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
-
Revealed: The 95 FOIA Requests Flagged for Pentagon Approval
A few weeks ago, the nonpartisan organization Cause of Action posted a story on its website about a secret Pentagon policy that calls for certain Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests that may generate media attention to first be approved by the Pentagon. Naturally, I was eager to find out …
-
Why Was the Military Trying to Intimidate Journalists at Bradley Manning Trial Yesterday?
Yesterday, closing arguments began in the trial of accused WikiLeaks whistleblower Bradley Manning. But even as the prosecution's arguments in the courtroom may have an enormous impact on journalism, another disturbing issue of press freedom was unfolding in the media center: reporters covering the trial were being intimidated by members …
-
Congress' Dangerous Attempts to Define “Journalist” in Shield Law Threaten to Exclude Bloggers
This has been cross-posted from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Lawmakers in Washington are again weighing in on who should and should not qualify as a journalist—and the outcome looks pretty grim for bloggers, freelancers, and other non-salaried journalists. On July 12, the Justice Department released its new guidelines on …
-
Guantanamo’s Indefinite Prisoners Will Finally Have Cases Reviewed Just as Senate Committee Set to Hold Hearing On Closing Prison
Attorneys representing Guantanamo prisoners were notified by a government official late Friday night that the men who the Obama administration has determined can neither be prosecuted nor released will finally have their cases reviewed to determine whether they should still be indefinitely detained. In an email I obtained, retired Navy …
-
Court Guts Reporter's Privilege in One of the Most Significant Press Freedom Cases in Decades
Often forgotten amidst journalists’ public personas and front page scoops is the crux of their profession: the practice of gathering news. Reporting, at its best, consists of bringing to light information powerful factions want kept in the dark, and the sources for these stories are often people whose careers, or …
-
How Today's Ruling in the Bradley Manning Case Could Adversely Affect Journalists and Whistleblowers
A version of this post originally appeared on the ACLU Free Future blog in 2012. It has been updated and cross-posted with permission from the author. Today, the military judge overseeing the court martial of Pfc. Bradley Manning, who has admitted to giving government documents to WikiLeaks, is expected to …
-
Media Continues to Focus on Snowden Rather Than the Information He's Revealed
The above words, from NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden, are revealing: They tell us about a man completely aware of the gravity of his choices, and of the implications of the information he leaked. They tell us that Snowden—fully aware of the media circus that surrounded the personalities, rather than the …
-
A Review of the Justice Dept’s New Guidelines For Leak Investigations Involving the Press
In response to widespread outrage over the Justice Department’s sprawling leak investigations that engulfed reporters from the Associated Press and Fox News two months ago, Attorney General Eric Holder released long-awaited updates to its guidelines for investigations involving news media. (Ironically, they were leaked to the media before being officially …
-
Transcript: Yochai Benkler Testifies at Bradley Manning Trial
This portion of transcript for the afternoon session of United States v. Pfc. Bradley Manning was taken at Fort Meade, Maryland on July 10, 2013 by journalist Alexa O'Brien. While the utmost care was taken, it is an unofficial transcript, and may contain errors. Judge Col. Denise Lind Please …
-
Encryption Works: How to Protect Your Privacy (And Your Sources) in the Age of NSA Surveillance
The stories of how NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden first contacted journalists Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras (both Freedom of the Press Foundation board members), and how he communicated with the Washington Post's Barton Gellman, have given the public a rare window into digital security and conversing online in the age …
