Summary

The arrest of CNN journalist Omar Jimenez in Minneapolis is emblematic of a broader trend towards authoritarianism in the United States, reflecting a pattern of state-sponsored harassment, press suppression, and a shift towards third-world country dynamics under the Trump administration.

Abstract

The article discusses the arrest of CNN reporter Omar Jimenez while covering the Minneapolis protests, an incident that exemplifies the escalating state-sponsored harassment and authoritarian tactics in the U.S. Jimenez's detention, despite clear identification as a journalist, is seen as part of a systematic effort to undermine First Amendment rights and intimidate the press. The piece draws parallels between this event and the author's personal experiences with similar harassment, as well as the broader historical context of authoritarian regimes' treatment of journalists. It also criticizes President Trump's anti-press rhetoric and actions, suggesting a deliberate strategy to discredit and suppress media criticism. The article concludes by emphasizing the chilling effect such actions have on journalism and democratic principles, with recent incidents of police targeting journalists during protests underscoring the severity of the situation.

Opinions

The author asserts that the arrest of Omar Jimenez was a deliberate act of state-sponsored harassment, intended to disrupt and intimidate.
The article suggests that the treatment of Jimenez is indicative of a broader shift towards authoritarianism in the United States, akin to experiences in third-world countries.
President Trump's disdain for the media is highlighted as a contributing factor to the erosion of press freedom, with his threats to journalists and attempts to change libel laws cited as evidence.
The author expresses a personal connection to the issue, recounting instances of being targeted by authorities in a similar manner.
The piece criticizes the police's perception of journalists as adversaries, which is seen as a result of military-style recruitment and training within police forces.
The author conveys a sense of alarm at the direction the country is heading, particularly the implications for journalists' safety and the right to free speech.
The article underscores the importance of journalists' roles in democracy, particularly in holding those in power accountable for their actions.

CNN Journalist’s Arrest Is Another Step on the Path to Authoritarianism

Omar Jimenez’s Detention Was State-Sponsored Harassment

CNN reporter Omar Jimenez after his release (YouTube screen capture)

I know state-sponsored harassment when I see it. It happens when an officer of the state uses his authority to make your life difficult. But since you’re not breaking any laws, he eventually lets you go. However, the officer’s brief show of power has disrupted your day.

I’ve had many examples of this happen in my life. My first living memory of this happened when I was traveling with my family as part of a school-sponsored trip from England to France in the early ’80s.

My parents were British permanent residents, but immigration officers decided to pull over the tour bus and detain us in the early hours of the morning. I still remember the embarrassment of having the rest of the passengers stare at us as we kept them waiting. Of course, they let us go because they couldn’t find any laws that were broken.

Black drivers, especially one’s with luxury cars, regularly receive similar treatment. When I lived in Oklahoma, I once had a police officer tail me for three blocks, pull me over in my driveway, only to tell me I had strayed out of my lane, a few blocks back. He left without giving me a ticket, but it ruined my day. I still remember it 20 years later. That’s how people in authority f**k with you.

CNN Reporter Targeted

I saw the same thing happen on Friday when Omar Jimenez, a black CNN reporter covering the unrest in Minneapolis was arrested on live TV. The police claimed they couldn’t determine if he was a journalist. However, I could see his ID tag from my TV in California, and he was filming with a crew with large cameras!

CNN media correspondent Brian Stelter said, “At the time, The American Society of News Editors called it a ‘top-down effort to restrict’ First Amendment rights. ‘For every reporter they arrest, every image they block, every citizen they censor, another will still write, photograph and speak,’ the group said.” But the message was sent loud and clear, we can “f**k with you.”

And now a CNN reporter gets arrested on live TV. I’m not surprised at all. I’ve seen it coming for a while. I’ve seen America becoming more and more like a third world, authoritarian country. We had the rigged elections, cronyism, corruption, now we’re at the part where the government arrests reporters.

Jimenez and his crew spent a few hours in detention and were released, of course. During that time, CNN President Jeff Zucker had words with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, who apologized for the arrest.

However, the police, who often recruit heavily from the military, see journalists as the enemy. Journalists are the ones who uncover their crimes and report their misdeeds.

Trump’s War on the Press

President Donald Trump, who is a self-admitted lover of authoritarians, also hates the media because they’re truth-tellers. When he was running for president, he talked about attempting to change the libel laws so he could go after reporters who wrote stories he didn’t like. He waged an all-out war on the press labeling any news he disagrees with as “fake news.”

He’s also expressed particular displeasure with The Washington Post, for the crime of actually doing journalism and being critical of his administration. He’s labeled them “The Amazon Post.”

Trump’s hatred extends to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, owner of The Post. Trump has tried to ruin his business by jacking up postal rates. Bezos is also currently suing the Trump administration after Amazon lost out on a contract to provide cloud computing services to the Pentagon. Amazon claims Trump interfered with their bid.

Trump also seems to delight in CNN’s misfortune. When protesters ransacked CNN headquarters yesterday, he retweeted a comment that read “In an ironic twist of fate, CNN HQ is being attacked by the very riots they promoted as noble & just. Oops…”

He’s also threatened to actually jail a reporter. According to a 2019 BBC story, he threatened to arrest a photographer who took a picture of a letter North Korean tyrant Kim Jong-un sent him.

Third-World America

I also witnessed this in Nigeria. When I lived there under various military juntas in the 80s and 90s, journalists were regularly jailed by the regimes and later released. (Sound familiar?) In 1986, Dele Giwa, a critic of the Ibrahim Babangida regime, was killed by a package bomb.

Will it come to that in America? I hope not. But then again, I never thought I’d see an American journalist arrested in his own country while doing his job.

A May 29 New York Times article said the arrest sends a chilling message to journalists.

“The arrest told all media that there are people within law enforcement who now feel empowered enough to shut down coverage of unrest — unrest resulting from police violence — flat out in the open,” said James Poniewozik.

Update: Since this article was written there have been multiple incidents of police arresting and shooting journalists covering the unrest.