(Note: The report can be downloaded free of charge [1] by WAN-IFRA members and non-members alike.)
Protecting Journalism Sources in the Digital Age is a new global study produced by WAN-IFRA for UNESCO that examines the growing risks confronting forms of journalism dependent upon confidential sources and whistleblowers. It finds that the legal frameworks that support protection of journalistic sources, at international, regional and country levels, are under significant strain - a development that is seen to represent a direct challenge to the established universal human rights of freedom of expression and privacy, and one that especially constitutes a threat to the sustainability of investigative journalism.
The study, authored by former World Editors Forum/WAN-IFRA Research fellow Julie Posetti [2], covers 121 UNESCO Member States and represents a global benchmarking of journalistic source protection in the Digital Age. It will be launched on World Press Freedom Day (May 3rd) during celebrations in Jakarta.
“This study is being launched in the context of unprecedented digital risks to confidential journalistic communications – from security agencies intercepting reporters’ emails [3], to US customs officials seizing journalists’ phones [4] and, just last week, Australian Federal Police admitting that they illegally accessed a journalist’s metadata [5]. It’s utterly chilling, and urgent reform is required,” Ms Posetti said. “I genuinely hope that the study serves as an effective tool in the struggle to defend investigative journalism dependent on confidential sources, and the efforts of whistleblowers, in the interest of strengthening democracy.”
In many of the countries examined in this study, it was found that legal source protection frameworks are being actually or potentially:
The study identifies 13 key findings:
While traditional legal frameworks for source protection remain strong in some states, and are progressing in others, they are under significant risk from a combination of developments. These are caused, for the most part, by digital disruption, and by overreach in measures that are introduced in the name of national security or combating crime.
The study finds that unless journalistic communications are recognised, surveillance is made subject to checks and balances; data retention laws are limited; accountability and transparency measures -applied to both States and corporations - are improved, confidence in the confidentiality of sources could be weakened,” Ms Posetti said. “The result could be that much public interest information, such as that about corruption and abuse, will remain hidden from public view.
A major recommendation of this study is consideration of an 11-point assessment tool for measuring the effectiveness of legal source protection frameworks in the digital age.
This Study concludes that law-makers, journalists, editors and publishers among others can play an important role in promoting public understanding of these issues, and in advocating for change
Journalists rely on source protection to gather and reveal information in the public interest from confidential sources. Such sources may require anonymity to protect them from physical, economic or professional reprisals in response to their revelations. There is a strong tradition of legal source protection internationally, in recognition of the vital function that confidential sources play in facilitating ‘watchdog’ or ‘accountability’ journalism. “Without confidential sources, many acts of investigative story-telling - from Watergate to the Panama Papers -may never have surfaced”, the study acknowledges.
Bottom line: citizens need to be able to reveal major injustices and corruption without fear of reprisals and source protection frameworks are an essential component in this practice,” Ms Posetti said. “However, in the Digital Age, laws protecting journalists from being forced to reveal their sources are under significant threat of erosion, restriction and compromise.
Study Parameters
These findings are based on an examination of the legal source protection frameworks in each country, drawing on academic research, online repositories, reportage by news and human rights organisations, more than 130 survey respondents and qualitative interviews with nearly 50 international experts and practitioners globally. Seventeen international researchers and research assistants contributed to the research.
About the author:
Julie Posetti [2] is a University of Wollongong (Australia) researcher who heads Digital Editorial Capability at Fairfax Media. She was Editor and Research Fellow with WEF/WAN-IFRA in 2014/2015. She is available for interview and contactable via email (julieposetti@gmail.com [6]), mobile (+61 466450312) or Skype (JuliePosetti).
WAN-IFRA
2017-05-03 14:01
Links:
[1] http://www.wan-ifra.org/sites/default/files/field_article_file/UNESCO_Protecting_Sources.pdf
[2] https://twitter.com/julieposetti
[3] https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2015/jan/19/gchq-intercepted-emails-journalists-ny-times-bbc-guardian-le-monde-reuters-nbc-washington-post
[4] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/donald-trump-muslim-ban-bbc-journalist-iran-born-ali-hamedani-chicago-airport-immigration-travel-a7552866.html
[5] http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/police-illegally-obtained-journalists-phone-records-under-new-metadata-retention-regime-20170428-gvutjx.html
[6] mailto:julieposetti@gmail.com
[7] http://apply.wan-ifra.org/category/reports/editorial
[8] http://apply.wan-ifra.org/category/reports/electronic-media