, Jay Brown, Halimah DeLaine and Alia Smith. They will coordinate a pool of volunteer lawyers from a number of other law firms, including Clifford Chance U.S. LLP and Proskauer Rose LLP. In addition, the general Reporters Committee hotline will be available as a backup at (800) 336-4243. Copies of a flyer, which outlines procedures for resolving problems arising from detention or arrest, will be available at the Media Operations Center at the convention, or from our web site at https://www.rcfp.org/news/documents/rnc2004.pdf .
The Washington-based Reporters Committee, a nonprofit association of reporters and editors established in 1970, provides cost-free legal advice and research assistance to journalists and their lawyers. The Reporters Committee has established such hotlines at national conventions since 1972.
For further information, contact Lucy Dalglish, Executive Director, at the Reporters Committee, (703) 807-2100, or David Schulz at (212) 850-6103 or Halimah DeLaine at (212) 850-6113 at Levine Sullivan Koch & Schulz L.L.P.