Feb 27, 2015: Nick Bernabe: MintPress: Anonymous Launches #Gitmo2Chicago to Shut Down NDAA Style Secret Detention Center By Chicago Police
Mar 20, 2014: After fending off numerous attacks on the freedom of the internet last year, activists and independent journalists alike are now facing another hurdle that flies in the face of freedom of the press, the “Journalist Shield Law“.
Although the bill is being sold by the Obama administration and establishment politicians in both parties as a positive step in protecting free speech, unfortunately the name of this bill is highly deceiving. Remembering just how unpatriotic the Patriot Act was, this new law, although deceivingly named, is likely to crush freedom of speech of any journalist not on a corporate payroll. According to the AP, this is how the bill defines who a real journalist is:
The bill’s protections would apply to a “covered journalist,” defined as an employee, independent contractor or agent of an entity that disseminates news or information. The individual would have to have been employed for one year within the last 20 or three months within the last five years.
It would apply to student journalists or someone with a considerable amount of freelance work in the last five years. A federal judge also would have the discretion to declare an individual a “covered journalist” who would be granted the privileges of the law. (SOURCE: Nick Bernabe: Activist Post: "Feinstein’s Bill to Kill Free Speech of Independent Journalists ‘Has Votes’ to Pass Senate")
Although the bill is being sold by the Obama administration and establishment politicians in both parties as a positive step in protecting free speech, unfortunately the name of this bill is highly deceiving. Remembering just how unpatriotic the Patriot Act was, this new law, although deceivingly named, is likely to crush freedom of speech of any journalist not on a corporate payroll. According to the AP, this is how the bill defines who a real journalist is:
The bill’s protections would apply to a “covered journalist,” defined as an employee, independent contractor or agent of an entity that disseminates news or information. The individual would have to have been employed for one year within the last 20 or three months within the last five years.
It would apply to student journalists or someone with a considerable amount of freelance work in the last five years. A federal judge also would have the discretion to declare an individual a “covered journalist” who would be granted the privileges of the law. (SOURCE: Nick Bernabe: Activist Post: "Feinstein’s Bill to Kill Free Speech of Independent Journalists ‘Has Votes’ to Pass Senate")
Nick Bernabe is an activist, journalist, social media guru and defender of independent media. He also helped start and promote the global March Against Monsanto and the No War With Syria Rallies. He helped promote and organize the March Against Corruption, March Against Mainstream Media, and the Rallies to End The Fed. Nick is the founder of TheAntiMedia.org, a social network and news outlet for independent journalists and news junkies and host of The Anti-Media radio show.
