Journalists Now Risk Becoming an Endangered Species. Not on My Watch, Says Marcel Reid, Co-Founder of ‘Whistleblower Summit’
by Ilene Proctor
Our country is in the midst of a civil war between the alarmingly stupid in the Trump administration and the just plain alarmed. The shady-dealing, terror-invoking, nation-bankrupting President Trump must be held responsible for the dangers he is posing to our constitutional democracy.
After years of watching him treat norms as inconveniences, constitutional limits as obstacles, and accountability as betrayal, it was fair to assume there wasn’t much unexplored territory left. We were wrong. The lines are being crossed. Today they aren’t rhetorical; they are operational.
Trump’s FBI raid on a Washington Post journalist signals a new low: weaponizing law enforcement against reporters, threatening sources, and daring Americans to ignore the First Amendment’s warning.
Combine the braininess of the legendary Susan B Anthony and the chutzpah of P.T. Barnum and the result is Marcel Reid. Today, Reid has emerged as a prolific organizer, and one of the greatest pugilists for justice in our time. To those who are personally acquainted with Reid she is known as a chariot of strength for her attitude of positivity and determination at every turn of life.
With pull-no-punches speeches, Marcel Reid has had a major impact over the last decade in grassroots community organizing, the whistleblowing community, and a national media foundation. Her efforts have resulted in major policy changes.
As a National Director, Chair of DC ACORN and one of a three-member Interim Management Committee (IMC) to reorganize ACORN after the discovery of a major embezzlement, Marcel came face to face with the difficulties in reporting corruption. This was her first exposure to fighting entrenched corruption and her introduction to the whistleblower community.
Later, Marcel was elected to serve as a director on the National Board of Pacifica Radio. In that position, she introduced a motion to have Pacifica support whistleblowers; making it the first national media organization to incorporate it into their platform. After the Whistleblower Protection Enhancement Act (WPEA) passed in 2012, Pacifica’s steadfast support of whistleblowers was credited by many in the whistleblowing community as helping to reinvigorate the WPEA campaign after over a decade of unsuccessful attempts.
After serving on the board for three terms, Marcel became the first national media whistleblower liaison for the Pacifica Foundation, the only position of its’ kind, in media to date. She continues her efforts to shed light on corruption worldwide by actively supporting the efforts of whistleblowers globally. As an outgrowth, Marcel is the co-host of the annual Whistleblower Summit for Civil and Human Rights that takes place on Capitol Hill, where the prestigious Pillar Award is awarded to First Amendment rights advocates.
Whistleblower Summit & Film Festival
www.whistleblowersummit.com
For Indian Voices Media group visit Indigenousnetwork.org for more information.
