At the Collegian, we trust our staff members.
Yes, we take steps to verify information. But we editors can't check everything. We have to trust that our staff members have talked to who they said they talked to. That the quotes they write down are what were actually said. That what they said happened actually happened.
Today, we stand by our trust in one of our staff photographers. Michael Felletter, who was on assignment covering the riot on Oct. 25, has been charged with failure to disperse and disorderly conduct after police said he failed to leave the area.
Felletter maintains that when the police told him to leave the area, he did. Until and unless the facts concretely show otherwise, we will continue to stand behind our staff member.
Moreover, we believe the district attorney's decision to charge a photographer for doing his job represents a dangerous chilling effect on First Amendment rights.
The criminal complaint states, as the justification for the disorderly conduct charge, that Felletter "was observed participating in a riot of several thousand people by taking photographs which excited the crowd and encouraged destructive behavior."
Regardless of how police word it, the basic issue is clear: Felletter has been charged with a crime for taking photographs.
As fellow journalists, we find that fact to be very, very frightening. How many photographers are going to shy away from taking pictures of the police for fear of incurring a criminal record? How many reporters are going to have second thoughts about covering the next riot?
Charges like this prevent Collegian staff members from gathering and providing necessary information, and anything that obstructs this service harms our readership and the people we serve: Penn State students.
The Collegian's readership expected us to cover what happened on Oct. 25. Based on the number of published Collegian photos that the State College Police are using to identify participants, we have to assume they're appreciative as well.
Yes, a riot is a dangerous situation. And yes, the police have a right to order people to disperse. But police do not have a right to keep legitimate information from the public.
We believe the facts, when they are fully revealed, will vindicate Felletter. Until then, we are content to take him at his word.
We stand by him. We stand by our right to free speech.
And regardless of what happens, we promise our readers:
We will never let fear stop us from doing our best to report the truth.
