Editors, reporters, media lawyers and press freedom campaigners are among nearly 600 people who have signed up to Pess Gazette's Save Our Sources campaign.
Set up a week ago, the Change.org petition, which can be found here, calls on the Interception of Communications Commissionerto ensure that the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act is not used by public authorities to secretly obtain journalists' phone records and identify confidential sources.
Such action is believed by many to be a breach of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights with gives the highest possible protection to journalists' sources.
Press Gazette started the campaign at the end of last week shortly after it emerged that the Met Police had used RIPA to secretly obtain the phone records of Sun political editor Tom Newton Dunn – a signatory of the petition – and details of calls made to The Sun newsdesk in order to find three officers accused of leaking information about the Plebgate affair. The officers were not found to have broken the law, but were sacked anyway.
Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger, Sun editor David Dinsmore (below), Spectator editor Fraser Nelson and Channel 4 News editor Ben de Pear are among those who have so far supported the petition.
Freedom of press means freedom to protect sources.
Fraser Nelson
In addition to these editors, investigative reporters and editors such as Nick Davies of The Guardian, Stephen Wright of the Daily Mail, Tom Harper of The Independent, Paul Lewis of The Guardian, hacking trial blogger Peter Jukes and Brian Flynn of The Sun, have put their names to the petition.
We do not want to live in a police state.
Brian Flynn
Journalists should be able to protect sources and information from police intrusion.
Nick Davies
I'm signing because the Metropolitan Police have cynically twisted the phone-hacking scandal that engulfed the Yard into an opportunity to clamp down on whistleblowers, including from the police, speaking to the media. This is a genuinely worrying development that is, in my experience, unquestionably counter to the public interest. I am aware of specific examples where the Met is attempting to criminalise public interest whistleblowers to protect its own reputation and the abuse of RIPA offers them even more opportunities to do so. This is not self-interest, this is real and affects the ability of the media to act as an effective check and balance on the State. Please sign this petition.
Tom Harper
National Union of Journalists general secretary Michelle Stanistreet (below), her predecessor Jeremy Dear, Society of Editors executive director Bob Satchwell, NCTJ chief executive Joanne Butcher and Dominic Cooper and Paul Francis, of the Chartered Institute of Journalists, have also shown their support.
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It is essential that journalist’s sources are protected at all costs. Only then will those who seek to shine the light on wrong doing be able to trust in the confidentiality offered by journalists.
Dominic Cooper
Stanistreet today announced plans for the NUJ to join “forces with Press Gazette and other allies to campaign against the targeting of journalists and the criminalisation of our sources”.
Protecting our sources is a fundamental duty of all journalists and the cornerstone of the NUJ's code of conduct. That responsibility is under threat as never before,
It is an outrage that journalists are being spied on, that their phone records have been secretly pored over, their communications seized – all in order to target, identify and out sources who have turned to reporters in order to bring vital information to the public's attention. The Met's misuse of RIPA legislation, by-passing assurances and processes set out under PACE, to obtain information covertly without judicial process or oversight, is a disgrace that must be urgently addressed.
The campaign has also received the support of former Daily Mirror editor Roy Greenslade, who is now a media columnist, former BBC presenter Robin Lustig, former head of BBC global news Richard Sambrook and former Times managing editor, turned head of journalism at City University, George Brock.
Confidential sources are essential to the free circulation of significant information in democracies. Sources must be able to trust the promise of confidence.
George Brock
Other signatories include former News of the World deputy editor Neil Wallis (pictured, Reuters), current Sun managing editor Stig Abell, Oxford Mail and Oxford Times editor Simon O’Neill, Trinity Mirror editorial director Neil Benson, former Sun deputy editor Fergus Shanahan and Mail on Sunday deputy news editor David Rose.
As a journalist I am concerned about creeping secrecy and media suppression by state organisations.
Simon O'Neill
Media law experts David Allen Green (legal columnist for the Financial Times), Mark Hanna (joint author McNae's) and Caroline Kean (partner at law firm Wiggin) have also signed.
It should be obvious: protections in law for free speech should not be so easily avoided by using an act that was never originally designed for that purpose.
Caroline Kean
I am co-author of McNae's Essential Law for Journalists. I fear that such unaccountable use of RIPA powers threatens journalists' ability to investigate powerful, state agencies.
