A 2022 election which threatens our very democracy. That was the sobering message presented by former Arizona journalists in downtown Phoenix, Arizona.
On October 18, 2022, former members of the Arizona media gathered in downtown Phoenix, sandwiched between Arizona State University’s Cronkite School and Law School to sound off on what has been an all out assault on the media, free speech and democracy in general.
The evidence is not hard to miss. Along with the continuing badgering of the media by some politicians as the “enemy of the people”, other candidates like Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake have gone as far as to ask if “the lying media should be punished?” There have also been well documented incidents of threats, badgering, and physical intimidation of the news media while covering campaign events. The incidents are becoming more common and the rhetoric is at times explosive, and dangerous.
More than sixty former members of the Arizona news media have signed a declaration demanding that these threats and intimidation tactics stop immediately:
Bill Andres, KPNX-TV, KDKB-FM, KSLX-FM
Stephanie Angelo, KSAZ TV, KOVR-13
Rhonda Bannard, KVOA TV, NBC and ABC affiliates elsewhere
Laurie Berg Sapp, KPNX TV
Beau Beyerle, KNXV/KPNX/CBS Network News/ABC Network News
Steve Bitker, Redwood City Tribune, KSFO Radio, KYNO Radio, KFIG Radio, JCTV-Tokyo Peninsula Times Tribune, KNBR Radio, KCBS Radio
Anne Brady, Mesa Tribune, Jewish News and Dow Jones Newswires in Arizona
Eileen Brill Wagner, Phoenix Business Journal
Maggie Brock, KZZP, Y-95, POWER 92, and KEZ
Art Brooks, former CEO Arizona Broadcasters Association, host of Rescuers Radio Show Dinah (Rose) Brooks, The San Bernardino Sun, Ontario Daily Report, High Country Life, Law and Order magazine, True West magazine, and others
Troy Browder, KPNX/WBIR/KPNX 1991-2005, editor, videographer, producer, Sky 12 videographer, multi-media journalist
John Bylow, KTSP TV photog
Salvatore Caputo, The Arizona Republic, Chandler Independent, Jewish News of Greater Phoenix
Doug Carroll, The Arizona Republic
Mike Clancy, The Arizona Republic
Nancy Clark-Puffer, KPNX TV, KSAZ TV, The Arizona Republic
Gene D’Adamo, The Arizona Republic / azcentral.com
Richard de Uriarte, The Phoenix Gazette, The Arizona Republic
Karie Dozer, KTAR
Rich Dubek, Freelance Producer – NBC News and Today, Sr. Reporter KPNX TV, Reporter KVOA TV, Feature Reporter/Producer Fox 10
Flo Eckstein, Jewish News of Greater Phoenix
Melissa Farley, The Arizona Republic, The USA TODAY NETWORK
Marlene Woods-Galan, KTSP TV, KPNX TV
Cecelia Goodnow, The Arizona Republic, other now defunct newspapers
Scott Hanson, KNAZ-TV, KPHO-TV, SPJ Board of Directors
Marissa Harelson, KSAZ TV
Scott Harelson, KPNX TV
Marty Hames, KTVK TV
Cameron Harper, KTVK TV 3
Don Henninger, Yuma Daily Sun, Phoenix Gazette/Arizona Republic, Phoenix Business Journal William Hermann, The Arizona Republic
Jonathan Kamman, The Arizona Republic, The Arizona Daily Star
Ana Keddie, KSAZ TV, KNAZ TV
Camille Kimball, KOOL, KOY, KAET TV, KPHO TV, The Arizona Republic, now appearing on True Crime Network, Oxygen, E! Network, REELZ Channel, CBS Europe, Investigation Discovery, and others.
Michael Kiefer
Steve Krafft, KSAZ Fox 10 Phoenix
Anita Favela Luera, Arizona Latino Media Association, ASU Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, 12 News KPNX, KTVW Univision, KOOL TV 10
Ilana Lowery, The Phoenix Business Journal, Independent Newspapers, The Arizona Republic, Pulitzer Newspapers
Diane Luber, Tucson Citizen, Arizona Daily Star, Raleigh News and Observer, Greensboro News and Record, Des Moines Register
Janie Magruder, Mesa Tribune, Arizona Business Gazette, The Arizona Republic
Jack Magruder, The Arizona Daily Star, Mesa Tribune
Laura McBride, The Phoenix Gazette, The Arizona Republic
Pat McMahon, KPHO 5, KTAR, KAZ TV
Beverly Medlyn, The Arizona Republic, The Arizona Daily Star, Tribune Newspapers
Nadia Mustafa, TIME Magazine, Condé Nast
Stephanie Nichols-Young, KVOA TV, KNST
Mike O’Neil, KTAR News
Cary Pfeffer, KPNX KPHO KTVK, Horizon
Rob Piercy, FOX 10
Pat Powers – Zermeno, KOOL-FM, KDKB-FM, KJZZ-FM, KPSN-FM, KOY-AM, KFYI-AM, KPHO-TV
Sandy Price, Jewish News of Greater Phoenix, Phoenix Magazine, freelance – The Arizona Republic , Phoenix Home and Garden, others
Mary K Reinhart, UPI, Scottsdale Progress, East Valley Tribune, Arizona Daily Star, Arizona Guardian, The Arizona Republic
Jim Ripley, East Valley Tribune, Dayton Daily News
Rich Robertson, The Payson Roundup, The Arizona Republic, KPHO-TV, and KPNX-TV. Sharon Salomon, freelance writer – Edible Phoenix Magazine, Phoenix New Times, Downtown Phoenix Magazine
Rebekah Sanders, The Arizona Republic
Fernanda Santos, Futuro Media, The Washington Post; former Phoenix bureau chief, The New York Times
Chris Scarborough, KVOA TV, FOX 10
Claren Scott, KSAZ-TV
Robbie Sherwood, The Arizona Republic, The East Valley Tribune
Bob Sullivan, News Director: KPNX TV, KNXV TV
Deborah Sussman, Jewish News of Greater Phoenix
Civia Tamarkin, CNN, ABC Evening News, Time Inc. Magazines, Chicago Newspapers
Mike Watkiss, KTVK TV 3
Paul Weich, KNST, KUAT, ArizonasPolitics.com/ArizonasLaw.org
Mary Jo West, Phoenix’s first primetime anchorwoman KOOL-TV, CBS network, KTVK-TV
Former Fox 10 News Anchor Marlene Gala-Woods addressed the media:
It should be noted that all of the participants in the press conference and those who signed the declaration are former members of the Arizona media and not actively working in the news media.
Rich Dubek is President of the Dubek Media Group located in Tempe, Arizona. The company specializes in full service video production and media training/on-camera coaching. https://www.dubekmediagroup.com