Incident Details
- Date of Incident
- December 9, 2022
- Location
- Ashland City, Tennessee
- Assailant
- Private individual
- Was the journalist targeted?
- Yes
Assault
An unidentified photographer for WSMV-TV was pushed by a man that the news crew for the station was attempting to interview in Ashland City, Tennessee, on Dec. 9, 2022.
Reporter Tosin Fakile posted on social media about the incident with footage of what followed, writing, “This was after this man pushed my photographer and his camera after I had asked him to do an interview because we are doing a story about his business.”
In her footage, the photojournalist can be heard telling the man, “Let go of my camera,” to which the man, who can be seen with his hand on the device, responds “Please leave.”
A woman then asks Fakile why she is filming, to which the reporter responds, “Why is he touching my photographer’s camera?” The woman then accuses the journalists of trespassing and tells them to leave. The unidentified couple ultimately get back into their vehicle and speed away.
Fakile posted again afterwards that the businessman later sent one of his employees to speak with the news crew.
“I don’t appreciate what this man just did. That is rude. That is disrespectful. You cannot lay hands on people or their property,” Fakile tells the employee. “I’ve tweeted that video, it’s out in the public. He’s going to have to be responsible for his actions. Now unless you or him will get in front of my camera and talk about what exactly you guys do here and break it down so people have your side, or you send me a statement, there is no further conversation to be had.”
Fakile did not respond to requests for comment.
The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker catalogues press freedom violations in the United States. Email tips to [email protected].
