U.S. escalates its war on leakers
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Dear Friend of Press Freedom,
Here are some of the most important stories we’re following from the U.S. and around the world. If you enjoy reading this newsletter, please forward it to friends and family. If someone has forwarded you this newsletter, please subscribe here ([link removed]) .
Journalist Catherine Herridge, pictured above interviewing former Acting Defense Secretary Chris Miller in 2020, has spent months fighting a federal subpoena that would force her to burn her sources. The bipartisan PRESS Act would protect journalist-source confidentiality at the federal level. “201215-D-BN624-0040 ([link removed]) ” by Lisa Ferdinando is licensed under CC BY 2.0 DEED ([link removed]) .
** Bipartisan support for the PRESS Act
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As unlikely as it sounds, Republicans and Democrats are putting their differences aside to support the most important press freedom legislation in modern times — the PRESS Act.
As Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF) Director of Advocacy Seth Stern wrote in an op-ed in The Hill with Clayton Weimers of Reporters Without Borders, the PRESS Act’s bipartisan appeal stems from the fact that journalist-source confidentiality benefits everyone who relies on the press to stay informed. Read the full op-ed here ([link removed]) .
FPF Deputy Director of Advocacy Caitlin Vogus also explained in an interview with First Amendment Watch that the PRESS Act will “improve the quality of journalism and ensure that Americans have access to the information that they need to be informed participants in our democracy.” Read the full interview here ([link removed]) .
U.S. escalates its war on leakers
When prosecutors found a defendant as unsympathetic as ex-CIA employee Joshua Schulte — who was convicted both of leaking government secrets and possession of child sexual abuse material — they jumped at the opportunity to escalate their war on leakers in ways they could later use to punish real whistleblowers.
Schulte absolutely should serve a lengthy prison sentence for his abhorrent crime of possessing child sexual abuse materials. But it’s telling that the government threw the book at him for leaking a tranche of CIA secrets to WikiLeaks, known as the Vault 7 leaks, instead.
Schulte’s lengthy sentence for leaking follows the draconian five-year sentence imposed recently on Charles Littlejohn, who leaked the tax returns of Donald Trump and other wealthy Americans to the press. We wrote about ([link removed]) that disturbing case last month.
Read more on our website ([link removed]) about how the government is using the Schulte case to test how far it can go in punishing those who expose its abuses.
Northwestern’s student newspaper helps kill anti-speech prosecution
Members of the Daily Northwestern editorial board didn’t particularly appreciate when two students created parody versions of their newspaper’s front page and placed them over copies of the actual newspaper.
But they recognized that their parent company’s decision to report the incident to police — and prosecutors’ decision to press charges against the students under an obscure law — were both unnecessary and dangerous for free speech.
Good for them. We wrote about the case ([link removed]) and how professional journalists should follow the Daily Northwestern’s lead and oppose anti-speech prosecutions that threaten their own rights, even if they don’t like the speaker. Exhibit A: Julian Assange ([link removed]) .
** What we’re reading
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City’s lawsuit seeks to shift blame over release of LAPD undercover officer photos ([link removed]) . The Supreme Court once referred to ([link removed]) prior restraints prohibiting the press from publishing as the “most serious” of First Amendment violations. Well, those justices hadn’t met Los Angeles City Attorney Hydee Feldstein Soto. She’s managed to find an even more offensive way to ignore the Constitution. LA is not only seeking to prohibit a journalist from publishing information it accidentally gave him. It’s also suing him to make him pay the costs of the city’s own negligence.
US rolls out visa restriction policy on people who abuse spyware to target journalists, activists ([link removed]) . The Biden administration is imposing new visa restrictions on people who use spyware against journalists. It’s great to see those who misuse spyware face some consequences. They should also be held responsible under criminal and civil law ([link removed]) .
Lawmakers are pushing an online safety bill for kids. Critics have free-speech concerns ([link removed]) . The Kids Online Safety Act won’t help protect kids, but it will lead to overremovals of online speech on “controversial” topics, including the news. Don’t believe us? Just look at what happens when schools limit what students can see online in the name of safety — they end up censoring the news ([link removed]) .
** FPF Live
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Jailing Journalists: The Assange case and the threat to press freedom. Join FPF and a panel of experts from the ACLU, Electronic Frontier Foundation, and Knight First Amendment Institute on Feb. 15, at 12:30 p.m. EST for a virtual discussion explaining how the Assange prosecution endangers all journalists. And don’t miss the world premiere of an FPF video urging the Biden administration to drop this dangerous prosecution. REGISTER HERE ([link removed]) .
Data-driven coverage of press freedom. In honor of Student Press Freedom Day on Feb. 22, FPF will host a virtual training at 7 p.m. EST on using the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker ([link removed]) for your reporting, along with a discussion of why covering press freedom issues matters for journalists and their readers. All journalists — students or not — are welcome! REGISTER HERE ([link removed]) .
** We’re hiring
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FPF is hiring! The Daniel Ellsberg Chair on Government Secrecy ([link removed]) , established in honor of the legendary Pentagon Papers whistleblower who co-founded FPF, will lead the national fight against excessive government secrecy — the root cause of so many press freedom and democracy issues. We’re also looking for a summer intern ([link removed]) for our advocacy team who will help us relentlessly advocate for the First Amendment and the protection of press freedom and whistleblowers.
** Defining Stories: Freedom of the Press Foundation’s 2023 Impact Report
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We’re excited to share FPF’s 2023 Impact Report ([link removed]) , marking another year of achievements and relentless advocacy for press freedom. Learn more about our work by checking out our five key sections in the report ([link removed]) : Honoring FPF co-founder Daniel Ellsberg, supporting the press freedom community, extending FPF’s impact nationally and globally, defending local and big-name journalists alike, and demonstrating SecureDrop’s influence on global issues.
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