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Fact check: Post misleads on number of journalists arrested in East Palestine, Ohio

Isabella Fertel
USA TODAY

The claim: 'Reporters trying to get in are being arrested' after Ohio derailment  

A Feb. 13 Instagram post (direct link, archived link) features an image of a smoke plume rising over East Palestine, Ohio, after a train carrying hazardous materials derailed nearby and caught on fire.

“This is the (sic) probably the worst thing that could happen outside of a nuke and no one is talking about it,” reads the post’s caption. “Reporters trying to get in are being arrested.” 

The post was liked more than 5,000 times in three days. Other versions of the claim are circulating on Instagram and Twitter. 

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Our rating: False

No journalists have been arrested "trying to get in." A single journalist was arrested at a press conference held by Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine after doing a live report while the governor was speaking, but the charges have since been dropped. National journalism and news organizations that track reporter arrests said they are not aware of any other journalists being arrested in East Palestine. 

Sole journalist arrested in East Palestine cleared of charges

The post overstates the situation in Ohio, which involved a lone incident during a press conference.

Evan Lambert, a reporter for News Nation, was arrested on Feb. 8 while delivering a live report of DeWine’s news conference about the train derailment. NewsNation reported Lambert was going live at an elementary school when he was told by law enforcement to be quiet because the governor was speaking.

A Columbiana County Sheriff's Office spokesperson previously told USA TODAY that Lambert was charged with disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing, both of which are misdemeanors. However, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced on Feb. 15 that the charges against Lambert had been dismissed.

Kirstin McCudden, managing editor of the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, said the organization was not aware of any other reporters being arrested in East Palestine.

“The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker is not aware of the arrest of any journalist in Ohio recently other than Evan Lambert, whose charges were dismissed today,” McCudden said in an email. “We've not received any indication reporters are being denied access to events that would otherwise be open to the press.”

Zoe Simbolon, a spokesperson for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said she also only knew of the Lambert arrest.

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Contrary to the post’s caption, a bevy of national and local news organizations are providing coverage of the events in East Palestine. 

On Feb. 5, DeWine urged people living within one mile of the derailment to evacuate due to mounting safety concerns. He expanded the radius of the evacuation order on Feb. 6 in anticipation of a controlled burn of the chemicals inside the derailed tanker cars.

Journalists were not exempt from the evacuation orders, according to Dan Tierney, a spokesperson for the governor’s office.

However, that evacuation order was lifted on Feb. 8. Both journalists and residents alike have been permitted to return to the area, Tierney said in an email. 

Our fact-check sources: 

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