Lauren Tomasi, a reporter for 9News, was recently hit by a projectile while reporting on protest against ICE immigration raids in Los Angeles. It was the only time she knew of a person being shot while a newscast was on the air live. The video of the violent encounter has sparked a national outcry. Naturally, state and local officials and industry leaders in the media are reacting strongly.
During the protests, which escalated as law enforcement began using crowd-control measures, Tomasi reported alongside her camera operator, James Phillips. The chaos was palpable as police officers moved through the streets with increasing force, firing rubber bullets and teargas canisters into the crowd.
Tomasi described the moment she was hit: “I was really focused on the camera and was finishing that report … and I got hit. Jimmy scooped me up and we made our way out of there as quickly as possible. It was a bit of a shock.” She later revealed that she suffered from a “bloody big old bruise” and was sore from the impact but emphasized her commitment to continue reporting. “I’m a bit sore, but I’m OK. Important we keep on telling the stories that need to be told,” she stated.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on his visit to the USA last month was shown the footage of Tomasi being shot and was horrified. He noted the profound sadness of the event. As POLITICO reported in June, he called the move “horrific” and said it “definitely raised a lot of red flags” about press safety. Albanese stated, “We have already raised these issues with the US administration,” emphasizing the importance of media protection in volatile situations. He pointedly added, “It’s not enough for us to just say we think what happened is okay that it happened. And we believe that media’s role is crucial.”
Matt Stanton, Nine’s chief executive, acted quickly in the wake of the shooting. He will reach out to the Los Angeles Police Chief to provide his full cooperation in the ongoing investigation. “Our focus has been on providing all the support Lauren and our camera operator James Phillips need in the aftermath of Sunday’s incident,” Stanton said. He added that the safety of 9News teams is a top priority as they continue to cover dramatic events in Los Angeles for Australian audiences.
Los Angeles Police Chief Jim McDonnell called the shooting of Tomasi “troubling.” He added that he was alarmed to see so many in the media hit with crowd-control munitions and to learn that some were intentionally targeted. We try to mitigate it with training, the equipment we choose. It is a target-specific munition. That’s not to say that it always strikes the intended target, especially in a rapidly evolving situation,” said McDonnell.
Prominent Australian television presenter Karl Stefanovic called for a complete probe on Tomasi’s shooting. He said the body camera footage gives a strong indication that she was intentionally targeted. The feelings articulated by Stefanovic struck a chord with everyone who saw the incident as an assault on the freedoms of the press.
Tomasi reported that she felt the presence of police escalate significantly before she was shot: “We felt that presence of the LAPD and law enforcement really ramp up and we went live … police started pushing their way up the street.” This context highlights the tension between law enforcement and protestors during these events, raising questions about media safety during such confrontations.
Unfortunately, Australian journalist Lauren Day, like Tomasi, faced negative impacts from police while covering these protests. Erin Madeley, a journalist advocate, emphasized the need for protections for journalists in high-stress environments: “Journalists reporting from the frontline of protests and wars fulfil the essential role of bearing witness, and should be accorded the same protections as other frontline workers.”