Kansas newspaper raid a grim threat to First Amendment rights

The outrageous law enforcement assault on the Marion County Record newspaper raises a veritable forest of red flags. NNA stands by its community newspapers and calls upon top officials in Kansas to immediately return any property seized by law enforcement so the newspaper can proceed with its work.” An attack on a newspaper office through an illegal search is not just an infringement on the rights of journalists but an assault on the very foundation of democracy and the public’s right to know. – Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association Emily Bradbury, executive director of the Kansas Press Association, added strong words on behalf of local outlets: “An attack on a newspaper office through an illegal search is not just an infringement on the rights of journalists but an assault on the very foundation of democracy and the public’s right to know. This cannot be allowed to stand.” Imagine for a moment that you’re the editor and publisher of a small weekly newspaper somewhere else in Kansas. Or as Record publisher and editor Eric Meyer told us yesterday: “It’s going to have a chilling effect on us even tackling issues.” What’s more, it will have “a chilling effect on people giving us information.” A toothpaste tube has been squeezed, hard, and there’s no getting all that minty fresh goo back inside its container.