Press TV has conducted an interview with Paul Street, an author and journalist from Iowa City, about the collaboration between media outlets - the�New York Timesand the�Guardian�- in printing US surveillance leaks by whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The following is an approximate transcript of the interview.

Press TV:�Mr. Street, what can the UK government do now to prevent more documents from being leaked?

Street:�There�s a problem here, I mean, for them and it�s good. If this is true, that the [New York]�Times�is going to begin to collaborate with the�Guardian, it�s a problem for the UK because the United States through all its many authoritarian �problems� does have a First Amendment and it doesn�t have a state secrets law as England does. There�s going to be a kind of protection and a platform to the�Times�if this really does come to fruition that there�s going to be a real problem for them.

Press TV:�How much do you think the�New York Times�is going to push forward with these leaks and documents?

Street:�Edward Snowden was initially unwilling to go to theTimes�despite the fact that some�Times�reporters like Charlie Savage were somewhat on the trail of this story because his record, frankly, hasn�t been particularly good. One thing that Snowden mentioned in particular was that they refused to report in a timely way George W. Bush�s warrantless wiretapping in 2004, and delayed that story until after the presidential election.

This time is seems possible that they are going to provide some assistance to the�Guardian�and actually play some of their real role as a state because Obama - this administration has gone beyond any administration in recent memory in attacking not just civil liberties in general but particularly press freedom, as we know from earlier phases with the�Washington Post�and other media.

So, they�re really stepping on the toes of outfits.

Press TV:�How much can these leaks force the UK and the USA to re-shift how they control the media? -More radical restrictions, perhaps?

Street:�I would imagine that that�s certainly to be expected and a much closer watch on the release of information. We�ll probably see a rollback of the already limited amount of material we�re able to garner from whistleblower �history�.

By Press TV

 

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