Today, the Protect Reporters from Excessive State Suppression (PRESS) Act, was reintroduced in both the House and Senate on a bipartisan basis. The News/Media Alliance applauds Senators Ron Wyden (D-OR), Mike Lee (R-UT) and Dick Durbin (D-IL), and Representatives Kevin Kiley (R-CA-3) and Jamie Raskin (D-MD-8), for introducing this important bill, which establishes reasonable ground rules for when the government can obtain confidential source information from the media and their third-party service providers.
The PRESS Act, which unanimously passed the House last Congress, ensures that journalists can perform their work without fear of government overreach by prohibiting government officials from exposing confidential sources or subpoenaing for protected information. The bill allows the free press to continue their important investigative work to shed light on public matters critical to preserving our democracy, while still enabling enforcement officials to obtain the information they need to investigate and prosecute crimes to keep the nation secure.
Danielle Coffey, News/Media Alliance President & CEO, stated, “The News/Media Alliance proudly supports the PRESS Act and commends Senators Wyden, Durbin and Lee, and Representatives Raskin and Kiley for their leadership and commitment to protecting a free and independent press. The PRESS Act will ensure that journalists can maintain editorial independence and protect confidential sources which are a vital part of producing quality news. We encourage Congress to swiftly pass this important bi-partisan legislation.”
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Members of the News/Media Alliance staff have contributed to this post.
