Statement by The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press on DOJ News Media Policies Report

The Reporters Committee, which organized a media coalition of more than 50 organizations in suggesting changes to the Department of Justice subpoena guidelines, released the following statement on the Department of Justice’s “Report on Review of News Media Policies”:

The proposal announced by the Attorney General today adopts several improvements to the existing guidelines and would provide additional protections to working journalists. We continue to believe that an impartial judge should be involved when there is a demand for a reporter’s records because so many important rights hinge on the ability to test the government’s need for records before they are seized. We endorse the Attorney General’s call on Congress to pass legislation to facilitate judicial review of all demands for press records. We commend the Attorney General and thank the Department for taking seriously the concerns of the press, and we look forward to reviewing the actual language of the proposed new regulation when it is available.