News Photography

[Jim Stafford]

OK, so your an aspiring photographer, you hear on the radio that a semi just pulled over, on fire, a short distance in front of you, all your gear is in the passenger seat. You don't have credentials becouse you are still an aspiring photographer. Can you run up there, jump out and take pictures? When the police and fire/rescue get ther are they going to boot you out? Say the police are allready there but not fire. Are they going to let you through? I had this situation this morning. I sat there in the back up, could see the truck ahead of me, kicking myself in the butt for not trying to get up to the truck. It appeared it was quite the fire, I saw no news crews.

 

[Randall Ellis]

DISCLAIMER: This is not intended to be considered legal advice.

Can you run up there, jump out and take pictures?

Yes. But before you begin you should call 911 in case someone else has not already done so.

When the police and fire/rescue get ther are they going to boot you out?

Yes. They will almost certainly direct you to move outside their barricades once established or to what they consider a safe distance.

Say the police are allready there but not fire. Are they going to let you through?

No. You must stay outside their perimeter and you may not interfere (that includes getting in their way) with their function at the scene.

You can, as an individual, take pictures of events that are happening like this regardless of your press status. However you cannot, under any circumstances, get in the way, cross police lines, or disobey police orders (the press cannot do this either).

- Randy