Published by the Student Press Law Center - October 6, 2003
WASHINGTON, D.C.- Two American University graduate journalism students have had the federal government confiscate their work in separate incidents since the semester began in August.
In August, Dena Gudaitis was taking notes for a class assignment outside the British Embassy when a U.S. Secret Service officer confiscated her notes. According to Gudaitis, the officer said that with the “current things going on in the world, it would probably be in [her] best interest not to take notes.”
Because the British Embassy is located near the vice president’s residence, security agents were stationed close by.
A few weeks later, Rick Steele was on assignment for The Eagle, American University’s student newspaper, when a law enforcement officer forced him to delete photos from his digital camera. Steele said he did not record the name of the officer and could not remember which agency the officer was from, but he said it was either the Secret Service or the U.S. Park Police.
“The general assignment was increased security in the White House,” Steele said, so he was taking photos of officers nearby.
Gudaitis, who recorded the name of the agent who took her notes, J.E. Collinsworth, was able to get an apology from the Secret Service.
“I spoke with the director of the [journalism] program [Wendell Cochran], and [he] made the appropriate connections to have the school issue a statement to the Secret Service demanding an apology and my notes be returned,” Gudaitis said.
The Secret Service returned her notes, saying the officer acted inappropriately and issued an apology.
Gudaitis had to sign a formal receipt, which she said she will frame and hang on the wall because, “It’s not every day that the U.S. government makes a formal apology
to a journalist,” she said.
Because Steele could not identify the agency or the officer who forced him to delete his photos, he could not seek further action.
“When it came down to it,” said Mackenzie Ryan, editor in chief of The Eagle, “Rick couldn’t identify if it was U.S. Park Service or Secret Service. And we couldn’t press charges without knowing who it was.”
Steele said the incident has renewed his resolve as a journalist.
Gudaitis said that her experience with the Secret Service has had a similar effect.
“I’ve learned to become more assertive in the presence of authority,” she said. “I understand that the Secret Service officers were trying to do their job, but I hope that they understand that I have a job to do, too.”###