State Rep. Mike Pitts, R-Laurens, filed a bill in the S.C.
House on Tuesday to establish a “responsible journalism registry” to be
operated by the S.C. secretary of state.
That
summary says the bill would “establish requirements for persons before
working as a journalist for a media outlet and for media outlets before
hiring a journalist.” The summary also includes registration fees, and
sets fines and criminal penalties for violations.
The
proposed registry “is ridiculous and totally unconstitutional,” said
Bill Rogers, executive director of the S.C. Press Association. The State
newspaper is a member of the Press Association.
The government
can not require journalists to register, Rogers said, citing the First
Amendment to the Bill of Rights, which ensures freedom of the press.
SOURCE: The State
Bill Status HERE
