NSA spying hurting journalism, law in US

A Human Rights Watch and American Civil Liberties Union report suggests NSA snooping prevents sources talking to journalists and compromises the relationships between defense attorneys and their clients.

Widespread surveillance in the US by the National Security Agency (NSA) has damaged the fabric of democracy by limiting the ability of journalists and lawyers to communicate confidentially with their sources and their clients, according to a report from two rights advocacy groups.

NSAs spying on the electronic communications of Americans is preventing news-gatherers and attorneys to do their jobs properly because they cant keep information private from the government, a report issued Monday by Human Rights Watch (HRW) and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) suggests.

The report is based on interviews with 46 journalists and 42 lawyers working in the areas of national security and intelligence. Five current or former senior government officials were also interviewed.

Those lawyers and journalists say the NSAs surveillance on Americans, revealed by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, has resulted in substantial erosion of their ability to do their constitutionally-protected jobs.

If the US fails to address these concerns promptly and effectively, it could do serious, long-term damage to the fabric of democracy in the country, writes report author Alex Sinha, a fellow at HRW and ACLU.

Sources are worried that being connected to journalists through some sort of electronic record will be seen as suspicious and that they will be punished as a result, Sinha wrote. As a result sources are less willing to talk to the press about anything, including unclassified matters that could be of significant public concern.

McClatchy Newspapers reporter Jonathan Landay who covers national security and intelligence issues, told HRW that some sources have grown reluctant to talk to him about anything, even something like, Please explain the rationale for this foreign policy. Thats not even dealing with classified material; thats just educating readers.

Major Jason Wright, an Army Judge Advocate General representing Guantanamo detainees, raised a troubling concern: We are fearful that our communications with witnesses abroad are monitored, and that attempts to build their case might put people in harms way, he said in an interview for the survey.

To fix the problems stated in the report, HRW and the ACLU recommended major reforms in US surveillance practices, reducing state secrecy in general and limitations on official contact with journalists, increased protection for whistleblowers and strengthened minimization procedures.

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NSA spying hurting journalism, law in US