The Columbia Journalism Review reports on a newly released government document showing that the Obama Justice Department engaged in a far more sweeping effort to spy on the Associated Press than previously believed.
"In 2013, the Justice Department launched a brazen attack on press freedom," the CJR notes, "Issuing sweeping subpoenas for the phone records of The Associated Press and several of its reporters and editors as part of a leak investigation. At the time, the subpoenas were widely seen as a massive intrusion into newsgathering operations. Last month, we learned that they told only part of the story."
The report shows that DOJ attorneys at one point considered subpoenaing records of The Washington Post, The New York Times, and ABC News and "Strongly suggests that the attorneys went so far as to obtain 'telephone numbers and other contact information' for reporters and editors at those organizations who had worked on articles about the Yemen bomb plot."
Michelle Obama banned the press from her taxpayer-paid China visit.
On Obama's watch, the U.S. ranking for press freedom dropped to 46th place.
The Baltimore Sun's David Zurawik wrote in 2014 that "I have been comparing Obama to Nixon in his disdain for the First Amendment and a free press since 2009, and mainly all I got was attacked - often from long-time colleagues in the media who couldn't believe the object of their political affection could have such contempt for them."
So why has the press saved all its ire for Trump, who has - despite his words - been far friendlier to the press in his deeds than Obama? One can only speculate.
https://issuesinsights.com/2019/05/25/report-obamas-spying-on-the-press-was-far-more-extensive-than-previously-thought/
"In 2013, the Justice Department launched a brazen attack on press freedom," the CJR notes, "Issuing sweeping subpoenas for the phone records of The Associated Press and several of its reporters and editors as part of a leak investigation. At the time, the subpoenas were widely seen as a massive intrusion into newsgathering operations. Last month, we learned that they told only part of the story."
The report shows that DOJ attorneys at one point considered subpoenaing records of The Washington Post, The New York Times, and ABC News and "Strongly suggests that the attorneys went so far as to obtain 'telephone numbers and other contact information' for reporters and editors at those organizations who had worked on articles about the Yemen bomb plot."
Michelle Obama banned the press from her taxpayer-paid China visit.
On Obama's watch, the U.S. ranking for press freedom dropped to 46th place.
The Baltimore Sun's David Zurawik wrote in 2014 that "I have been comparing Obama to Nixon in his disdain for the First Amendment and a free press since 2009, and mainly all I got was attacked - often from long-time colleagues in the media who couldn't believe the object of their political affection could have such contempt for them."
So why has the press saved all its ire for Trump, who has - despite his words - been far friendlier to the press in his deeds than Obama? One can only speculate.
https://issuesinsights.com/2019/05/25/report-obamas-spying-on-the-press-was-far-more-extensive-than-previously-thought/
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