On Nov. 4, the American Civil Liberties Union sent a warning letter to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to alert them that an air ban singling out news aircraft is an unacceptable and unlawful abridgement of the rights of the free press. This letter was prompted by recent revelations by the Associated Press that the FAA approved a Temporary Flight Restriction over Ferguson, Mo., on Aug. 12 to prevent media coverage of an unfolding news story.
“Since our founding, we have relied on a free press to provide information to the public as a primary check and balance on governmental overreach,” said Jeffrey Mittman, executive director of the ACLU of Missouri. “For any elected official, or local, state or federal employee to collude in restricting press access to a story of great public interest would be incredibly shameful. The ACLU is always ready to robustly defend the rights of a free press.”
A copy of the letter can be found on the ACLU of Missouri website.