NSB: NMA Urges Lords To Adopt Public Interest Defence Amendments

The News Media Association has called on peers to adopt amendments to the National Security Bill to avoid a chilling effect on journalism and freedom of expression.

Speaking in a debate on the National Security Bill, Shadow DCMS Spokesperson Lord Stevenson of Balmacara warned that unless amended the legislation posed a threat to a free press. 

The NMA is urging peers to adopt amendments to insert a much needed public interest defence into the legislation, and to ensure the established protections in the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1989 for journalistic material are not undermined.   

Speaking in the debate in the Lords this week, Lord Stevenson of Balmacara said: “A free and independent press facilitates government accountability and the public’s right to know, but the nature and scope of the proposed espionage offences will have a chilling effect, discouraging sources—including whistleblowers—from coming forward and engendering a risk-averse environment in media organisations.

“Others have argued that the failure to include a public interest defence in the Bill poses a grave threat to investigative journalism and its sources.”

Last month, the NMA joined with other media organisations to warn that, in its current form, the legislation will weaken protections against police accessing journalistic materials, posing a threat to legitimate journalism.

NMA legal director Sayra Tekin wrote to the Home Office to warn that the current omission marks “a grave oversight” which would “threaten public accountability.”