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.
It’s crunch time for the PRESS Act
The Senate is running out of time this year to pass the most important press freedom legislation in modern times, the PRESS Act. For those new to this newsletter, that’s the federal bill to protect journalist-source confidentiality and stop the government from spying on journalists, including through technology providers. You can read some FAQs about the bill here.
It’s inexplicable that the act is not already the law of the land. It passed the House unanimously and is co-sponsored by the senior legislators from both parties in the Senate Judiciary Committee (Sens. Dick Durbin and Lindsey Graham). It’s supported by media outlets, civil liberties organizations, and experts nationwide. It’s time for committee leadership to move it forward, or for Senate leadership to step in and advance it instead.
Please take a moment to fill out the ACLU’s easy-to-use online form to tell your member of Congress that you support the act. Or better yet, call their offices and let them know.
NY law will needlessly delay release of public records
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul signed into law an anti-transparency and anti-accountability bill that will compound existing problems with New York’s Freedom of Information Law, further delaying the release of important public records.
By doing so Hochul ignored amemo of opposition from 10 open-government and free speech organizations, including Freedom of the Press Foundation (FPF).
The bill requires the government to inform employees (possibly including former employees) when their disciplinary records are requested. Don’t be fooled by the bill’s proponents — it has nothing to do with personal privacy and everything to do with government secrecy. Read more about the law — and the pro-transparency bills lawmakers ignored — on our website.
Indie journalists speak out about Chicago police
Last week, we hosted an X Space forum for independent journalists who reported on protests outside the Democratic National Convention to discuss their experiences dealing with the Chicago police.
To sum things up, the journalists did not give the police positive reviews. That may not be surprising, but the examples they raised show problems exceeding the usual tensions between officers and reporters at protests.
Read more about the event, or listen to it in its entirety, on our website.
What we’re reading
Our editor won a 6-year legal battle. It didn’t feel like a victory (ProPublica). A powerful account of the costs of SLAPP suits, from legal fees and insurance spikes to lost time and reputational harm. Investigative journalist Charles Ornstein even lost out on a mortgage. All states and the federal government should pass anti-SLAPP laws. Those that have should strengthen them.
How the quiet war against press freedom could come to America (The Washington Post). New York Times publisher A.G. Sulzberger discusses the authoritarian playbook for curtailing press freedom — and the risk that the United States could head down a similar path.
Tribal health officials ‘blinded’ by lack of data (The Washington Post). Excessive government secrecy takes many forms. This report shows how inconsistent access to federal records negatively impacts the health of Native American communities.
Inquiry into Marion raid has been hopelessly compromised. Kansans deserve an independent review (Kansas Reflector). The Kansas Bureau of Investigations “has long obfuscated the details of high-profile cases and covered for guilty cops. We need to start over. And that begins by having a truly independent counsel review all of the investigative files related to the raid.”
Reclaiming privacy rights: a roadmap for organizations fighting digital surveillance (Federation of American Scientists). An excellent summary of the state of digital surveillance and the threat it poses to journalists and other communities. This should be mandatory reading for Senate Judiciary staff when considering the PRESS Act to protect reporters.
Come see us in London
We’re co-hosting Source!, the London Logan Symposium, with The Centre for Investigative Journalism on Nov. 14-15 in London, England. Hear from journalists from all over the world about press freedom issues and the challenges they face in protecting themselves and their sources. Register to attend here.
