My Reply to the City of Rock Island Regarding Rock Island Line

Introduction

The following is an email I sent to the City of Rock Island after a nearly 90-minute meeting on January 22, 2026, regarding my ability to engage City staff and access information in my capacity as an independent journalist and publisher with Rock Island Line, LLC.

I am sharing this correspondence publicly to contribute to an ongoing conversation about how journalism is defined in a changing media landscape — not only for myself, but for others whose work challenges power, centers marginalized voices, or operates outside traditional corporate media structures.

The email reflects how the City defines my role for its internal purposes, and how I continue to define my work publicly and constitutionally. While the meeting was substantive and, at times, intense, I appreciated Mayor Ashley Harris’s emphasis on the importance of transparency, professionalism, and the right of residents — journalists, podcasters, and community members alike — to ask questions, even when those questions are uncomfortable.

During the meeting, I was presented with the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics and informed that the City does not consider individuals engaged in advocacy or civic causes to be journalists for its internal media processes. I did not agree to treat the meeting as confidential, as no legal basis for such a restriction was presented.

What follows is my written response to the City, shared in the interest of clarity, accountability, and public understanding.

My Response

Dear Mayor Harris, Todd Thompson, and Sarah Hayden,

Thank you for taking the time to meet with me and to clarify the City’s position regarding media access and engagement. 

I understand and acknowledge the City’s position that, for its internal administrative purposes, it does not recognize me as a member of the press or legitimate journalist. I also understand and accept the terms you outlined during our meeting, specifically:

1. That I may contact and request interviews with any City staff or officials who choose to participate, and

2. That I will not receive press releases or invitations extended to outlets the City classifies as press for its internal purposes.

   
   

I agree to operate within those parameters.

At the same time, I want to be clear and transparent about how I understand and define my work.

While I recognize that the City may determine who it includes on its press distribution lists, I do not agree that advocacy or engagement with civic/political causes disqualifies someone from being a journalist in any broader or legal sense. In the United States, there is no licensing or credentialing authority for journalism, and the First Amendment protects the act of journalism rather than a particular employment status or model. Independent journalists, freelancers, documentary producers, and citizen journalists—many of whom engage in openly values-driven or advocacy-oriented work—have long been recognized as part of the press tradition.

I want to point you to historical abolitionist newspapers, civil rights journalism, labor journalism, Ida B. Wells, WEB Du Bois, James Baldwin, and more modern outlets like ProPublica, The Intercept, and Mother Jones, as examples of journalism rooted in perspective, politics, and advocacy. 

Ms.Hayden presented me with the Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, which is a voluntary ethical framework rather than a gatekeeping or credentialing standard. While I respect its principles and strive for accuracy, transparency, and accountability in my reporting, adherence to or deviation from that code does not determine whether someone is a journalist as a matter of fact or law. Ms. Hayden stated she could no more practice as a licensed therapist than I can practice as a journalist. I do not agree with this point. 

My work involves original reporting, interviews, document review, public records requests, publication for a public audience, and ongoing coverage of local civic and political issues. I will continue to describe myself as an independent journalist and publisher engaged in that work, even as I respect the City’s internal classifications for its own operations.

I share this not to contest the City’s administrative decisions, but to ensure mutual clarity and good-faith understanding moving forward. I intend to continue engaging with the City professionally, transparently, and respectfully, and I appreciate the confirmation that I am free to contact City staff and officials directly for interviews and information, as they choose, and that those City officials will be free to engage with me as they see fit.

Thank you again for the conversation and for clarifying expectations. I look forward to continuing to engage with the City constructively and openly.

Sincerely,

Annika O’Melia

The Code of Ethics Presented in the Meeting