The US Department of Justice has issued subpoenas to several New York Times journalists who are members of The NewsGuild-CWA, which is affiliated with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ). The journalists have been ordered to testify next week, about their reporting on security concerns surrounding President Donald Trump’s new Air Force One plane. The IFJ demands that the Department of Justice withdraw the subpoenas targeting these reporters. It also joins its affiliate, The NewsGuild-CWA, in strongly condemning the Trump administration’s latest move, which threatens and intimidates journalists and ultimately undermines press freedom.
According to the Times, the journalists subpoenaed to testify are Julian E. Barnes, Eric Lipton, Tyler Pager and Eric Schmitt. On 8 and 9 July, they reported that Trump had flown in an old Air Force One as a security measure, rather than using the new Air Force One, donated by Qatar, as the latter lacked some advanced security features. Both articles cited sources who spoke on condition of anonymity in order to discuss sensitive security matters.
The subpoenas seek to force the reporters to testify before a federal grand jury in Manhattan next week. The Times denounced the administration’s actions.
“Journalism is not a crime,” said The NewsGuild-CWA President Jon Schleuss, who is also a member of the IFJ’s Executive Committee. “We stand with our members who bring the world the truth every single day. These latest subpoenas follow a disturbing number of attacks against journalists and news organizations in an effort to avoid accountability and reduce transparency. […].”
IFJ General Secretary, Anthony Bellanger, added: “Journalists must be free to report independently, without fear of censorship or political interference. What we are witnessing in the United States is an administration that is seeking to obstruct independent journalism by using intimidation and legal threats. We stand in solidarity with the New York Times reporters and call on the US Department of Justice to immediately withdraw these subpoenas.”