Staff Reports
On Wednesday, a NewsNation journalist, Evan Lambert, was arrested while providing a live update at an Ohio press conference concerning a Friday train fire. The derailment of the train had caused a massive fire and led to the evacuation of 2,000 residents due to the growing concern of toxic chemicals.
BREAKING: @EvanLambertTV, a DC-based correspondent for @NewsNation, has been in Ohio covering the train crash. He was doing a live shot in the back of the room during a press conference-was told to stop by police, was pushed to the ground, cuffed & arrested & put in a patrol car. pic.twitter.com/RZv6nT7j8o
— NewsNationComms (@NewsNationComms) February 8, 2023
Lambert was reporting on Republican Gov. Mike DeWine’s statements regarding the evacuation for the city of East Palestine, Ohio when he was told to stop reporting in the middle of his live shot. Washington Bureau Chief for NewsNation released a statement saying that Lambert was “doing his job — what hundreds of journalists do without incident — reporting to the public on a matter of urgent, critical interest to our audience.”
Hey @GovMikeDeWine why did sheriff's deputies arrest @NewsNation reporter @EvanLambertTV at today's press conference in E. Palestine?
He was simply reporting to the public on a matter of urgent and critical interest to our audience. pic.twitter.com/DYjC2BPvNp
— Chicago’s Very Own Adam Hainsfurther (@Hainsfurther) February 8, 2023
Lambert was then taken down to the ground, handcuffed, and brought to the Columbiana County Jail after authorities tried to physically remove him from the gymnasium. He was later released from jail late Wednesday and faces charges of disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing.
DeWine later apologized for the incident and said he didn’t order the arrest. He stated that journalists are allowed to report in the back of his press conferences and said it was “wrong” that Lambert was barred from doing that. DeWine expressed his sorrow for the incident, saying that Lambert “had every right to be reporting, and do what they do every single day.”
The arrest of Evan Lambert has been met with outrage from many in the journalism community, with many calling for an investigation into the incident. The arrest has highlighted the importance of journalists to report on matters of public interest and has sparked a conversation about the rights of journalists in public spaces. This incident serves as a reminder that journalists should be able to report freely and without fear of arrest or harassment.
The preceding article is a summary of an article that originally appeared on The Daily Caller
