Sec. 3. Statement of policy
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Congress finds the following: Freedom of the press is a critical component of democratic governance that enhances transparency, accountability, and participation of civil society. United States Government efforts to protect and expand freedom of the press and free expression strengthen the national interests of the United States by— supporting democracy; promoting good governance and public health; mitigating conflict; and encouraging transparency and civil society development around the world.
Journalists, media personnel, and other individuals and organizations around the world that receive and impart information and ideas face increasing restrictions, threats, censorship, arbitrary detention, torture, enforced disappearances, extrajudicial killings, and other violence for exercising their internationally-recognized right to freedom of expression. Impunity for attacks on journalists, bloggers, and media personnel is an acute problem around the world and a primary challenge to protecting freedom of expression and freedom of the press.
According to research and press freedom rankings issued annually by Freedom House, the Committee to Protect Journalists, and Reporters Without Borders, some of the countries with the most restrictive media and information environments include Cuba, Djibouti, Eritrea, Iran, Laos, Myanmar, North Korea, the Philippines, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkmenistan, and Vietnam. Since a failed coup attempt in 2016, the Government of the Republic of Turkey has used terrorism and national security laws to shutter hundreds of media outlets and jail dozens of journalists, compounding the effects of more than a decade of expanding ruling party influence over the ownership of mainstream media in the country at the expense of independent outlets.
The People’s Republic of China, which maintains one of the most restrictive media and information environments in the world, seeks to control free speech inside and outside of China through— censorship; onerous media organization registration requirements; harassment and retaliation; imprisonment; conditioning of press credential renewals for all journalists and visa issuance for foreign journalists on positive coverage of China; and the operation of a digital surveillance system so pervasive that both routine and sensitive reporting activities and many aspects of daily life are subject to government monitoring.
The Russian Federation has continued to use sophisticated tools to block and control information online and employ draconian laws to pressure independent media. The expansion and export of new technologies used for censorship and surveillance— represent a notable threat to human rights, including press freedoms, transparency, and democratic governance globally; and constitute a critical challenge to United States national interests. Other countries’ restrictions on the activities of United States journalists and media personnel, other countries’ censorship and blocking of websites of United States news and media corporations, and other restrictions on the cross-border flow of information— damage the competitiveness of United States corporations; limit United States access to information critical for United States investors, consumers, and others making market and financial decisions; and should be considered a restriction of trade and the creation of an unfair competitive advantage benefitting foreign government-controlled news organizations and other foreign news and media corporations.
It is the policy of the United States— to advocate for detained and targeted journalists and other media personnel overseas, including citizen journalists and bloggers; to call on governments, in both bilateral discussions and through multilateral organizations— to end restrictions on the internationally-recognized right to freedom of expression; and to abide by international commitments set forth in— Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, done at Paris December 10, 1948; and Article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, done at New York December 19, 1966; to urge foreign governments— to transparently investigate and bring to justice the perpetrators of attacks against journalists, bloggers, and other media personnel; and to halt efforts to censor or block access to news from United States journalists and media personnel and the websites of United States news and media organizations; to highlight threats against freedom of the press in the Department of State’s Annual Country Reports on Human Rights Practices, as required under section 116(d)(12) of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961 ( 22 U.S.C. 2151n(d)(12) ), and other public statements by senior Department of State officials; to seek, as part of bilateral diplomatic negotiations globally, conditions for— a free flow of news and information; internet freedom; and an end to visas restrictions for United States media personnel; to link expansion of the free flow of news and information with ongoing and future trade agreements and other bilateral agreements and communiques by seeking language eliminating— all limitations on market access for news agency services; and any restrictions on cross-border data flows involving journalists and the media, including data flowing through the internet; to ensure that pursuing bilateral relationships with foreign governments, particularly governments with restrictive press and information environments, based on the principles of reciprocity across many sectors, including economic, diplomatic, educational, religious, and in the free flow of news and information; and to clearly differentiate, in official statements, media communications, and messaging, between the citizens of a country and the government of such country.
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Sec. 3
Statement of policy
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