Snowden anniversary a reminder of the need to protect whistleblowers and journalists
AP Photo/George Brich
Whistleblowers are essential to a free and unfettered press.
Whistleblowers play a critical role in informing the public and holding the government to account.
Sources who act out of conscience to leak information to the press further our democracy. Whistleblowers like Daniel Ellsberg, Chelsea Manning, and Edward Snowden, have exposed some of our government’s gravest abuses.
Unfortunately, whistleblowers are often prosecuted and jailed. That’s wrong. Whistleblowers and the journalists they work with should be celebrated, not punished.
Featured Items
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Lessons for Journalists and Sources from the Microsoft/Blogger Privacy Fiasco
Privacy-conscious Internet users were aghast last week when court documents showed that Microsoft looked at the content of a blogger’s Hotmail account without a warrant—or any legal process whatsoever—in an attempt to root out a employee within Microsoft who was allegedly leaking the source code of Windows 8. The move …
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Renowned Technologists, Journalists Join Freedom of the Press Foundation Technical Advisory Board
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFreedom of the Press Foundation, a non-profit dedicated to supporting and defending public-interest journalism, is announcing a new technical advisory board that includes top-notch journalists, technologists and academics.The new board’s mission, according to foundation director Trevor Timm, is to function as a think-tank for digital …
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Highlights from John Cusack's Reddit 'Ask Me Anything'
Our board member John Cusack held an expansive Reddit Ask Me Anything (AMA) yesterday and took a variety of questions on freedom of the press, the Obama administration, acting, directing, and activism. Here are some of the highlights that touched on issues he is involved with at Freedom of the …
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By Targeting WikiLeaks and Its Readers, NSA and GCHQ Have Directly Attacked Press Freedom
New Snowden documents published by The Intercept show the NSA and GCHQ targeted the media organization WikiLeaks with a variety of surveillance tactics, and even spied on its readers. This is a shocking attack on the freedom of the press, and anyone who supports the principles behind the First Amendment …
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United States Plummets in Global Press Freedom Rankings
According to a new report from Reporters Without Borders, there was a profound erosion of press freedom in the United States in 2013. After a year of attacks on whistleblowers and digital journalists and revelations about mass surveillance, the United States plunged 13 spots in the group’s global press …
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Here's How You Can Join Us in Calling For NSA Reform in Congress
Today, Freedom of the Press Foundation is proud to join organizations worldwide in opposing mass, suspicionless surveillance. We’re at a turning point in the fight for surveillance reform. Thanks to surveillance revelations, we now know that the NSA—in partnership with intelligence agencies around the world—is sweeping up vast quantities of …
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FOIA Lawsuit No. 5: My Attempt to Access the Secret Report Claiming Snowden’s Leaks Could Damage National Security
Last month, Shane Harris published a report in Foreign Policy revealing that that the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) prepared a report and concluded Edward Snowden’s leaks and the news reports on the top-secret documents he disclosed could “gravely impact” national security. The Foreign Policy report quoted House Intelligence Committee Chairman …
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Greenwald and Poitras Launch 'The Intercept,' Putting Press Freedom and Digital Security First
Journalists Glenn Greenwald, Laura Poitras, and Jeremy Scahill launched the premiere digital magazine of First Look Media today, called The Intercept, which will initially focus on NSA stories based on documents provided by Edward Snowden. In their introductory message, the trio wrote, “a primary function of The Intercept …
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Guilty Plea In Fox News Leak Case Shows Why Espionage Act Prosecutions Are Inherently Unfair to Sources
Former State Department official Stephen Kim announced today he will plead guilty to leaking classified information to Fox News journalist James Rosen and will serve 13 months in jail. The case sparked controversy last year when it was revealed the Justice Department named Rosen a “co-conspirator” in court documents for …
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Mike Rogers' Comments Are Latest in Disturbing Pattern of Intelligence Officials Attacking the First Amendment
House Intelligence Committee chairman Rep. Mike Rogers (R-MI) accused a group of journalists of committing a crime yesterday, falsely stating at a committee hearing that NSA reporters are “selling” the leaked Snowden documents and are breaking the law. Mike Rogers indicated in an interview afterwards that he was referring to …
