https://ift.tt/n1oHWKY in the United States could be one step closer to enjoying better legal protections thanks to two separate bills making their way through Congress.
The legislation — the Protect Reporters from Exploitative State Spying (PRESS) Act and a federal anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation) bill — would, respectively, block federal law enforcement from subpoenaing journalist records and protect media against certain lawsuits.
Democratic Representative Jamie Raskin, who sponsored the PRESS Act, described its bipartisan support and passage through the House on a September 19 voice vote as “a triumphant day for press freedom.”
The bill now goes to the Senate, where its passage would provide a federal-level privilege protecting reporters’ records. The bill would also have to be signed by President Joe Biden before becoming law.
The bill comes at a time of increased subpoena requests for journalist records. The U.S. Press Freedom Tracker has documented 155 subpoena and legal orders filed to news organizations since the media freedom coalition started documenting such requests in 2017.
In 2021, the Department of Justice announced a policy to prevent federal prosecutors from seizing journalist information. Under most circumstances, federal authorities are no longer able to seize phone or email records or use third parties to obtain the records of journalists.
The policy came after the Justice Department informed journalists at CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times that it had secretly obtained records during the administration of former President Donald Trump.
The second proposed bill was introduced in the House of Representatives last month. It seeks to protect media from so-called strategic lawsuits against public participation, or SLAPPs. These are mass lawsuits filed with the intent to intimidate and harass.