Mason County Press Comes Out Against First Amendment

[XLFD]

In an article titled ‘First Amendment auditors’ hunting for clickbait, in what shouldn't come as a major surprise to anybody, the Mason County Press and the Oceana CP made strong condemnations against First Amendment protected activity, recently seen in both counties.   Why would a reputable news agency serving the public editorialize against the constitutional right that gives them the ability to write articles without government interference?  The answer is they wouldn't.

The article was not a knee jerk reaction by the writer, Allison Scarbrough, as it was published on April 18th, at least three days after the auditing team appeared in Oceana County (which she writes about) and two days after they again appeared in Mason County.  Rather it was a deliberate and thought-out hatchet piece about the Fric'n Media team that go around the midwest and educate officials and the public about their basic rights in America.  

The Ludington Torch first saw the team on the afternoon of April 16th when they were in the Ludington Library, where they appeared to be well-received.  I followed them, saw them look into the post office windows and then head into the downtown area and stop at the windows of businesses and record from the sidewalk what was happening inside, as seen in the picture below taken by this reporter.

Those familiar with their schtick know that this is to audit reactions of those inside.  While business owners and their employees almost universally welcome people 'window shopping' at their store, you may be surprised that some have a strong reaction when they are being filmed by someone at the window, even when their own store may have dozens of security cameras all about.  

Like public officials that these guys cover, their reactions are caught on camera and put out for all to see, and anybody who has been caught acting a little crazy for trying to suggest these people have no right to do what they are doing, learn a little something in the process.  These guys do this at great risk to themselves, as they could come to a jurisdiction that may lock them up for their constitutionally protected activity.

Ms. Scarbrough, and her MCP boss Rob Alway, who reprinted the OCP article on the MCP, are one of those rare people who don't learn even after the experience is over.  The title gives away their disdain for people going out and exercising the same rights they use with impunity every day to post mug shots and unflattering court shots of people who may not be guilty of any crime.  Many would say those pictures actively hunted by the two 'journalists', are clickbait that run counter to the accused's right to privacy, but this pair would never consider that.

She leads with:   "Four men claiming to be “First Amendment auditors” have been making their rounds locally to bait police, government officials and businesspeople to act unprofessionally and post unflattering videos of them on YouTube."

This is inflammatory language assigning motives to the men who actually conduct First Amendment audits for years, they aren't just claiming that.  Baiting is its own loaded term which does not apply to those who are just quietly exercising their rights and catch those poorly educated or trained on the same.  The auditors post not only the people that they school, but also the ones that understand their rights to record in a public place.  Granted, the fools who do not understand their rights get more attention, but that's to be expected.  

She then further tries to prejudice the reader against these folks saying that they sometimes film inside buildings, failing to note that those would be public buildings where the general public is welcome.  After reciting what the LPD put up on their webpage on the 16th, she relates what her sheriff told her:

Oceana County Sheriff Craig Mast said the group made a stop at the Oceana County Courthouse earlier this week. “I talked to them for a while, and they are really crude, vulgar and rude,” he said. “They were creeping around the courthouse.” The men were shooting video through the windows of work stations inside the courthouse, he said. “This worried the employees. We have sensitive information in the courthouse, such as jury questionnaires.”

If Sheriff Mast wants to portray these people as rude, crude, and vulgar, without offering up his own proof using courthouse footage, I'll believe what I see on the team's other videos, where those descriptives don't seem to be evident, except in those who aggressively oppose their right to film in public places.  If employees are looking at jury questionnaires within the view of the general public, it's the county's problem, not from someone with a camera in a public area.  Scarbrough continues:

They posted a video harassing Shelby State Bank employees at the Shelby branch. When officials asked their names, they refused to give their names. When asked why they were filming, one of them answered, “I tour towns for people who can’t necessarily do it themselves.” While filming, they make many disparaging remarks about the people and the businesses. 

It's unbelievable that a "journalist" watching these videos come to such conclusions.  In the video, they record from the window, they get harassed for that activity.  The bank officers have no reason to ask for their names in such situations.  Scarbrough then claims they make many disparaging remarks about people and their businesses but doesn't offer any evidence of same or link to the video, which I couldn't locate.

"They’re difficult to legally stop,” said Mast. “The best remedy is not to confront them.” If they film outside your window, pull the shade down. 

“They’re splitting hairs with constitutional rights,” said the sheriff. “They’re on the edge of being caustic — trying to rile people up. They know where they can push the limit. This is very disturbing to people.”

The group appears to be baiting people into acting unprofessionally, particularly those who have taken an oath to uphold the constitution, such as police officers.

Sheriff Mast is the one trying to rile people up, along with his willing accomplices, Allison Scarbrough and Rob Alway.  The Fric'n Media team will not come up to your home and record as he infers, as that is patently illegal.  What disturbs many people is the viewpoint of a sheriff and those who claim to be a media group that doesn't understand basic civil rights.  If this makes either police or 'press' want to be unprofessional and disturbed, it appears to have worked here.  

They haven't posted any videos yet from Mason County this year, but here's a couple of our favorite video from the past, from February 2022:

[snide]

  After reading these comments and seeing these FA people, I find it WILD that there are so many people (especially those in PUBLIC SERVICE) , that don't know the Law.  As long as the FA "auditors" are on PUBLIC property, they can film whatever they like. PERIOD.  For a COUNTY Sheriff to not know the law is asinine. This area has so much corruption going on yet THIS is what gets the citizens riled...?  These are crazy times.