(es) London/ Vienna July 20, 2021
The latest proposals for UK legislation are similar to repressive moves elsewhere in Europe – a law which would in effect criminalise investigative journalism. The threat was described in detail by Patrick Cockburn on July 6 – how UK intends to make investigative journalism a crime
William Horsley, AEJ Special Representative on Media Freedom, comments:
This shocking, brazen threat to press freedom in the UK would further cement the UK’s reputation for excessive government secrecy. That mindset and habit can all too easily be a cover for self-serving abuses against journalists like the unlawful and widespread snooping to uncover journalists’ sources uncovered by the government’s own watchdog, the UK’s Interception of Communications Commissioner more than six years ago:
This proposal for harsher penalties without the essential safeguards for public interest journalism and journalists’ rights under the European Convention appears to make a mockery of the British government’s much-trumpeted National Action Plan for the safety of Journalists, unveiled earlier this year. When the perpetrator of violations is the state itself, the UK appears to be blind in one eye.”
LINK:
Media freedom in UK just six years ago