Pentagon Says It Does Not Conduct Surveillance of Journalists
“The Department of Defense does not conduct electronic or physical surveillance of journalists” as a way of preventing leaks of classified information, Pentagon press spokesman George E. Little wrote last week.
But Department officials do “review media reports for possible unauthorized disclosure of classified information,” he said.
Mr. Little was responding to a July 20 letter from leaders of the Pentagon Press Association, who questioned the nature of DoD’s intention to “monitor all major, national level reporting” for evidence of leaks. (“Reporters Seek Clarification of Pentagon Anti-Leak Policy,” Secrecy News, July 23, 2012)
“The Secretary and Chairman [of the Joint Chiefs] both believe strongly in freedom of the press and encourage good relations between the Department and the press corps,” Mr. Little wrote in his letter, which was first reported in Politico. “Their efforts to stop the unauthorized disclosures of classified information do not involve restricting press access to DoD officials.”
Confirmation that the construction of the security perimeter and associated security infrastructure at RAF Lakenheath are still ongoing once again raises questions about whether U.S. nuclear weapons have already been deployed to the base.
Alaskans are sensibly pulling back from the vogue for bans and returning to a western tradition that has worked for more than half a century – one that welcomes innovation but also oversees it closely.
The strength of our nation’s data policy isn’t just in the rules we write, but in how effectively we translate those rules into a system that prioritizes the public good. Join us in this movement to design and build more resilient national data policies.
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