Will Eric Holder guarantee NSA reporters' first amendment rights? - The Guardian

[FirstLight]

By John Cusack - co founder of the Freedom of the Press Foundation. (yes, *that* John Cusack, which is yet another reason I him.)
This is a well spoken and researched piece, and raises a lot of questions for all of us, because when freedom of the press and freedom of speech are done, we all are screwn. This also makes me think and tremble regarding the Free Flow of Information Act, because of it's regulation of who is and is NOT a journalist...which is a changing hazy line in these times of high technology. I also see the law as being a way to undermine and prosecute whistleblowers and the journalists they need, the journalists' whose protection they trust. (boldface below is my emphasis)

(snip)

Last month, though, Glenn Greenwald's partner, David Miranda, was detained at Heathrow airport for almost nine hours, while on a journalistic mission paid for by the Guardian. His electronics were seized, and he was forced to hand over his social media passwords under the threat of imprisonment. He was detained under the UK Terrorism Act – for an act of journalism. This was an assault on press freedom that should make every reporter shudder no matter their opinion on the NSA.

The message was sent. It gave a whole new meaning to "Miranda rights". A Miranda warning, in effect.

Perhaps worse, we learned a few days later that the United States had been given a "heads up" by their British counterparts that they were planning on detaining Miranda. The US government didn't lift a finger to stop this blatant attack on journalism and press freedom – even as it has been moving heaven and earth to bring Edward Snowden back to the US. That should be a scandal in its own right.

Now, the US owes its citizens and the international community another "heads up": on whether the United States will do the same to journalists working on NSA stories who are entering the United States. Put simply, will Attorney General Eric Holder, the US State Department, and the FBI promise safe passage to journalists, their spouses and loved ones, and vow not to interfere with their reporting on these NSA stories?

So far, the answer has been far from clear. (snip)

here's the link http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2013/sep/18/eric-holder-guarantee-nsa-reporters-rights

[FirstLight]

1. kickety...