US senators reintroduce Bipartisan legislation to protect journalists

A bipartisan group of US senators and representatives joined forces this week to re-introduce the Protect Reporters from Explosive State Spying Act, also known as the PRESS Act.

The legislation, which would prevent the government from forcing reporters to reveal their sources, passed the House of Representatives last year but failed to get a vote in the Senate. The bill would also ensure that important data held by third parties, like phone or internet companies, cannot be seized without notice and an opportunity to challenge the action in court.

Seth Stern, director of advocacy for the Freedom of the Press Foundation, emphasized that the bill’s definition of a journalist is broad, its exceptions are limited and specific, and it imposes restrictions on subpoenas for journalists and their phone and email service providers.

The effort to enhance safeguards for journalists follows a period when the Department of Justice, during the tenure of the now-discredited former President Donald Trump, covertly confiscated records from reporters working at various news outlets such as CNN, The Washington Post, and The New York Times.