Media credentials for Luigi Mangione's New York trial, acquired by his supporters, have provoked sharp reactions. The accused gunman's backers, including three women who made inflammatory comments about the victim, Brian Thompson, secured city-issued press passes.
The women—Abril Rios, Ashley Rojas, and Lena Weissbrot—were seen outside Manhattan's criminal courthouse last week. One said, “Fuck Brian Thompson,” while another told Thompson's children to “enjoy the blood money.” A third remarked on democracy's erosion. Their comments went viral, drawing attention from city officials.
City council member David Carr said, “These deranged homicide-fan girls should never be allowed access to courtrooms or official press events with the imprimatur of the City of New York.” The mayor's office for media and entertainment (Mome) is reassessing press credentialing standards, according to senior spokesperson Dora Pekec.
Zohran Mamdani, the city's public advocate, noted a “good-natured debate” about press pass boundaries but said the three women “don't fall within that debate.” The incident has renewed discussion about who qualifies as a journalist for credentialing purposes, especially with the rise of social media.
Roy Gutterman, director of the Tully Center for Free Speech at Syracuse University, warned, “Whenever a government agency gets to decide who is a journalist, it can be concerning.” He added that “activism and independent journalism are not the same.”
New York City has faced similar issues before. In 2008, three bloggers sued the NYPD after their press credential applications were denied. Their lawyer, Norman Siegel, negotiated fair criteria, but defining a journalist remains challenging.
