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Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy GOP tramples free speech Academy Award-nominated documentary filmmaker Josh Fox was arrested during a House hearing because Republicans refused to allow him to film, going against common practice for journalists at a public hearing. Fox, director of 'Gasland,' joins Ed Schultz exclusively. >>> 'the ed show.' the republicans violated basic free speech rights by making, just making sure that a journalist was arrested and led out of the public hearings in handcuffs. the journalist was josh fox, who has gone a long way in exposing the truth about fracking, the toxic extraction of natural gas in america. fox was arrest the after republicans at a committee hearing insisted on enforcing a rule that is routinely ignored for journalists. >> come on. come on, mr. chairman. >> can we discuss this -- >> this is a public hearing . i'm within my first amendment rights. i'm being taken out. >> where is the transparency? >> fox was arrested on a charge of unlawful entry, maybe they don't like what josh fox stands for. here is a clip from 'gas land.' >> it was the same story, water trouble. >> we never had a problem with the water. after they drilled the water was bad. >> oh, man. >> health problems. >> i'm never healthy. hazardous explosive conditions in the house. >> whoa. >> joining me exclusive oh on 'the ed show,' josh fox, academy award nominated who directed 'gas land' working on 'gas land ii' we saw the video of your arrest, we want you to describe it from your perspective, what happened, what went down? >> i didn't expect to be arrested for documentary film making and journalism on capitol hill . i was prepared for it but didn't expect it. i did think they would come to our senses and let them film the hearing. we were there covering a very crucial hearing about a case of ground water contamination in pavilion, wyoming, three-and-a-half year investigation by the epa shows subjects from the first film from pavilion, with ground water contamination resulting in 50 times the level of benzene in ground water . and epa pointed in this case that hydraulic fracturing is the likely cause. what was happening today, republicans called in the science and space and technology committee a hearing to challenge science, their panel was made up of gas industry lobbyists. we were there to expose what i believe is ugly and brazen attack on science itself, on what is happening across the country, with hydraulic fracturing , we were there doing our jobs. i was not interested in disrupting the hearing, was not charged with that. was simply interested in capturing on film in a broadcast quality camera, what the republicans were going to be doing right there, putting the epa and citizens of pavilion and everyone across the nation who is complaining of contamination due to hydraulic fracturing on trial. we wanted to make sure people knew it was happening.>> fracking is getting a lot more attention because of you and it's very dangerous and needs to be monitored big time . how did the republicans know it was you? they know who you are because of the work you've done. i heard on the tape it seemed to be congressional members arguing that you be allowed to stay. >> we went through the proper channels to request per -- permission to entering the hearing. you have to be a special credentialed journalist. you can ask the chair of the committee or the committee for permission to film. we had that successfully in the past when the democrats were in control of the house. since the republicans took over, we have had obstruction after obstruction getting into congress. this time, this was something that we have been covering in a very personal way for three-and-a-half years, and felt look, i'm going in there because this is the first amendment. this is freedom of speech . the amendment is congress shall make no law cwhich infringes upon the freedom of the press. that means congress can't pass a law or a rule or regulation in a sub committee hearing to obstruct journalists from coming in and exposing to the american people what they are doing. >> are you going back? >> am i going back where? >> well, back do more hearings? will do you what you can to get in there? >> our film is about the influence of oil and gas on the government. i'm sure we will be back at other public hearings . we are very close to being finished with the film, and this is incredibly ironic that all these events have come together and they are kicking science out of the house of representatives . they are kicking science and journalism out of the science and technology committee and it's really a brazen attack on american civil liberties and frankly on our ability to investigate the truth. >> josh fox, great work, we'll do it again with you, thank you so much for joining us. a story that every american needs to hear.
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February 2, 2012 |
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