It seems not everyone took NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly's memo about respecting freedom of the press to heart: video shot at Zuccotti Park on New Year's Eve shows a heated confrontation between a journalist and police, after a cop threatens to confiscate the unidentified reporter's press credentials. There is speculation that the reporter in the video is Colin Moynihan from the Times, and he did file a report from the park that night: more ›

Earlier today nearly 20 protesters were arrested in the atrium of the World Financial Centre following a protest against Goldman Sachs. This video appears to show a credentialed photographer attempting to photograph the arrests of protesters, being pushed back with a baton by one NYPD officer. Another officer continues to block his line of sight. "Touch me again," the photographer warns the officer before taking his name and badge number. The officer continues to block his vision, and he pulls out an iPhone to document what was occurring. more ›

It seems Mayor Bloomberg still gets a bit pissy if you question him about his perfect handling of Occupy Wall Street: during his weekly radio appearance this morning, Bloomberg was asked about the November raid on Zuccotti Park, during which several reporters were arrested and others were forcibly removed from the park. Bloomberg insisted that there was no media blackout during the early morning raid: "We didn't keep anybody from reporting, you just had to stand to the side. You don't have a right as a press person to stand in the way just in the interest of getting the story...the police [showed] amazing restraint. This is the greatest police department in the world. The number of times police fire their weapons here is so much less than any other police department." more ›

It never ends: an accredited freelance news cameraman was arrested by a Long Island police sergeant Friday evening after he refused to stop videotaping an arrest in Bohemia. Here's video of the incident, which the cameraman, Phil Datz, uploaded to YouTube after he was released from custody. As you can see, the video appears to show a hot-headed (and bald-headed) cop bullying a member of the press without any reasonable explanation: more ›

A federal grand jury has been convened to look at whether the NYPD leaked information about the 2009 subway bomb plot, and so far, four NYPD detectives have testified. Now the Daily News reports that the grand jury is also looking at how reporters got details about other terrorism cases, like "how reporters knew Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad lived in Connecticut - before he was captured." more ›

Back in January, the Parks Department sent out a letter to its employees with the stern warning that, "No matter how short or simple the answer may seem, employees must not engage in conversation about Parks to those who identify themselves as reporters." That controversial directive, which the NYCLU argued violated worker's First Amendment rights, have now been clarified. more ›

The next time Charlie Sheen pays a lady to come over for a 36-hour bender involving freebasing, booze, 3-minute sex, and various other adult activities, he should maybe try someone a little bit more discreet. In the history of porn stars, none of them have really ever been known to keep their mouths shut. His latest "hired help" was Kacey Jordan, and she's now in New York City talking to the press about the party that landed Sheen in the hospital last week. more ›

Meet Paul Browne, the former reporter (and potential spy recruit) who gets paid almost $200K a year to keep citizens in the dark about the NYPD. In his fervent attempt to stop leaks to the press, Browne has allegedly pored through cell phone records of detectives in search of reporters' phone numbers, transferring those who've talked "to shit jobs." This fascinating Observer profile describes him as "the most senior aide to the most powerful police commissioner in the history of the Police Department." more ›

Hey, the new Senate Majority Leader doesn't like it when reporters ask him about his questionable dealings! Seriously, when will the press learn that queries about repeatedly late, incomplete campaign filings or undisclosed donations are totally off-base. more ›

Of course: Mayor Bloomberg calls a reporter a disgrace one day, then on the following days, other reporters want to ask him about it on other days! In the days since Observer and PolitickerNY reporter Azi Paybarah's question about the Bloomberg's decision to overturn term limits was rebuffed by the mayor—who called Paybarah "a disgrace"—Bloomberg has been called third worst person in the world by Keith Olbermann, was described as reaching "new heights of peevishness" by the NY Times and, today, was asked by a Thomson-Reuters reporter, "Do you think it’s disgraceful for reporters in an open society to ask questions of people in power about their actions and motives?” more ›

Some follow-up to Mayor Bloomberg's exchange with Observer (and PolitickerNY) reporter Azi Paybarah. The NY Times described that the mayor "seemed to reach new heights of peevishness, calling a reporter who posed a question he did not like 'a disgrace.'" (The question was whether the mayor, who spoke of an economic turnaround, oversold his pitch for overturning term limits.) CBS 2 reported, "Many would say the reporter's question was relevant, especially since the city's failing economy is one of the reasons Bloomberg sought an exemption from term limits." Paybarah's editor Josh Benson told the Daily News, "It was a reasonable question. We're comfortable leaving it to everyone else to judge the quality of the response." A spokewoman for City Comptroller and mayoral hopeful Bill Thompson said, "What’s disgraceful is the Mayor’s refusal to answer the tough questions. Calling people names, having staff block cameras and bullying the press aren’t going to stop people from asking the mayor to explain his term limits bait and switch." The Mayor apologized, though indirectly; according to Paybarah, Bloomberg's press secretary Stu Loeser "called to relay an apology from the mayor." more ›

