Study: Mass Government Spying Crushing Freedom Of The Press
Whistleblowers also now less likely to come forward
Steve Watson
Prisonplanet.com
July 28, 2014
A new report compiled by rights groups reveals that government domestic spying programs are significantly changing the way journalists and lawyers operate, thus undermining Constitutional rights.
The ACLU and Human Rights Watch have compiled the report based on interviews with scores of high profile reporters and attorneys. The survey serves as proof that the protection of private information and sources is “increasingly scarce and difficult to ensure” due to government espionage.
“As a result, journalists and their sources, as well as lawyers and their clients, are changing their behavior in ways that undermine basic rights and corrode democratic processes,” the report notes.
Whistleblowers and reporters are now increasingly censoring themselves, meaning that important information regarding government corruption or mismanagement remains hidden from the public. The rights groups argue that this is clear evidence of the restriction of freedom of speech.
“Journalists told us that officials are substantially less willing to be in contact with the press, even with regard to unclassified matters or personal opinions, than they were even a few years ago,” the report states.
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