The OPC has joined the #RightToReport campaign organized by the Committee to Protect Journalists that calls on the Obama administration to respect journalists’ right to gather and report the news in the digital age. We urge our members to review the campaign’s petition and consider signing on.
Documents leaked by Edward Snowden suggest that intelligence agencies in the U.S. and its allies target news organizations, journalists and human rights groups for surveillance. American journalists have reported being detained and interrogated at the U.S. border and having their electronic devices searched. How the U.S. and other Western democracies respect and protect the right to report has an influence around the world. When democracies limit press freedom their actions give support to even more brutal restrictions of repressive governments.
The CPJ petition seeks three key commitments from the Obama administration:
- Prohibit the hacking and surveillance of journalists and media organizations.
- Limit aggressive prosecutions that ensnare journalists and intimidate whistleblowers.
- Prevent the harassment of journalists at the U.S. border.