New York, August 13, 2014–A coalition of organizations, including the Committee to Protect Journalists, will hold a news conference on Thursday about efforts by the Obama administration to compel New York Times reporter James Risen to disclose a confidential source. Earlier in the day, a petition with 100,000 signatories–“We Support James Risen Because We Support a Free Press“–will be presented to the U.S. Department of Justice. James Risen will also speak at the press conference.
CPJ has documented the Obama administration’s aggressive prosecution of alleged leakers, which has chilled the flow of news. In October, CPJ released a special report written by former Washington Post executive editor Leonard Downie Jr., called “The Obama Administration and the Press: Leak Investigations and Surveillance in Post-9/11 America.”
WHAT: News Conference
WHEN: Thursday, August 14, 2014, at 1 p.m.
WHERE: National Press Club (Murrow Room), 13th Floor, National Press Building
WHO: Speakers will include representatives of the Committee to Protect Journalists, the Freedom of the Press Foundation, the Government Accountability Project, the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, and Reporters Without Borders.
Also scheduled to speak are Peabody Award and nine-time Emmy Award winner Phil Donahue, and James Risen.
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CPJ is an independent, nonprofit organization that works to safeguard press freedom worldwide
CPJ Media contact:
Samantha Libby
Communications Associate
Tel: +1.212.300.9032
Email: slibby@cpj.org
The news conference is hosted by RootsAction.
For more information about attending the news conference, contact:
TheFirstAmendment@usa.com or (415) 488-3606