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National Press Club calls for protection of journalists in Syria
The National Press Club voiced its serious concern over the status of journalists whose lives are at risk as they cover the conflict in Syria. A number of reporters and media workers have been killed or have gone missing in Syria since the war began, while others have been held prisoner by rebels or by Syrian government personnel. "Reporters in Syria must be free to do their jobs without fear for their well being or lives," said Club President Theresa Werner. "Government and non-government forces should refrain from targeting journalists who are covering the fighting. Such actions are harmful…
Type: News
Press Club expresses concern over reported attacks on journalists in Gaza
The National Press Club has expressed grave concern about reports of recent attacks on reporters by Israeli military forces and urged militaries everywhere to safeguard the press during armed conflicts. During the recent fighting in Gaza, Israel Defense Forces reportedly injured numerous reporters and killed in a drone strike three people who some said were reporters but who the Israeli government said were terrorists. Israeli Defense Forces officials have contended that those killed were combatants masquerading as journalists, presumably so that they wouldn't be attacked. Other reports have…
Type: News
Press Freedom panel on threats to journalists' online security, Oct. 24
What would you do if your computer had be hacked, exposing sensitive emails, sources, story research and interview notes? What if you learn your cell calls had been intercepted, potentially outing a confidential source? Though digital technology has been an enormous boon to journalists, it also comes with significant security pitfalls. Journalists are particularly at risk due to the unique role they play in gathering and disseminating information. The National Press Club’s Press Freedom Committee will hold a panel discussion to discuss these risks on Wednesday, Oct. 24 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m…
Type: News
Obama Administration Openness Scorecard: 19 of 20 agencies fail Bloomberg test
Bloomberg News just published a project designed to measure how well the Obama Administration is living up to its promise of making the federal government more transparent. A team of reporters filed identical FOIA request asking for a year's worth of travel information for the heads of the 20 cabinet departments and 37 other agencies with significant public interest. The results: only one of the 20 cabinet-level departments complied under the deadline set out in law. Half of 57 agencies contacted had complied more than three months after the requests were sent out. Click here to read the…
Type: News
NPC applauds Senate bill to strengthen FOIA
The National Press Club lauded on Wednesday a bill soon to be introduced in the Senate that aims to speed up the processing of public requests for documents under the Freedom of Information Act. Two senators who have long championed press freedom and open government legislation, Democrat Patrick J. Leahy of Vermont and Republican John Cornyn of Texas, unveiled the Faster FOIA Act. The measure would set up an advisory commission that would make recommendations to Congress on ways to expedite the process of obtaining information from U.S. agencies. "Freedom of information isn't free if it costs…
Type: News
NPC urges Congress for legislation discouraging foreign lawsuits that limit First Amendment rights
The National Press Club urged the U.S. Congress to enact legislation that would discourage foreign lawsuits that limit American authors' and journalists' First Amendment rights. Plaintiffs, through a practice known as "libel tourism," bring lawsuits against Americans in countries that lack adequate free-speech protections. The legislation in Congress discourages the practice by making it clear that foreign libel judgments must meet American defamation standards in order to be recognized in the U.S. "There is no right more precious to journalists than the ability to write and speak freely,"…
Type: News
Club Hails Signing of Press Freedom Law
The National Press Club hailed the signing of the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act, which will bring greater scrutiny to the treatment of the news media around the world. The law, which was approved by the House in December and the Senate in April, expands the State Department's annual report on countries to include the status of press freedoms. Where there are severe violations of those freedoms, the report will examine whether countries participate in, or condone, the restrictions. "The signing of the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act is an important step toward advancing a free…
Type: News
National Press Club Condemns Pentagon Barring of Reporters
The National Press Club condemned Monday a recent decision by Defense Department officials to ban four reporters from covering military commission proceedings at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The journalists were banned for reporting the name of a witness, even though the person's name was already on the public record. "The Pentagon decision to bar these reporters is unwarranted, given that the information was already widely known," said Alan Bjerga, president of the National Press Club. "This action serves no purpose other than preventing experienced reporters from doing their jobs." The journalists…
Type: News
National Press Club Decries Police Raid of Virginia Student Newspaper Office
The National Press Club called the police raid of a Virginia student newspaper deplorable and urged law enforcement to cease taking any such action in the future. James Madison University's The Breeze newspaper reported on its Web site that Marsha Garst, Virginia commonwealth attorney for the region, and Harrisonburg police confiscated 926 photos from the newsroom April 16. Most of the photos depicted a riot the police are investigating. The photos have been temporarily sealed until an agreement can be reached, The Breeze reported today. "Law enforcement clearly acted rashly in raiding this…
Type: News
Club Wants Answers On Detained Cameramen
The National Press Club called on the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan to clearly explain the detention the week of Sept. 20 of two Afghan cameramen covering events in that country for global news organizations. The two detainees, Mohamed Nader and Rahmatullah Nekzad, took photos and videos on a freelance basis for Al Jazeera. Nekzad also has worked for the Associated Press. In a statement to Al Jazeera, the NATO command described the men as "suspected Taliban media and propaganda facilitator[s]" and added: "The insurgents use propaganda, often delivered through…
Type: News