More and more documentary filmmakers and journalists are being arrested for covering protests and other current events that are under reported in mainstream media. Even witnesses to environmental protests run the risk of being arrested. Arrests have been a sad reality in North Dakota where there have been many citizen protests against fossil fuel infrastructure, in particular the Dakota Access Pipeline. Filmmakers, journalists and witnesses are continually under threat, all because they seek to expose under reported events and information. A recent article written by documentary filmmaker, Josh Fox, exposes the fate of those who attend and report on environmental and social justice protests.

 
 
North Dakota Arrests
Deia Schlosberg, the producer of Josh Fox’s new film, How to Let Go of the World and Love All the Things Climate Can’t Change, was arrested on October 11th in Walhalla, North Dakota. She was reporting on a climate change protest, was arrested and then held for 48 hours before she was allowed to speak to a lawyer. Her footage was confiscated by the authorities and Schlosberg is now charged with three counts of felony conspiracy and also faced with a possible sentence of up to 45 years.
 
Many others have been arrested in North Dakota during protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Actor Shailene Woodley was arrested and put in jail this past October for attending a protest at a construction site for the Dakota Access Pipeline. The police said that Woodley was singled out because of her fame and since she had 40,000 people following her Facebook page. Last month Amy Goodman was also issued a warrant for arrest for covering the Native American led protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline. She captured footage of peaceful protesters being attacked by security guards and their bloody-snouted dogs. This became a problem for authorities because Goodman is a well-known award winning host of Democracy Now! and her footage was viewed over 14 million times. Many other filmmakers faced arrest for documenting protest action against the pipeline.
 
 
Special Interests Stand in the Way of Honest Media
The issues that documentary filmmakers and journalists report on are those with special interests involved. They seek to expose important stories even if it means risking their lives and safety. In the past Schlosberg has reported on oil contamination in the Amazon, fracking and tar sands. Fox’s documentary, Gasland, also exposed the issues of fracking in the United States. Other filmmakers that have exposed under reported events and information include Laura Poitras’s reporting on Edward Snowden in Citizen Four, ‎Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Act of Killing, Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington’s Restrepo, and Alexandria Bombach’s Frame by Frame. Arrests are also common among journalists who report on the movement for Native rights, Black Lives Matter and other movements not covered in mainstream media.
 
It seems that the government has given priority to the oil and gas industry instead of environmental health. Those who attend and report on demonstrations are the ones who get hurt and arrested. When White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest was asked about the Dakota Access Pipeline, his response was, “I can tell you that both the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Transportation are investigating these reports and trying to get to the bottom of what exactly happened and what potential steps could be taken to ensure the safety and security of our energy infrastructure.” From his response it’s easy to see their invested interests in protecting current energy infrastructure and the oil and gas industry. They’ll even take away the freedom of speech of those who seek to expose the issues.
 
 
Call to Action
It’s important to look beyond mainstream media if we want to be better versed in current events. There are many events that are under reported in mainstream media because of special interests that governments and corporations prioritize. Documentary journalism and filmmakers that seek to expose these events should not be punished for their right to inform the public of environmental and social justice movements. Not only should we take a stand for environmental and social justice movements, but society also needs to take a stand for the rights of protesters, documentary filmmakers and journalists.
 
To take a stand, Fox has written a letter calling on members of the media, Governor of North Dakota Jack Dalrymple, United States Attorney for the District of North Dakota Chris Myers, and President Obama to support independent journalism and press freedom for climate change information and demonstrations. He has also asked them to drop all charges against Schlosberg. It’s important to write letters, sign petitions and support the movement to give documentary filmmakers and journalists the freedom to inform the public.
 
If you want to help Schlosberg sign onto their letter of support on their website: www.howtoletgomovie.com