Reporters without Borders: 'Security interests threaten press freedom'

[unhappycamper]

http://www.dw.de/reporters-without-borders-security-interests-threaten-press-freedom/a-17425376

Security authorities are increasingly hindering the work of journalists. Even Western democracies are no exception. Reporters without Borders warns that this gives the wrong signal to undemocratic countries.

Reporters without Borders: 'Security interests threaten press freedom'

United States army soldier Bradley Manning was convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison in the US for violating the country's Espionage Act. Former NSA contractor, Edward Snowden, is convinced if he stands trial in his home country that he will not receive a fair hearing. The subtext is clear: whoever provides journalists with politically sensitive information and classified documents has to factor in a severe punishment should they be caught.

Media-rights watchdog, Reporters without Borders, draws this conclusion in its 2014 Press Freedom Index which was released on Wednesday (12.02.2014).

“In the US, state persecution of investigative journalists and their sources by security services has reached an unprecedented level,” Christian Mihr, the Reporters without Borders executive director, told DW. “If sources can no longer be trusted, we face a significant curtailment of press freedom and a dramatic step backwards when it comes to democracy.”

This development sends a “grave signal to countries like Turkmenistan, Syria or Turkey,“ says Mihr. “When traditional democracies no longer consider press freedom of inestimable value, these countries no longer feel any pressure,” warns RwB's executive director – using the example of British newspaper “The Guardian” and its connection to the revelations made by Edward Snowden. In the past year, editorial staff were forced to destroy hard drives containing information on the whistleblower. Relying on a clause in the country's anti-terror legislation, investigators interrogated the partner of investigative journalist, Glenn Greenwood at a London airport.

[SamKnause]

1. They hate us for our "Freedom".

[championofreason]

2. Without the Fourth Estate we are doomed

No matter what opinions are espoused from journalistic works, when anyone from western democratic countries have their ability to freely disseminate information that really worries me.