UK dodges question on government spying at press conference

Egypt talking about journalistic freedom in SOCHUM. What about the jailed Al-Jazeera journalists?

By ANAÏS VOSKI, THE GUARDIAN

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Tonight’s SOCHUM press conference produced some interesting results at the sixty-first session of the Harvard National Model United Nations conference.

The committee is discussing journalistic freedom, an incredibly relevant and important issue in light of recent events involving whistleblower Edward Snowden and government responses to Snowden’s leaks.

The Guardian asked the UK delegate to explain how they plan to regain the confidence of the press and make sure national governments and spy agencies, such as GCHQ, will change their legislation in order to continue respecting journalistic freedom.

The UK responded by saying that they will continue to respect journalistic freedom as long as it does not infringe on national security – a standard and well-rehearsed answer that makes any supporter of journalistic freedom worry about the coming future in the post-Edward Snowden era.

Meanwhile, some developing countries, such as Côte d’Ivoire, are working on multiple resolutions hoping to address journalistic freedom and national security from a new, friendlier, and co-dependent perspective.

More to come…