Alliance President and CEO Danielle Coffey stated, “The PRESS Act provides a vital safeguard for the important work of the free press in reporting on matters important to our communities, without fear of government interference or intimidation. The Alliance thanks Representatives Kevin Kiley and Jamie Raskin for their leadership on this bill in the House and we look forward to supporting this important bi-partisan bill advancing in the Senate.”

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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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Unfortunately, attacks on journalists while gathering and reporting the news continue to occur. In 2022, 40 journalists were reportedly assaulted in 2022 in the United States, according to the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, and 86 journalists and media workers around the world were killed, according to UNESCO. “Surging threats and violence against the press demand action,” said Senator Blumenthal. Senator Menendez stated, “Ensuring their freedom and personal safety to perform their jobs is our duty.”

Alliance Executive Vice President & General Counsel Danielle Coffey stated, “We thank Senators Menendez, Blumenthal, and Congressman Swalwell for introducing the Journalist Protection Act and for their commitment in seeking protections for journalists from physical threat or harm while performing vital newsgathering for communities across the country.”

“The Journalist Protection Act will ensure that journalists can do their jobs without fear by sending a message that no matter where the facts may lead, those who seek them must be protected”, said Rep. Swalwell.

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Read more Press Freedom updates here.

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Alliance President and CEO David Chavern stated, “A free and independent press is vital to democracy, and the PRESS Act ensures that journalists maintain editorial independence by protecting their confidential source information. Without these protections, journalists are at risk of government intimidation, losing sources and being unable to produce quality news. The Alliance is proud to support these bi-partisan protections, and we encourage the Senate to follow swiftly so it can be enacted into law.”

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The Alliance looks forward to the Act being signed into law and continues to support legislative efforts to protect journalists from any attempt to thwart the newsgathering process.

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Journalists Maria Ressa, CEO of Philippine digital media outlet Rappler, and Dmitry Muratov, founder and head of the independent Russian newspaper Novaya Gazeta, have been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for their investigative journalism and ongoing battles to protect freedom of expression and the press in their home countries, the Philippines and Russia, respectively.

According to the Norwegian Nobel Committee announcement this morning, “Ms Ressa and Mr Muratov are receiving the Peace Prize for their courageous fight for freedom of expression in the Philippines and Russia. At the same time, they are representatives of all journalists who stand up for this ideal in a world in which democracy and freedom of the press face increasingly adverse conditions.”

Ressa has previously been arrested and imprisoned for reporting news exposing government corruption and violence in the Philippines. Muratov’s newspaper has endured threats and several of its journalists have been killed for their reporting on corruption and illegal acts by those in power in Russia.

News Media Alliance President & CEO, David Chavern, stated, “I can think of no two more deserving recipients of this year’s Nobel Peace Prize than Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov. We should all recognize and applaud the sacrifices that these journalists have made and the bravery they’ve shown while fighting to protect the freedom of expression and the press – our freedoms, which preserve our rights to know the truth and for journalists to report the news, expose corruption at the highest levels, and hold those in power accountable.”

The Committee further stated, “The Norwegian Nobel Committee is convinced that freedom of expression and freedom of information help to ensure an informed public. These rights are crucial prerequisites for democracy and protect against war and conflict. The award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Maria Ressa and Dmitry Muratov is intended to underscore the importance of protecting and defending these fundamental rights.”

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Groundbreaking investigative stories of government corruption and other wrongdoings would remain unknown – both to the public and to Congress – without information gathered from confidential sources by investigative journalists. Actions by the government to learn journalists’ confidential sources undermine the ability of the press, as outlined in the First Amendment, to provide important information to the public about such transgressions.

The legislation introduced now in both the House and Senate would prevent government overreach in obtaining confidential information that would expose anonymous sources and jeopardize the public’s right to know, while at the same time enabling law enforcement officials to get the information they need to investigate and prosecute crimes to keep the nation secure.

Alliance President and CEO, David Chavern, stated, “We must do more to protect journalists from being forced to reveal confidential sources used in investigative reporting, which are often crucial to helping to shed light on important public matters critical to preserving our democracy. We are grateful to Representative Raskin for his leadership in introducing this legislation, as well as Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler for calling attention to the problem of prosecutorial overreach when it comes to seeking source information from reporters.”

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Whether it is the mistreatment of soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, safety problems at nuclear power plants, or reporting on the government’s secret and warrantless wiretapping program, groundbreaking stories would remain unknown – both to the public and to Congress – without information gathered from confidential sources by investigative journalists.

The legislation introduced today by Senator Wyden prevents government overreach in obtaining information that would expose sources and jeopardize the public’s right to know, while at the same time, enables law enforcement officials to get the information they need to investigate and prosecute crimes to keep the nation secure.

Alliance President and CEO, David Chavern, stated, “Our nation’s history has shown that confidential sources are often crucial to helping journalists shed light on important public matters critical to a strong democracy. We are grateful to Senator Wyden for his leadership on this issue and we look forward to working with him and others in Congress to enact this important legislation.”

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He freelanced for a while before finding his niche at The Chronicle for Higher Education, before he moved to The Atlantic this year. “It was kind of a natural fit; I had an interest in federal policy and black colleges,” he said.

He says he approaches writing about race like he would any other topic. “Just following the facts,” he said. “It’s an important thing because America has issues with race that it has not yet sorted out… it is an enterprise that you have to approach with all the same journalistic rigor that you would approach any other project.”

Right before he joined The Atlantic, he wrote a piece for The Chronicle focused on black colleges in Mississippi and higher education issues with desegregation.

“There was a $500 million settlement black colleges got that was running out and the issues were never settled,” he explained. “It was a labor of love thing, where I just became so deeply [engaged in] the reporting on campus and into court records.”

The story had larger ramifications, as Maryland is going through a similar desegregation case. “They are weary of accepting the settlements that states are offering because they’ve seen how a lump sum of money isn’t going to solve the problem,” he said. “The story reminded people of some of the structural issues of higher education that don’t go away by a quick burst of funding.”

At The Atlantic, he does a mix of breaking news and longer-term projects. “It’s always something new,” he said. “Every day is different; you’re always working on a story and chasing something different. I am not always cooped up in a newsroom; I get to go out in the field and talk to people. As a journalist, you get to talk to people all day, which is one of the benefits of the job.”

However, he doesn’t underestimate the power of not talking.

“I would tell people to appreciate dead air,” he said, crediting this career-trick to his coworkers while freelancing at ProPublica. “If you’re on a call or interviewing someone in person, and they don’t really answer your question, let it be silent for a bit. Somebody is going to want to break that tension with something and sometimes it draws out the best responses.”

His other advice to budding reporters is to always ask questions. He says to always be thinking of the next question and follow the facts.

Following the facts will help bridge the distrust the public has of the media. Adam acknowledges that journalists are now required to explain their methods a little more, and that the public doesn’t understand what exactly journalists do. “We should be as clear as possible what the information is and how we got the information,” he said. “Be as clear as possible so we’re keeping that trust. As long as you’re doing that and following the facts, there’s not much more you can do… an informed public is one of the most valuable things to democracy, and that’s our job, to inform the public.”

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