CPJ to launch "Right to Report in the Digital Age" campaign‏ #RightToReport

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Dear friend of CPJ,

Revelations about surveillance, intimidation, and exploitation of the press have raised unsettling questions about whether the U.S. and other Western democracies risk undermining journalists' ability to report in the digital age. They also give ammunition to repressive governments seeking to tighten restrictions on media and the Internet. That is why we are launching next week a campaign, "Right to Report in the Digital Age," which we hope you will join today.

When journalists believe they might be targeted by government hackers, pulled into an overbroad criminal investigation, or searched and interrogated about their work at the U.S. border, their ability to inform the public is eroded.

Therefore, as part of the campaign, CPJ is launching a petition seeking three key commitments from the Obama administration:

1. Issue a presidential policy directive prohibiting the hacking and surveillance of journalists and media organizations

2. Limit aggressive prosecutions that ensnare journalists and intimidate whistleblowers

3. Prevent the harassment of journalists at the U.S. border

28 supporting partners-including The Associated Press, Getty Images, Bloomberg News, The Huffington Post, First Look Media, Slate, Global Voices Advocacy, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation-have already signed the petition, along with prominent journalists such as CNN International's Christiane Amanpour, Getty Images's Jonathan Klein, and Huffington Post's Arianna Huffington.

Help us build momentum ahead of the campaign launch on September 8 by signing on today, and start sharing on social media with the hashtag #RightToReport.

Last October, CPJ released a special report written by former Washington Post Executive Editor Leonard Downie Jr., called "The Obama Administration and the Press: Leak Investigations and Surveillance in Post-9/11 America." 

In July, a White House official told CPJ that we will have the opportunity to follow up on the report's recommendations, and our broader concerns about surveillance, with President Obama or a senior representative. 

Your support will help ensure that the administration understands the gravity of these issues.

Yours sincerely,

Courtney Radsch,

Advocacy Director

Committee to Protect Journalists

Source: www.cpj.org

 

CPJ is an independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide.

Media contact:

Samantha Libby

Communications Associate

Tel. +1 212-300-9032

E-mail: slibby@cpj.org