Mon 26 October 2020:
The World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) has asked publishers, editors and media groups to comment online against the proposed visa changes for foreign journalists in the United States before the deadline of October 26.
Last month, the US Department of Homeland Security had announced that it planned to have a fixed period of stay for international students, exchange visitors and foreign media professionals to “encourage program compliance, reduce fraud and enhance national security”.
In the current system, foreign journalists can enter on an ‘I’ visa and stay as long as they meet the terms of admission. This will be replaced by a visa system where journalists will be allowed a maximum stay period of 240 days. If a foreign correspondent wants to stay longer, they will to extend their stay for 240 days or leave.
WAN-IFRA has urged all publishers, editors and representative organisations to take the opportunity to comment online on the changes before the deadline of October 26. “Comments may be submitted on the proposed rule here, using DHS Docket No. ICEB-2019-0006,” said a statement from the media industry body.
According to WAN-IFRA chief executive officer Vincent Peyrègne, it was not clear how stay of foreign professional journalists in the US would be a threat to national security.
“The US administration’s proposed rules to limit the stay of foreign journalists in the country is a discriminatory measure that seeks to fix a problem that does not exist. It is a new assault on the press, which should be able to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information an ideas through any media, and regardless of frontiers,” said Peyrègne.
Earlier this month, president of Washington-based Foreign Press Association, Ian Williams said that being scrutinised by Homeland Security every 240 days is bound to have a dampening effect on reporters’ objectivity.
In the letter addressed to members of the Overseas Press Club of America, Williams stated that the foreign press association foresees that these rules “will lead to overt or covert intimidation of the foreign press, quite apart from the bureaucratic hassle of confronting the DHS at regular intervals”.
Asserting that the new visa will limit flexibility and introduce uncertainty, Williams stated, “Good luck getting an apartment or office lease for 240 days! And anyone who thinks renewal of status will be seamless and assured has not been doing much reporting on life in the USA recently! One cannot underestimate the threats to freedom of the press.”
Article Originally Published in THE WIRE CLICK HERE
