Seized.        5 suns

Seized documents the events we were following back in 2023 after the police raid of a small-town newspaper in Marion, Kansas.  The story about the abuse of power that shut down the Marion County Record was covered internationally and highlighted the importance of journalistic ethics and the US Constitution. The director, Sharon Liese tells the story through interviews with the editor of the newspaper, employees including one bright, young man hired just out of college one year after the raid, local politicians, police officers and business owners.  We find that one corrupt person in power with the cooperation of other officials was able to seize the property of the paper, resulting in the death of the 98-year-old owner.  The editor fought back through litigation using arguments framing the issue as a matter of freedom of the press.  The director has created an engaging movie that shows the cost to those affected by this fierce debate.