The place do First Modification rights finish with regards to public security?
That is a query many Individuals have been asking whereas social media websites grapple with the best way to cope with violent or intentionally false posts.
And Blue Bloods Season 11 Episode 8 offered a recent perspective after Jamie arrested a reporter for trespassing and interference.
I am a powerful believer in First Modification rights, however I believed Jamie was justified.
The reporter not solely ignored police orders however was actively interfering within the arrest of a suspect who had already gotten bodily aggressive with police.
That could possibly be harmful. If a police officer is distracted by another person throughout an arrest, the arrestee might escape, seize a gun, or in any other case trigger bother.
After all, there have been many circumstances the place folks had been instructed to not movie the police, and that is a murkier space that doubtlessly crosses the road into stopping reporters from exposing what cops are doing on the job.
However that wasn’t what occurred right here.
Actually, if the lady had stored her mouth shut and simply filmed, Jamie would probably have had no foundation to arrest her.
The remainder of the reporter’s story additionally introduced up questions. Because the episode title prompt, there was extra to the story than there could have appeared at first look.
On the one hand, no person has a authorized obligation to share what they know with the cops, as Erin’s storyline additionally demonstrated. So the reporter was inside her rights to maintain her proof to herself and/or to blur the faces of lawbreakers to inform her story.
Robert Lewis: She was doing her job, reporting a narrative.
Frank: She grew to become the story. There is a distinction.
On the opposite, what did sitting on the data accomplish?
The capturing clearly shook the reporter but appeared to be serving to the shooters get away with it. Her declare in her story that the looters weren’t actually hurting anybody was ludicrous once they’d shot and severely injured a storekeeper.
And it was solely a matter of time earlier than the reporter was the subsequent one shot since she stored exhibiting up at crime scenes earlier than the cops did, and the final one had turned violent.
Moreover, whereas the reporter could not be compelled to testify, she could possibly be compelled to show over proof that she was sitting on, and he or she opened herself as much as that by posting the video on-line.
Her claims that her First Modification rights had been being violated had been ridiculous. No one stopped her from reporting the story.
One other level that Frank introduced up was by no means totally addressed.
This reporter was not affiliated with mainstream media. She was a Youtuber, which meant she was both a citizen journalist or was working for some impartial information outlet that’s completely digital.
Did this give her much less standing than network-affiliated reporters? It was laborious to say, and this was kind of confined to some throwaway traces on Frank’s half about how she wasn’t an actual reporter.
In any case, I preferred Frank’s level about slanted media. These days, most media has apparent biases, and readers/viewers typically assume that these platforms that align with their political views are “unbiased.” They don’t seem to be — they’re simply biased in a approach that the buyer agrees with.
This is not about liberal vs. conservative media. It is about the best way objectivity in media has gone out the window, and that enables media to form narratives moderately than reporting them.
And that may be harmful, particularly if a media supply performs quick and free with the details to assist a specific worldview.
In some methods, Erin’s case was just like the entire controversy over the reporter.
She was attempting to current the case a sure approach to her witness, and Kimberly’s blunt, brutal honesty tousled her narrative and scared the witness off.
Kimberly appeared devoid of empathy for the sufferer and got here off as pushy… till Frank delivered a hearty dose of empathy himself.
Frank: All of us stroll round with doubts about ourselves and worry they might be confirmed. I actually do. I am positive she [Kimberly] does too.
Erin: Properly, that appears like a funhouse mirror with none enjoyable.
He was a greater man than me as a result of I simply discovered this character aggravating, and I used to be desperate to learn the way Erin was going to place her in her place, or a minimum of get her out of the best way so she might do her job.
I wasn’t shocked that Kimberly made up the story about witnessing a homicide since she’d already orchestrated Keisha operating into the sufferer’s mom. Pretend story or not, although, she lastly managed to indicate the empathy for Keisha that she’d been lacking throughout the remainder of the hour.
I did not like Erin distancing herself from her brothers due to Kimberly’s opinion. She must be cautious due to what her boss thinks, and I get that, however it nonetheless bothered me, and it induced pointless battle.
Kimberly had competitors within the annoying division, although: Detective Raines. It was good that Danny prolonged an olive department, however the man was ineffective!
He primarily sat round making snide remarks about how the perp had locked Danny and Baez in a basement on Blue Bloods Season 11 Episode 1. They ditched him to do the precise investigative work, and he confirmed up simply in time to ask if Baez was okay after Danny saved her from the killer.
If different cops are going to struggle for jurisdiction, they need to a minimum of be competent.
Baez getting herself into bother was predictable, although. I used to be ready for the serial killer to assault her.
Danny: Simply do me a favor and do not go off by yourself once more.
Baez: Are you kidding? You do it on a regular basis. Danny Reagan virtually wrote the ebook on it.
Danny: I do not need you to be like Danny Reagan.
Baez: Why?
Danny: As a result of I like Maria Baez.
It led to a candy second between Danny and Baez, although, and I am unable to assist questioning if they’re headed for a romantic relationship.
Nobody can exchange Linda, however Baez has chemistry with Danny, they usually gel collectively effectively.
After all, Jamie already married his accomplice, so it could be considerably redundant if Danny dated his, however nonetheless.
Your flip, Blue Bloods fanatics!
Did Frank and Jamie deal with that pesky reporter correctly? Does Erin must put Kimberly in her place? And do you ship Danny/Baez?
Hit the large, blue SHOW COMMENTS button and tell us your ideas!
Need to see the episode once more first? Simply watch Blue Bloods online proper right here on TV Fanatic.
Blue Bloods airs on CBS on Fridays at 10 PM EST/PST.
Jack Ori is a senior workers author for TV Fanatic. His debut younger grownup novel, Reinventing Hannah, is offered on Amazon. Comply with him on Twitter.