The Peach State or 'Banana Republic'? Critics Howl Over Georgia GOP's Proposal to Target Journalists With Secretive Ethics Panel

Press freedom advocates on Thursday warned of dangers posed by a bill put forward by Republicans in Georgia that would create a journalism ethics board in the state and subject reporters to fines if they don’t comply with the new rules.

The so-called “Ethics in Journalism Act” (H.B. 734) would establish an “independent” ethics board with members from the journalism profession selected by the University of Georgia, which is run by the state. The board would create “canons of ethics,” set up a system for issuing and investigating complaints about journalists and news outlets, and issue advisory opinions on whether news organizations have violated laws.

Under the proposal, news outlets would also be required to turn over materials—including video and audio files of interviews—if a subject requests the files. Refusal to release the materials could result in lawsuits or fines.

As the Journal-Constitution noted, the rule would give the government more power over journalists than the public has over the legislature:

Six GOP state representatives proposed the bill, with state Rep. Andy Welch leading the effort. Welch recently complained that state reporters have exhibited “bias” when asking him questions about legislation, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

The Georgia First Amendment Foundation said the proposal would lead to violations of journalists’ constitutional rights.

“This is clearly an effort to rein in those who have been scrutinizing what’s been happening at the Legislature,” Richard T. Griffiths, the group’s president, told the Journal-Constitution. “Frankly, this is the kind of proposal one would expect to surface in a banana republic, not the Peach State.”

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