More than 20 media organizations, including Fox News and Bloomberg News, have banded together to request press passes for professional court stenographers to attend the trial of Bradley Manning, the former American soldier charged with leaking classified documents to WikiLeaks.
“Public and press access is a hallmark of democracy in the United States. In an unusual move, the government has not provided the press with copies of transcripts or court rulings of the pre-trial portions of the Manning case, and we are concerned that this lack of access to the court proceedings will continue during the upcoming trial,” the letter reads. “…If they are denied, over 280 of our colleagues who applied for credentials will not be able to report on the trial, and the public, which is closely watching this case, will be less able to understand the process and decisions made by this court.”
Freedom of the Press Foundation, which is one of the organizations in the coalition, has the full letter. Other news organizations include Politico, The New Yorker and The Daily Beast/Newsweek. [h/t Politico]