The Biden administration should stop misusing the Espionage Act to hinder press freedom in the United States, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a report on Thursday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 13th January, 2022) The Biden administration should stop misusing the Espionage Act to hinder press freedom in the United States, the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said in a report on Thursday.
"The Committee to Protect Journalists makes the following recommendations to the Biden administration: Stop the misuse of the Espionage Act to hinder press freedom," the report read.
The CPJ urged the Biden administration to put in place legislation that would prevent the use of the Espionage Act "as a means to halt news gathering activity."
The report also called on the administration to drop the espionage charges against Wikileaks founder Julian Assange and cease efforts to extradite him to the United States.
The Biden administration should instead take decisive actions and impose sanctions against Saudi Crown Prince Mohamed bin Salman for his role in the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, the report said.
CPJ also expressed frustrations over a lack of direct communications between US President Joe Biden and journalists.
"One key concern among White House reporters is their limited access to Biden. He has given far fewer press conferences and media interviews than either Barack Obama or Donald Trump in their first years in office, and he has responded to fewer impromptu questions from reporters at White House or public events," the report said.
Biden has held one solo full-scale press conference at the White House and four during his foreign trips as well as� gave 22 interviews. By contrast, Trump gave 92 interviews during the same period of time and an Obama gave 150 interviews, the report said.
