Sec. 5. Plan to negotiate reciprocal access for United States news and media organizations globally
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Congress finds the following: United States news and media organizations and information portals are blocked or censored by certain foreign governments while the United States market remains open to websites of foreign news and media organizations and information portals, including State-owned propaganda organizations. The stark lack of reciprocity in market access for United States news and media organizations and country access for United States journalists and media personnel limits constructive contacts between the United States and the world and allows some foreign governments unbalanced influence over their people’s views of the United States and perceptions in the United States of their policies and programs.
Foreign governments with a sizable media and information footprint in the United States have a distinct interest in maintaining that footprint. Greater quotients of reciprocity in the flow of news and information will be mutually advantageous in United States relations with countries such as China, Cuba, Eritrea, Iran, Russia, Vietnam, and Turkmenistan by fostering interactions that will create greater understanding, trust, and transparency. The President shall establish a plan to negotiate access for United States news and media organizations and their employees globally and work to enhance reciprocity for news and media organizations operating in the United States.
Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of State shall submit to the appropriate congressional committees a report that summarizes the plan required under paragraph (1). It is the sense of Congress that, in the interest of increasing access for United States news and media organizations and their employees globally and otherwise expanding press freedoms globally, the President should proactively pursue bilateral agreements with governments of foreign countries to enhance reciprocity for news and media organizations operating in the United States.
In this section, the term appropriate congressional committees means— the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Financial Services, the Committee on Foreign Affairs, the Committee on Homeland Security, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the House of Representatives; and the Committee on Armed Services, the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, the Committee on Foreign Relations, the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, and the Committee on the Judiciary of the Senate.