Obama used the Espionage Act to put a record number of reporters' sources in jail, and Trump could be even worse
AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, file
As president, Barack Obama harshly punished whistleblowers and took several steps that damaged press freedom.
Former President Barack Obama’s press freedom record is marred by his administration’s relentless prosecutions of whistleblowers, aggressive lobbying to kill FOIA reform, and promotion of government secrecy.
The Obama administration put a record number of reporters’ sources in jail using the Espionage Act. It attempted to force journalist James Risen to testify against his sources, leading to a deeply damaging court decision on the reporter’s privilege. When weighed against other actions, such as the commutation of whistleblower Chelsea Manning’s sentence, Obama’s press freedom record is mixed at best.
Featured Items
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Burn after reporting: Leak investigations and the press
In FPF webinar, journalists discuss past administrations’ surveillance of their source communications and what Trump may do next
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The Freedom of Information Act is getting worse under the Trump administration
FOIA is a deeply broken law that remains a critical tool for journalists, activists, and community residents who seek to illuminate government activities.
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Freedom of the Press Foundation sues the Justice Department for details about its push to block transparency reform
Freedom of the Press Foundation has filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the Justice Department for all correspondence the agency has had with Congress over proposed FOIA reform bills that died last year in Congress, despite having unanimous support of all its members. More than a …
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Obama’s Justice Department secretly helped kill the FOIA transparency bill that was based on its own policy
We’ve long known the Justice Department’s stance on transparency has been hypocritical and disingenuous. But they’ve really outdone themselves this time. Last week, the agency secretly helped kill a bipartisan Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reform bill that was based word-for-word on its own policy. First, a little background: …
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Why aren't more news outlets covering Sen. Rockefeller's shameful attempt to kill FOIA reform?
An uncontroverisal, mild Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) reform bill may die on Monday, despite passing 410-0 in the House earlier this year, and with a similar bipartisan vote expected in the Senate. The bill had already been stripped of its most substantive provisions that government agencies objected to, …
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More Than a Dozen Pulitzer Winners Call on the Justice Dept to End its Pursuit of James Risen
UPDATE: The list has increased to twenty Pulitzer winners after adding statements from David Rohde, Michael LaForgia and Will Hobson, David Cay Johnston, Eric Lichtblau, and Dan Fagin. -- Today, fourteen Pulitzer Prize winners have issued statements in support of journalist James Risen and in protest of the …
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Don't Cheer Obama's 'Ban' on Torture
I have a question for all the well-meaning people who praise President Obama for “banning” torture: Would you also find it helpful for the president to ban kidnapping? Child abuse? Mail fraud? Maybe you would. After all, no one likes kidnapping, child abuse, or mail fraud. Maybe it …
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Leaked Watchlist Guidelines Show How the Obama Admin Abuses the 'State Secrets' Privilege
The Intercept published a must-read story yesterday revealing the secret and incredibly vague rules the US government uses to place people on its terrorism watchlist. While the story covers many civil liberties problems associated with the unaccountable process, it also highlights an important topic that has gotten lost in recent …
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Chelsea Manning Thanks Freedom of the Press Foundation for Court Transcripts
Imprisoned WikiLeaks whistleblower Chelsea (formerly Bradley) Manning sent a letter to the Freedom of the Press Foundation, thanking us for our successful campaign to transcribe and bring transparency to her lengthy trial. “Without your efforts, my court-martial would not have been nearly as visible to the public, and many of …
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Watch Some of the Nation's Best Journalists and Media Lawyers Discuss Today's Threats to Press Freedom
The New York Times and the George Polk Awards held an excellent one-day conference two weeks ago entitled "Sources and Secrets," in which a number of all-star panelists discussed issues related to secrecy, national security, whistleblowers, and the state of journalism in the age of mass surveillance. The videos have …