Mark Hanna
Local newspaper reporter Sally Murrer, who herself was arrested and put on trial in 2008 for simply having off the record conversations with a police contact, said:
After being a journalist victim of police using RIPA and other underhand means to obtain my sources and other confidential information, I support this petition with all my heart. I really hoped my case would stop police using such bully-boy tactics against journalists. Sadly it seems to have made the situation worse.
Here is a full list of signatories so far:
Dominic Ponsford
Dan Palmer
William Turvill
Eliot Hastie
Morette Thompson
Ellie Brown
Simon O'Neill
Tom Worden
fidelma cook
Neil Syson
Gail Milne
Henry Vaughan
Samir Jeraj
lewis panther
Gaz Corfield
Andrew Gardner
Stuart Smith
Concepta Cassar
Tom Savage
Jane Price
Kevin Price
Nigel Pauley
Jen Pharo
Jo Taylor
Spy Blog
Michelle Smart
martin stenning
Sarah Griffiths
Jon Slattery
Ric Sumner
Jules Mattsson
Pete Maclaine
Jeremy Dear
Tom Newton Dunn
Stephen Bush
Jonathan Calder
Duncan Geddes
Greg Swift
James Cunliffe
Jeff Gazzard
Paul Hurved
Robin Rea
Riitta Ollila
Jon Mills
john jewell
Daryl Stafford
Lara O'Reilly
Tim Palmer
Will Jordan
Lizzie Palmer
Enid Shelmerdine
Shane Croucher
Patrick O'Brien
Jordan Bintcliffe
megan french
Rachel Broady
Gareth Davies
John Keenan
Fraser Nelson
Tina Robins
Mary Mehaffy
liz gerard
Sam Harrington-Lowe
Alex Olliver
James Doleman
William Humphries
Stanley Moorcroft
Bryan Glick
Rudolf Abraham
Simon Russell
Patrick Walter
Anthony Hatter
Kevin Ward
Sam Marsden
Chris Johnston
Joan Willows
Robert Collins
Maria Williams
Darren Ingram
George Brock
Tom Witherow
Oliver Jones
V Witty
Craig Lewis
Mike Jempson
Nick Davies
Jane Rossiter-Smith
Steve Rose
Bill Campbell
Richard Andrew
Meg Howarth
Denise Danks
Tim Crook
Dominic Cooper CIoJ
Sean Gallagher
Matt Hill
Michael Fisher
Nigel Jarrett
David Wignall
Tony Bianchi
Anthony Warlow
Oliver Pugh
Paul Weatherilt
Denis O'Regan
Lucy Fisher
Mark Johnson
William Goodwin
Janet Jones
Ben Turner
Madeleine Trimmer
Pete Green
D Lee
Tom Bristow
Laura Oakley
Roger Perkins
Thomas Barfield
Nick Wallis
Graham Alexander-Harper
Geoffrey Brewis
Paul Lashmar
Richard Gould
Jill Rosenlund
robert hooper
Hilary Muray
Anthony McIntyre
B Bridges
Carrie Twomey
Kathryn Johnston
Paul Francis Leighton FCIJ
Neil Wallis
caraline brown
Jamie Turner
David Dinsmore
Alexander Robson
Cassandra Allwood
Ben Parsons
David Thomas
Thomas Walshe
Alison Webster
Peter Walker
Tony Whitfield
Michelle Stanistreet
Robin Wilson
Harry Kemble
William Lodge
Joe Shute
Mikey Smith
Harry Kemble
Philip Fielding
Jason Beattie
Mike Lowe
Daniel Bentley
Grant Rollings
V Weston
James Brownsell
Phil Sutcliffe
Paul Lewis
Rob Reeves
Doug Seeburg
ciaran mc clean
William Horsley
Anthony France
Michael Hortin
Maggie Curtis
David Smith
Sarah Kavanagh
Jacky Porter
Ashley Kirk
Margot Huysman
mike forster
David Lindsell
