Panel to address online security for journalists Wednesday

The Press Freedom Committee will host a panel on journalists' online security Wednesday, Oct. 24, from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.

There are concerns about U.S. government efforts to identify reporters' confidential sources, particularly in cases involving classified information. But foreign governments and criminal organizations may also represent threats.

A longer term threat is that loss of confidence in journalists' online security could deter potential whistle blowers from providing information to news media.

The panel will assess the seriousness of the threat and steps journalists' can take to protect themselves and their sources.

John M. Donnelly, senior writer with Congressional Quarterly, and chair of the Press Freedom Committee, will moderate.

Panelists are:
Matthew Cole, a former producer for ABC News and an investigative journalist who has experienced government surveillance as a result of his reporting activities.
Joseph Hall, senior staff technologist at the Center for Democracy and Technology who focuses on policy mechanisms for encouraging trustworthiness and transparency in information systems.
Jonathan Hutcheson, a public interest lawyer and journalist who designed and implemented a comprehensive source security platform for 100 Reporters’ Whistleblower Alley that enables the anonymous uploading of sensitive documents.

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