Is the unofficial first rule of Mayor Bloomberg-Press Fight Club "Don't ask Mayor Bloomberg about term limits"? That's what it seems like when you watch this video from PolitickerNY's Azi Paybarah. Bloomberg, at a press conference touting how the city received $32 million in federal stimulus money for job training, said of the economy, "I’m reasonably optimistic that we’ve turned the corner" on the recession. So Paybarah asked if, since the economy was turning around, that meant Bloomberg oversold his pitch for overturning term limits—which the mayor didn't think was a "serious" question. more ›

Earlier this week, the NYPD told the established press who have desks and office space at Police Headquarters (1 Police Plaza) that they'd need to vacate by July 31, due to construction and renovations. A few hours after that notice, the NYPD then decided the press could still file stories from a little-used conference room but would no longer have the desks. When asked about the decision, Mayor Bloomberg said, "This is not a First Amendment issue; this is a construction issue. We just don't have enough room." Though the NYPD says it will try to find the press permanent desk space in two years, the NYCLU accuses the department of trying to control the media; NYCLU spokesman Christopher Dunn told Newsday, "There's no question that the press is much better able to report on the Police Department if they can actually have their offices inside of police headquarters." more ›

News organizations that have desks at NYPD headquarters at 1 Police Plaza downtown were told they need to get out by July 31. Why? Because the NYPD wants to make room for a new Joint Command Center. [UPDATE: The NYPD has changed its mind! Update below.] more ›

One hundred ninety-eight hours of President Richard Nixon's recordings were released by the Nixon Library yesterday, as well as 90,000 pages of documents. The recordings are all from November and December 1972, after his re-election. And, as MSNBC's First Read puts it, Nixon is as "ruthless, cynical" and "profane" as ever!

-- On April 4, 1972, Nixon discusses the press with Haldeman: more ›

A 19-year-old male model flew into a rage yesterday after a Daily News cover story sparked a media frenzy outside the Ozone Park home he shares with his 37-year-old lover, a former teacher who is suing the city for firing her over the affair. WCBS has video of the teen tantrum, which features Hugo Boss model Joshua Walter charging from the house in slippers, clapping his hands and yelling "Leave! Get the f--- outta here! Find someplace else to take pictures." more ›

The NY Times Styles section looks at how the The Year of the Political Blogger Has Arrived, both the Democratic and Republican National Conventions extended credentials to bloggers. However, not all bloggers are created equal: At the DNC, there's the national credential ",which offers the same access granted to members of traditional news media organizations," while the "coveted" state blogger credential "allows one blogger per state to cover the convention alongside its state delegation, with unlimited floor access" (Room 8 is representing NY). Our Washington DC blog, DCist, was chosen as DC's state blogger and editor Sommer Mathis is already in Denver. She reports on what's in the DNC media swag bag, "an official Denver 2008 reusable water bottle from Visa... a bottle of Walgreen's brand ibuprofen and minipack of Walgreen's brand facial tissue, a bottle of hand sanitizer from the Hogan & Hartson law firm...magnetic poetry from SEIU..." more ›

Following their Nassau County Family Court appearance yesterday regarding visitation rights, Michael and Dina Lohan held a joint press conference to let the press know they will no longer be talking to them. In fact, The Daily News reports that Dina's lawyer said the two want to keep their lives private. Presumably they mean starting now, but everyone with basic cable is given a weekly (albeit edited) glimpse into Living Lohan on Dina's reality show, and Michael blogs about it for OK! Magazine. Still, the two would like to control the press and dim the spotlight on the family's little secrets (even if everyone can see their most famous daughter's private MySpace profile).

"They really want the press to stay out of their lives," said Eugene Russo, Dina's lawyer. "They're doing what's in the best interest of the children. They would appreciate if they are allowed to participate in the childrens' lives without the press." more ›

With the Sex and the City movie just 10 days away from release, the film is finally getting some press. While early reviews are panning Parker & Co's big screen effort, there's still, apparently, a lot of interest and a lot to talk about. more ›

Consider it official, it's Sex and the City month; be prepared to read about the movie up until, and past, its May 30th big screen debut. The ink's been bought by the barrell to promote this release, and even columnist Carrie Bradshaw herself never penned this many words about s-e-x during her career. more ›