“There’s always a Connecticut connection,” is a phrase often uttered in Connecticut newsrooms. And in this case it’s doubly true.
Earlier this week, Maryland Republican Congressman Andy Harris tried to shut down questions from Quinnipiac Journalism graduate Cat Murphy by claiming she did not have permission to record him under the state’s two party consent law. He threatened to have her camera confiscated and have her arrested. Other reporters defended Murphy as Harris dug himself deeper.
Cat Murphy Interview – CNN
Bio – Murphy Website
The problem for Harris is; the two party consent law does not apply to public figures, in a public setting, conducting a news availability with multiple reporters – all with cameras rolling.
But that’s not all…
Harris is being challenged by Democrat Dan Schwartz, who is originally from Connecticut. He is the son of the well known Hartford psychiatrist Dr. Hank Schwartz.
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The incident further reminds us of the early days of political blogging when former Connecticut Congressman Chris Shays tried to ban a blogger from one of his news conferences, primarily because the name of the blog was “My Left Nutmeg.”(True story!)
