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MEDIA ADVISORY: Reporters Committee releases report on war

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  1. Freedom of Information
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press will release a special "RCFP White Paper" Friday chronicling the effects the…

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press will release a special “RCFP White Paper” Friday chronicling the effects the War on Terrorism has had on media coverage.

The 34-page report, called “Homefront Confidential: How the War on Terrorism Affects Access to Information and the Public’s Right to Know,” outlines actions taken over the last six months by state and federal government agencies that limit the ability of journalists to do their jobs.

If you would like to receive an advance EMBARGOED copy of the report prior to its release on Friday, contact Lucy Dalglish at the phone number or email address listed above. The report will be available to interested media Thursday morning in PDF electronic format. It will be released at a national Freedom of Information Day conference Friday at the Freedom Forum.

The report includes a chronology of all federal government actions taken since September 11 that jeopardize the public’s right to know, as well as a compilation of actions taken by state legislatures and officials to respond to the terrorism threat. It summarizes problems journalists will have collecting information because of the USA PATRIOT Act, President Bush’s order for military tribunals and secret detention hearings in immigration courts. The report also analyzes Attorney General John Ashcroft’s Oct. 12 directive on interpretation of the federal Freedom of Information Act.

The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press is a voluntary, unincorporated association of reporters and editors that works to defend the First Amendment rights and freedom of information interests of the news media. The Reporters Committee provides representation, guidance and research in First Amendment and Freedom of Information Act litigation.

The Homefront Confidential report was funded by a grant from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation. “The foundation promotes excellence in journalism worldwide and invests in the vitality of 26 U. S. communities.”

 

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