Drop Charges Against "Gasland" Director Josh Fox
Josh Fox, director of the Academy Award-nominated documentary "Gasland" was arrested, along with his crew, after House Republicans objected to their presence at a public meeting of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment.
Fox had hoped to film the hearing for a follow-up to "Gasland," which documents the effects of hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking." The hearing was already being filmed by C-SPAN; Fox's crew only sought to obtain higher-quality video by bringing their own cameras to the event.
As a journalist, Fox had a right to tape the congressional hearings under the First Amendment's freedom of the press. In the last twenty years, no person has ever been detained for non-disruptively filming a committee proceeding.
Act now to tell House Republicans that excluding a journalist because he doesn't share their political views is outrageous censorship that violates the First Amendment. Call on House Republicans to immediately drop all charges against Fox and his crew and to allow them to access to future hearings.
We the undersigned call on you to drop all charges against Josh Fox and his crew immediately.
Fox's presence at a public meeting of the House Subcommittee on Energy and Environment is protected under the First Amendment's freedom of the press. In the last twenty years, no person has ever been detained for non-disruptively filming a committee proceeding.
Excluding a journalist because he does not share the political views of House members is an outrageous act of censorship. We urge you to drop all charges against Fox and his crew immediately and allow them access to future Congressional hearings.
Thank you for your attention to this important matter.
