BRAVE NEW FILMS – In The Media

By Kevin Gosztola at Firedoglake.

In a small auditorium at the Newseum in Washington, DC, Brave New Films director Robert Greenwald held the premiere of his new documentary, “War on Whistleblowers: Free Press and the National Security State.” It features four stories of men who are clear examples of whistleblowers that most Americans would think deserve protection when exposing government corruption, misconduct or wrongdoing, however, officials chose to protect the National Security State and retaliate each of these men for speaking out.

By Nicole Belle at Crooks and Liars. 

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

It's right there in our First Amendment to the Constitution, the right of such primacy that it supersedes all others: freedom of the press.

By Margaret Sullivan at the New York Times. 

When Col. Morris Davis, the former chief prosecutor at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, resigned from his post, protesting the torture of prisoners there and political interference that deterred his work, he says he was subjected to a gag order by the Bush administration.

By Joe Davidson at The Washington Post. 

The Obama administration’s approach to federal whistleblowers has been likened to “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”

On the good doctor’s side, President Obama has important accomplishments in protecting the rights of whistleblowers. Yet whistleblower advocates are fuming at the administration’s actions against federal employees whom it considers to be leakers of national security information.

By Joe Newman at Huffington Post

In Robert Greenwald's new documentary, War on Whistleblowers, Marine Corps senior science advisor Franz Gayl says his decision to speak out in 2007 came down to a simple question:

From Radio Dispatch
Robert Greenwald joins us to discuss his latest film, The War on Whistleblowers. Also, a new report says unequivocally that the United States engaged in torture after 9/11, and listener mail on ADHD.

From Democracy Now
A new film directed by Robert Greenwald looks at fourwhistleblowers who had their lives practically destroyed after they went to the press with evidence of government wrongdoing. They are Michael DeKort, Thomas Drake, Franz Gayl and Thomas Tamm. Whistleblowers have come under unprecedented attack by the Obama administration. Evoking the Espionage Act of 1917, the administration has pressed criminal charges against no fewer than six government employees, more than all previous presidential administrations combined. In the film, Greenwald also interviews government oversight experts and investigative journalists who warn about the chilling effect prosecutions may have on potential whistleblowers and the journalists who help them. Click to watch Part 2 of the interview. [includes rush transcript]

 By John Knefel at Rolling Stone

Director Robert Greenwald examines how the government keeps its secrets

By D.B. Grady at The Week

War on Whistleblowers, a documentary by Brave New Foundation, premieres this week in Washington, D.C., and New York City. The film explores whistleblowing in concept and practice, and profiles five men in recent years who have suffered great loss to expose wrongdoing and corruption in the American deep state.

By Kevin Gosztola at The Dessenter

In a small auditorium at the Newseum in Washington, DC, Brave New Films director Robert Greenwald held the premiere of his new documentary, "War on Whistleblowers: Free Press and the National Security State." It features four stories of men who are clear examples of whistleblowers that most Americans would think deserve protection when exposing government corruption, misconduct or wrongdoing, however, officials chose to protect the National Security State and retaliate each of these men for speaking out.