May 3rd marks the annual commemoration of World Press Freedom Day. The United States values freedom of the press as a key component of democratic governance. Democratic societies are not infallible, but they are accountable, and the exchange of ideas is the foundation for accountable governance. In the U.S. and in many places around the world, the press fosters active debate, provides investigative reporting, and serves as a forum to express different points of view, particularly on behalf of those who are marginalized in society. The U.S. commends journalists around the world for the important role they play, and for their commitment to the free exchange of ideas.
The U.S. in particular salutes those in the press who courageously do their work at great risk.The press is often a target of retaliation by those who feel threatened by freedom of expression and transparency in democratic processes. Journalists are often the first to uncover corruption, to report from the front lines of conflict zones, and to highlight missteps by governments. This work places many journalists in danger, and it is the duty of governments and citizens worldwide to speak out for their protection and for their vital role in open societies.the truth.
The U.S. in particular salutes those in the press who courageously do their work at great risk.The press is often a target of retaliation by those who feel threatened by freedom of expression and transparency in democratic processes. Journalists are often the first to uncover corruption, to report from the front lines of conflict zones, and to highlight missteps by governments. This work places many journalists in danger, and it is the duty of governments and citizens worldwide to speak out for their protection and for their vital role in open societies.the truth.
The above lofty sounding statements are on the website of the United States Department of State. If only those statements actually represented the attitude of the United States toward those journalists who are doing exactly what these statements seem to applaud. Instead, under the Obama administration, we have prosecuted more whistleblowers under the Espionage Act than all previous administrations combined. Whistleblowers are the eyes and ears of those journalists. When the whistleblower on the inside, views wrong-doing and exposes it to the outside, it is largely through journalists the exposure is made public.
ACLU legislative counsel Gabe Rottman noted last October: The Obama administration has secured 526 months of prison time for national security leakers, versus only 24 months total jail time for everyone else since the American Revolution.
Washington's Blog details point by point the belief that 'Obama Is More Hostile Towards The Press Than Any President In History'.
Washington's Blog details point by point the belief that 'Obama Is More Hostile Towards The Press Than Any President In History'.
Top-secret documents from the National Security Agency and its British counterpart reveal for the first time how the governments of the United States and the United Kingdom targeted WikiLeaks and other activist groups with tactics ranging from covert surveillance to prosecution.
The efforts – detailed in documents provided previously by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden – included a broad campaign of international pressure aimed not only at WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, but at what the U.S. government calls “the human network that supports WikiLeaks.” The documents also contain internal discussions about targeting the file-sharing site Pirate Bay and hacktivist collectives such as Anonymous.
The efforts – detailed in documents provided previously by NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden – included a broad campaign of international pressure aimed not only at WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange, but at what the U.S. government calls “the human network that supports WikiLeaks.” The documents also contain internal discussions about targeting the file-sharing site Pirate Bay and hacktivist collectives such as Anonymous.
We had the the arrest of journalists during #BlackLiveMatter protests in Baltimore and Minneapolis. We have Wikileaks being declared a 'terrorist organization'. We have the story of Edward Snowden and Barrett Brown and Jeffrey Sterling along with a host of others. Read more here... and here and here.
US Ranks Only 41 in Press Freedoms Among 180 Nations. That's pretty pathetic. When reading the glorious words on the state department website, one wonders what were they thinking. They said, "The United States values freedom of the press as a key component of democratic governance... The U.S. in particular salutes those in the press who courageously do their work at great risk." Was this simply 'tongue in cheek'? Given the hostility of our government to 'real' reporting it is difficult to imagine it any other way... and that's the truth !!!
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