Student Photojournalist Tim Tai to Receive First Amendment Protector Award

On March 16, University of Missouri student and freelance photojournalist Tim Tai is set to be awarded the First Amendment Defender Award by the Radio Television Digital News Foundation. The foundation is an educational group that supports journalists' first amendment rights and the public's rights to free media. While the foundation recognizes outstanding journalism annually, this is the first time that the award wil actually be presented.

The award comes after President Tim Wolfe's resignation from the University of Missouri on November 6. Tai was working as a photographer for ESPN documenting the reaction of those on campus. While photographing at Mel Carnahan Quadrangle, Tai was met by a large group of students, faculty, and staff who demanded that members of the news and media gave the protestors space. Members of the group raised their hands to block the media and try and stop any photography, however Tai continued to photograph and explained to the protestors that they were all allowed to be there because of their first amendment rights. His efforts were seen in the viral video above that as of today, has over 2.7 million views.

Tai learned that he was selected for the award and said he was honored to receive it and to have the support of the foundation, however he added that he was surprised. “I was just doing my job,” Tai said. “I was a little surprised that they thought I deserved the award.”

Along with Tai, several other individuals are being are being awarded, including Jason Rezaian of the Washington Post, Cami McCormick of CBS News, Robert Garcia of National Public Radio, Richard Boehne of E.W. Scripps Company, and Tom Brokaw of NBC News.

What do you think? If you haven't seen the viral video that shows Tai's interaction with the group, you can view it above. Do you think Tai handled the situation in the best possible manner? Let us know your thoughts on the first amendment and photojournalism in the comment section.

[via The Missourian]

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Michael Brown is a freelance photographer based on the east coast, with a wide variety of photo, video and graphic design experience.

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14 Comments

I don't think I could've kept my cool around those morons, kudos to him for staying calm.

I would have just gained access onto one of the buildings (which should be allowed as it is publicly funded land/property) and use the 70-200 he had instead honestly.

What's the point of having a protest if not for publicity and spreading your message? Their reasoning seems very flawed. I personally don't feel protests accomplish much besides making participants feel like they're important... but maybe that's just me!

I am assuming they only wanted the issue to be confined to the college life, and not shared with the world, even though that's what happened and became their advantage... unless this was their plan all along? Be completely irrational to media and they become viral to spread their word? If that was their plan it was genius... I always question viral videos, being planned and constructed, etc. at least I think it was constructed from the protesters side, not media of course.

Kudos to Tim Tai for staying calm and stood his ground.

There is no hope for this country...

That's what I said when I saw this! Sickens me to see such lack of basic understand for the constitution, and from both student and teacher!

ATTA BOY Tai! You did what you could to do your job.

I don't remember the professor's name, she said that she knows the First Amendment rights because she was a faculty member of the School of Journalism; as it turns out, she was a "creative media" faculty member and had School of Journalism privileges. She also resigned.

Well who knows, maybe it was the protesters (both professors and students) plan to be soooo irrational to the media and use media as a tool to broaden their message to the world... and it clearly did... we don't know if it was constructed to be intentionally irrational or not, only the protesters know.

Mizzou has changed drastically even in the last 10 years.

I'm all for #ConcernedStudent1950. But they put themselves as a huge laughing stock on the 1st Amendment. While they were using the 1st Amendment to protect their rights to protest, and fighting against the 1st Amendment to combat media... biggest contradiction I've seen in my life! I'm shocked both professors and the students fighting the media were not educated on the 1st Amendment. I seriously think all colleges now should have a legal elective to teach what most laws/Amendment are... seeing this video made me sick to my stomach sooooo many people are uneducated on the constitution.

Now THIS is what drones are for.

And the student journalists need to understand that non-biased, fair and objective reporting can only be achieved when it is free of influence from the subjects being covered.
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