Jeff Davis County is fixing to get itself sued over First Amendment issues

That is, if recently arrested independent journalist David Flash has both the money and mind to do that.

At the same time, this:

“The profession has to police itself,” said Renita Coleman, a professor of journalism and media at the University of Texas at Austin. “Because our reputation with the public is really all journalists have. Our credibility hinges upon us doing the right thing.”

Is a reminder that independent journalists can be jackwagons. 

That said, so can members of the mainstream media.

Also, this:

Max Resnik, director of growth at Documenter Network City Bureau, a civic journalism program that has trained more than 4,000 residents across the country to document similar public meetings, said it does not matter whether Flash is a professional journalist. Every resident has the right to record, document and publish public meetings, he said.

“By preventing reporting from happening or discouraging reporting in those public meetings, it sends a chilling effect to other residents and reporters,” Resnik said.

He also pointed to the state’s open meeting handbook, which government officials and members of the public must comply with. Any person, the handbook says, “may record all or any part of an open meeting of a governmental body by means of a recorder, video camera, or other means of aural or visual reproduction.”

Reminds us that one doesn't have to call oneself a journalist to do what Flash generally does.

If Flash is harassing anybody? Let Jeff Davis County file official charges.

My personal take on what bits I glean from the story? Flash is likely not violating any laws. That said, is he glory-hounding a bit? Probably.

If "zero" represents the typical reporter or editor at the typical small-town newspaper or other traditional media outlet and "ten" represents full-on Joey Dauben, Flash is probably in the "4-6" range.