Nick Pietruszkiewicz

When a member of Congress threatens a student journalist for doing their job, the student isn't the one who needs a lesson in the law. We applaud University of Maryland student journalist Cat Murphy for knowing the law and standing her ground on behalf of the readers she serves. When Rep. Andy Harris claimed she couldn't record his news conference — and threatened prosecution if she continued — she knew that his threats were empty under Maryland's state recording laws. Check out her conversation below with CNN's @jaketapper about how, and why, she stood her ground. Student journalists are journalists. They have the same right to cover a public official as anyone in the press pool. They deserve the same respect when they do. At SPLC, we stand with all the student journalists who face threats, intimidation or retaliation. If you have questions about your state's recording laws, or you've faced a threat like this, contact our Legal Hotline for free, confidential help: splc.org/legalhelp