The Medill School of Journalism, Media, Integrated Marketing Communications is the latest journalism organization to sign on to the Global Safety Principles and Practices, a set of international protection standards for reporters, especially those in conflict areas. Continue reading
A new report finds direct targeting of journalists from groups like the Islamic State and al-Qaida in addition to strict rules for media they control. Continue reading
WASHINGTON — On Monday, the United States Disciplinary Barracks’ Directorate of Inmate Administration released “USDB Regulation 600-1, Nov. 2013” entitled “Manual for the Guidance of Inmates” to the Medill National Security Journalism Initiative in response to an April 17 Freedom … Continue reading
WASHINGTON — Democratic Leadership Council founder and Medill M.S.J. alum Al From turned a critical eye onto his own party during a March 12 visit to the Medill Washington newsroom. During the talk with Medill undergraduates, From discussed the history … Continue reading
[View the story “Op-ed: What Dempsey’s pro-Abdullah essay contest could mean for the military’s image” on Storify]
Blue Force tracking is a term used in the military for a computer system that tracks where military forces – friendly (blue forces) and hostile – are located. A new website has taken that name and used it to explain … Continue reading
The second beheading of an American journalist by ISIS in two weeks may indicate that the Sunni militant group is targeting journalists in a particularly brutal form to show the world – and particularly President Barack Obama – its strength and influence, according to several experts.
“We’ve seen this before by drug cartels in Mexico, and now by ISIS in Syria and northern Iraq,” said Frank Smyth, executive director of Global Journalist Security, a firm that trains journalists to operate in hostile environments. “Journalists in such environments should no longer expect that their role as independent observers will be respected.”
In a video released Tuesday, Steven Sotloff, 31, was shown being beheaded by a member of ISIS. The White House said intelligence officials believe the video to be authentic. Continue reading
Two influential advocacy organizations have issued a must-read report on how large-scale U.S. surveillance is not only harming journalism and the public’s right to know, but also undermining the rule of law by creating a chilling effect on lawyers trying to do their jobs in the national security realm.
That’s quite a strong and sweeping statement, but the 120-page report by Human Rights Watch and the American Civil Liberties Union backs it up in great detail, including interviews with more than 90 journalists, lawyers and both current and former government officials.
The joint report, released today (July 28), is titled, “With Liberty to Monitor All: How Large-Scale US Surveillance is Harming Journalism, Law, and American Democracy.”
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This past weekend, more than 1,500 investigative reporters from around the world descended on San Francisco to attend the annual conference of Investigative Reporters and Editors and hear from the best and the brightest about how to get better at their craft – including national security journalism.
Some may have gotten more than they expected from the keynote speaker, Lowell Bergman, including those who run IRE, the world’s largest grassroots organization for accountability journalism. (I’m on the IRE Board of Directors).
That’s because Bergman, one of the best muckrakers of his – or any – generation, took us in the media to task for not doing more to help investigative reporters over the years. Without quibbling over out differences about what IRE has done for investigative reporting, and investigative reporters, I think Bergman made a lot of good and important points that are worth sharing with a wider audience. Continue reading
Now that the U.S. Supreme Court has denied an appeal by The New York Times’ James Risen, the Pulitzer Prize-winning national security reporter could go to jail sometime soon for refusing to identify a confidential source.
After Monday’s Supreme Court rejection, Risen said, as he has many times before, that he’s sticking with his decision to battle a subpoena – and possibly see the inside of a jail cell – rather than give up a source
“I will continue to fight,” Risen said in an interview with the Medill National Security Journalism Initiative on Monday afternoon.
Now that we’ve heard from Risen, it’s time to hear from another key player in the saga: Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr.
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Medill/GlobalPost investigation sheds new light on $3.2 billion U.S. mine clearance and victim assistance effort.
Medill/USA TODAY investigation of U.S. international food aid programs finds significant, entrenched problems
Read about the project.
→ Continue to the story.EVANSTON, Ill. — The Robert R. McCormick Foundation has renewed a $1 million grant to fund the Medill National Security Journalism Initiative at Northwestern University over the next two years.
The NSJ program provides journalists-in-training and working journalists with the knowledge and skills necessary to report accurately, completely and with context on events and issues related to defense, security and civil liberties. The initiative began in January, 2009 with an initial three-year, $1.3 million McCormick Foundation grant. The grant was also renewed for $1 million over two years in 2011.
