H.R. 3203: Journalist Protection Act

This bill, known as the Journalist Protection Act, aims to enhance the legal protections for journalists in the United States by establishing specific penalties for assaults committed against them. Here are the key components of the bill:

Definitions

• Journalist: The bill defines a journalist as someone who is employed by, or acts as a contractor or agent of, a news entity. This includes individuals who gather, prepare, or disseminate news or information through various formats, such as newspapers, websites, magazines, radio, or television.
• Newsgathering: It also clarifies that newsgathering involves activities related to collecting, reporting, editing, or publishing news.
• Bodily Injury: The terms "bodily injury" and "serious bodily injury" are defined as per existing legal standards.

Prohibited Conduct

The bill specifies that individuals who intentionally commit acts of violence against journalists can be subject to criminal penalties. The penalties are based on the severity of the injury caused:

• If a journalist suffers bodily injury, the perpetrator may face imprisonment for up to three years, a fine, or both.
• If serious bodily injury is inflicted, the perpetrator could face imprisonment for up to six years, a fine, or both.

Conditions for Charges

To charge someone under this bill, it must be proven that the assault:

• Caused bodily or serious bodily injury to an individual recognized as a journalist.
• Was committed either while the journalist was engaged in newsgathering or was intended to intimidate or obstruct the journalist’s newsgathering efforts.

Clerical Amendments

The bill also includes a clerical adjustment to the legal code, ensuring that this new section about assaults against journalists is properly incorporated into existing laws.

Relevant Companies

• NWSA - News Corporation: As a major media company, it may see implications for the safety of its journalists in the field.
• CMCSA - Comcast: By owning NBC Universal, it may be affected by the enforcement of protections for its journalists reporting news.
• GOOGL - Alphabet: As the parent company of Google News, implications for their journalists could impact their news gathering and dissemination practices.