Democratic Sens. Dick Durbin (pictured) and Ron Wyden, along with Republican Sens. Lindsey Graham and Mike Lee, are sponsoring the most important press freedom legislation in modern history, the PRESS Act. Illinois Senator Dick Durbin Youth Climate Strike Chicago Illinois 5-3-19_0471 by Charles Edward Miller is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.
First Amendment Watch at New York University interviewed our deputy director of advocacy, Caitlin Vogus, about the importance of the PRESS Act, the federal bill to protect journalist source confidentiality. The act passed the House without objection last month and enjoys bipartisan support in the Senate as well.
Vogus told First Amendment Watch that administrations from both parties have increasingly spied on journalists and their sources in an attempt to stifle important reporting and prevent government transparency.
The PRESS Act would address that problem by protecting journalists from surveillance, or from being compelled to reveal their sources or newsgathering material, and as a result, it would make sources feel much more comfortable coming forward to talk to journalists, to blow the whistle, to share important information that informs the public. It will improve the quality of journalism and ensure that Americans have access to the information that they need to be informed participants in our democracy.
