By Media Alliance and Defend the Press Coalition
Take Action: Endorse the Federal Shield Law for Journalists
Tonight the US Army announced it has dropped its subpoena of Sarah Olson in the Ehren Watada court martial. The news broke in an article in the Honolulu Advertiser.
This is a great victory for journalist Sarah Olson and our coalition for press freedom. These subpoenas sought to further the Bush Administration's increasing harassment of journalists, especially journalists who are reporting on social justice activism and the growing anti-war sentiment among rank and file soldiers. It strikes a blow for press freedom and for free speech.
In a news release Sarah Olson made a statement which reads in part:
"This should be seen as a victory for the rights of journalists in the U.S. to gather and disseminate news free from government intervention, and for the rights of individuals to express personal, political opinions to journalists without fear of retribution or censure.
Journalists are being subpoenaed with an alarming frequency, and when they do not cooperate they are sometimes imprisoned. Videographer Josh Wolf has languished in federal prison for over 160 days, after refusing to give federal grand jury investigators his unpublished video out takes. It is clear that we must continue to demand that the separation between press and government be strong, and that the press be a platform for all perspectives, regardless of their popularity with the current administration."
"While I am glad to see the subpoena against me in this court-martial dismissed," Olson adds, "I still worry about the US military using this tactic to chill dissenting voices and whistle blowers from coming forward in the future. We need to be vigilant at this critical time in our country's history in order to push back against these tactics."
Take Action: Endorse the Federal Shield Law for Journalists
Posted by jeff at January 29, 2007 10:56 PM | TrackBack