David White
Helen Reynolds
Dick Bain
Brian Flynn
sharon hanna
Andrew O'Hagan
stefan slater
Philip Hunt
David Comeau
Louise Bolotin
Neil Wilson
Geoff Webster
Roger Ryan
Emily Brown
Francesca Di Renzo
richard meredith
Roy Mincoff
rob evans
Deborah King
Andrew Pugh
David Rose
Graham Nugent
Matthew Lloyd
Paul Robinson
Claire Pugh
Matt Silver
gordon porritt
Mia Kozlow
Lynda Totton
David CC Ewen
sarrah Blyth
Lucia Poliovkova
Steve Hoselitz
Linda Fenn
Bernie Shaw
Rob Draper
Tresor Ekwok
H Smith
Fiona Scott
annette mcparland
Kelly Bedson
Andrew Stephenson
Lynsey cleaver
Cheryl Jarman
Jan Patterson
alice johnston
Vanessa Langford
Maureen Loo on
Louise Smillie
Rick Byrne
Kelly Ablethorpe
barbara hall
Tim McConville
Jessica Daniels
Natalie Brewer
Michelle Hodges
Natasha Carthew
Eddy Murphy
Rwanda Soole
Kelly Gilders
Nora Kurdy
Rob Tooze
Krisztina okunbor
Patrice Johnson
Amirali Ravji
Emma Raine
Jane Glenton
Zoe Spears
Elizabeth Fleming
Jay Vincent
Darren Jardine
A Rathbone
dawn beech
Don Harrison
Alice Smith-Hogan
Sheila Ryan
Steven Cassidy
kathryn terry
Karim Kraku
Lorilee Mensah
David Lawson
dave Ballantyne
Helen O'Neill
joy meah
Jack Grady
Ewa Kopacki
Laura Onita
Leda Schoen
carol brewster
Tom Sneddon
lynn ghenimi
Thomas Clinch
Andy Smith
Tory Blair
Jean Morgan
Owen Duffy
Robert McLaughlin
Janine Gibson
Sheron Boyle
Richard Fidler
jim mcquade
David Allen Green
Inga Boegershausen
Eric Matthies
Jill Foster
Thais Portilho
Lynn Morris
Robert Goldspink
David Shariatmadari
Pat Gow
Dominic Heale
Peter Burrows
richard goss
Jeremy Ball
Pam Cowburn
Chris Doidge
Nikki Osborne
Julia Day
sue morey
Tina Quinn
ben black
Amanda Brodie
Carmel Harrison
Roisin Hannon
Stephen Wright
Ian Gallagher
Loraine McGrady
Miranda Grell
Kris Jones
Mei Wan Chang
Joseph Cox
Adriana Eysler
geoff cooper
Andrew Mourant
Oliver Money-Kyrle
Sally Chesworth
Stig Abell
Lorna Carmichael
Alex Mizzi
Trevor Lansdown
Peter Robins
Ian Weinfass
David Dennis
Richard Sambrook
Will Metcalfe
Mike Unger
Jack Hanning
Lyra McKee
Clive Maclennan
Steve Robson
Alastair Morgan
john walls
Matt Merritt
Max Cisotti
Barry Keevins
Ben Hibbert
Brian Deer
Lizzy Justice
Robin Callender Smith
oisn meehan
Geoff Marshall
Roswalien Burnham
Lynne Anderson
gary kirkup
Tom Taylor
Terry Duhig
Vivienne DuBourdieu
Shiv Satchit
Chris Jefferies
Norman Bartlett
Campbell Thomas
Gabriella Swerling
Colin McIntyre
Michael Calderbank
Campbell Douglas
Michael Moriarty, FCIJ
Norman Brand
Peter Macdonald
Rick Thompson
Mick Holder
Helen Dagley
Greg Blatchford
James Fitzmaurice
Fiona Swarbrick
Stewart Nicol
Ben Endley
Horace Bernard-Smith
Bolawa Gbolahan
Lucio Menin
David Banks
Andrea Busfield
Nick Wilson
Aidan White
Janice Shillum
Wendy Rix
Cleland Thom
Shaun Lintern
Ken Hurst
Marshall Stewart
Gordon Burns
Peter Brown
Stuart Littleford
dave revelle
Marc Hanning
Jane Sherwood
Declan O'Driscoll
Maurice Platt
Kerry Peebles
