New York City hands out official press passes that let reporters into places the public can't go: crime scenes, courtroom press pens, emergency zones. That access is supposed to go to people doing real journalism. Instead, three self-described supporters of accused killer Luigi Mangione were issued city press credentials this year, then used them to cheer his case outside a Manhattan courthouse. One of them said the murdered victim's children were "better off without him," according to the New York Post.

The city didn't catch this before it happened. It couldn't, because the current rule makes revoking a press pass hard even after the fact: the Mayor's Office of Entertainment and Media has to show "clear and convincing" evidence of misuse, a high legal bar that lets obvious abuse slip through.

City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Deputy Leader Chris Banks have introduced an amendment to lower that bar to a "preponderance" of evidence, the same standard used in most civil cases, and to force a fuller review of how passes get issued in the first place. That's a real fix, and it deserves to pass without getting watered down.

This isn't about restricting the press. It's about making sure a city credential means what it's supposed to mean, so working journalists aren't lumped in with people who got a pass to cheer on violence. Every reporter who does the job honestly is better off when the badge actually stands for something.

Sign the petition to tell the City Council: pass this amendment and fix how New York City hands out press credentials.