SC lawmaker proposes registry for journalists

State Rep. Mike Pitts, R-Laurens, filed a bill in the S.C. House on Tuesday to establish a “responsible journalism registry” to be operated by the S.C. secretary of state.

Details of the proposal were not available Tuesday, only a summary.

That summary says the bill would “establish requirements for persons before working as a journalist for a media outlet and for media outlets before hiring a journalist.” The summary also includes registration fees, and sets fines and criminal penalties for violations.

The proposed registry “is ridiculous and totally unconstitutional,” said Bill Rogers, executive director of the S.C. Press Association. The State newspaper is a member of the Press Association.

The government can not require journalists to register, Rogers said, citing the First Amendment to the Bill of Rights, which ensures freedom of the press.

This story was originally published January 19, 2016 at 4:33 PM with the headline "SC lawmaker proposes registry for journalists."