News Leaders Statement On The Verdict In The Jerrod Ramos Trial

WASHINGTON, July 15 – Following is a statement by Lisa Nicole Matthews, President of the National Press Club and Angela Greiling Keane, President of the National Press Club Journalism Institute on the conclusion of the trial of Jerrod Ramos for the murder of journalists and employees of the Capital Gazette Newspaper in Annapolis, Md.

“For the families of journalists Gerald Fishman, Rob Hiaasen, John McNamara, Wendy Winters and sales assistant Rebecca Smith there may never be closure for the murder of their loved ones, but today’s verdict in the trial of Jerrod Ramos sends a loud and clear signal to those who would bring violence against journalists and news organizations for doing their jobs. Journalism is an important part of a functioning democracy and when it was attacked in Annapolis other important parts of democracy stepped forward to do their jobs. From the police who arrested Ramos and took him to jail to the prosecutor who gathered the evidence and brought the case to the judge who ran the trial to the jury that heard the evidence and ultimately convicted Ramos they all did their jobs in part so that the rights and responsibilities of journalists to do theirs was protected in a very public way. This was violence directed at a newspaper for what it had published about the killer. There can be no more direct assault on press freedom. The message from the trial is that those who take this direction will be apprehended, jailed, prosecuted, convicted and sentenced – in this case to life in prison. That result is important both to the families and to all who work in journalism now and in the future.

And we noticed something else that was important about this trial. The coverage in the press about the murder of journalists was full, fair and revealing. The reporting was detailed and accurate. The writing was clear and dispassionate. In this hour journalists showed themselves to the world to be the professionals they are under the most trying conditions. Where bias, or  emotion might be expected to occur it was not in evidence. Americans should note that when they are told that news media is fake. In this most difficult of assignments media showed itself to be at its best in a tough assignment and like the police, prosecutor, judge and jury, did its job in telling the story of the trial to citizens across the community and the country and so once again showed the role of journalism in a democratic society to be formative, vital and enduring.”

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world’s leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has 3,000 members representing nearly every major news organization and is a leading voice for press freedom in the United States and around the world.

The National Press Club Journalism Institute, the Club’s non-profit affiliate, promotes an engaged global citizenry through an independent and free press and equips journalists with the skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire civic engagement.

Contact: John Donnelly, NPC Press Freedom Team Chair: [email protected], 202-650-6738