Kenneth Rasmusson
Mathieu Kroon Gutiérrez
Joanne Butcher
Alison Thomson
Roger Broad
Ian Campbell
Jenny Shepherd
Jason Kirkpatrick
Sally Murrer
DENIS REED
Bill Bowder
Martin McNamara
David Godsall
Leigh Lowe
Alex Clelland
Robin Lustig
Lucy Thomas
Richard Mason
Tim Wyatt
Ryan Kisiel
Liam Barnes
Mark Hanna
Chris Church
Stewart Roberts
Victoria Civil
John Shone
Patrick Lee
Matt Cornish
Tom Matthews
Dan Bloom
Jacob Cotterill
Freddie Whittaker
Claire Meadows
Bob Satchwell
Peter Jukes
Kevin Hurley
Duncan Brodie
Susie Boniface
Samuel Dale
Sarah Quance
Simon Patterson
Mark Lowe
Trevor Lloyd-Jones
Matt Nixson
Derek Congdon
Luisa Mateus
Jane Grant
Michael Havis
Chris Brace
Simon Trott
Will Date
Duncan Brown
Michael Oliver
Emily Childs
Highbury JD
Brian Pillans
John Wylie
Alan Evans
Lisa Townshend
David Williams
Steve Hamlett
John Wooding
Kathy Wedge
Peter Whitfield
Georgina Stubbs
Tabarek Hufthy
Steve Turpin
philip randall
George Barbrook
Karen Wilkins
Judi Morgan
Jason Murdock
David Seaman
Geoff Dale
David Frew
Claire Foxall
agnes laurent-canet
Louise Carter
Michael Maguire
William Randle
hannah gael
Fred Pigden
Vicky Sanders
John Szemerey
Linda Stoica
jordan jenkins
Joe Dryden
Shirley Moore
Elin Hullis
Lou Cole
Margaret Swaine
Caroline Kean
Neil Withnall
Julie Jones
Janice Williams
s liddle
Julia Stadnik
Muhammad Mujtaba
Angela Derbyshire
Jane Howell
Caroline Coates
sarah zebrzuski
ASAKO SHIRASAKI
M. da Rui
Sean Rawley
Allison Good
firdevs robinson
Deborah Patterson
DAWOOD AULEEAR
linda mc elwee
Sophie Calvert
Debbie Ransome
Grace Halford
Joshi Herrmann
Guy Adams
Ruth Maclean
Philip Derbyshire
Colleen Murrell
Chris Wheal
James Manning
Darren Boyle
Mark Daly
Sophie Macgregor
Bob Naylor
Ben De pear
Martin Cloake
Mark Langford
James Crisp
James Iles
Ryan Herman
Frank Gilfeather
Trevor Barker
Ted Pugh
Jonathan Millar
Michael Cronogue
Tom Wells
Kirsty Topping
ian lang
Matthew Brown
Lisa Pritchard
Roy Greenslade
Lesley Finlay
Einar Torbjornsen
Derek Bellis
Pat Wintle
Alex Smith
Sarah Lewis
Afonso Camões
Andrew Duncan
Stephen Moyes
Anthony Longden
Laure Fourquet
david page
Katherine Gault
Alice Ross
Anna Averkiou
Richard Wintle
Mario Ledwith
Kitty Trice
Peter Almond
Simon Bird
Sarah Proctor
Lee Price
Liz Carnell
Stace Williams
Arthur Phillipson
ed wight
Fergus Shanahan
Howard Wheatcroft
Alice Goldstraw
Craig Shaw
Tom Harper
kim ireland
Alfie Green
Helen Oliver
Guy Pelham
John Greenwood
Judith Harman
Roz McKenzie
Michael McDeermott
Ian Patel
Stevie Deane
Kate Holman
Brian Frost-Smith
Sara Lewis
Kaye McIntosh
Kaye McIntosh
Neil Benson
Paul Cahalan
Kathryn Cain
Robin Perrie
Olivia Waring
Perry Austin-Clarke
Felix Allen
Ricky Macgregor
Tom Sanderson
Gavin MacFadyen
Rhoderick Gates
Thomas Carroll
Louise Malone
Christopher Kay
James Cairns
Jamieleigh Newlands
Ryan Burns
nicole rafferty
tony mcnulty
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