SPJ/LA's Statement in Wake of Annapolis Newspaper Shooting

For Immediate Release
June 28, 2018

SPJ/LA's Statement in Wake of Annapolis Newspaper Shooting:

SPJ/LA mourns the loss of five people today at the Annapolis Capital-Gazette building, in addition to those who were injured in this senseless shooting.

Based on the most current information available, the alleged shooter, Jarrod Ramos, had a longtime grudge against the Capital-Gazette, having lost a defamation lawsuit against the paper, and may have been seeking revenge in a personal matter.

While the shooting appears to be tied to a specific lawsuit, we cannot ignore that this troubling incident at a newspaper office took place during a climate of relentless political attacks on the legitimacy of the press, causing public trust and respect to decline precipitously in recent years.

A deliberate attack on a reporter is an attack on the free press, and on the freedom and liberty of every American as guaranteed in the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights. We stand strong with journalists who work hard every day to provide fair and accurate information necessary for the existence of a healthy democracy.

Contact: Stephanie Bluestein, SPJ/LA President 818-677-3407 Bluestein.SPJLA@gmail.com