Events

Past Event

State of Silence: The Espionage Act, Politics, and Press Freedom

December 6, 2023
5:30 PM - 7:00 PM
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World Room, Columbia Graduate School of Journalism: 2950 Broadway

Join this panel discussion and Q&A on the Espionage Act, co-sponsored by the Knight First Amendment Institute and the Columbia Journalism School.

Since the passage of the Espionage Act in 1917, the U.S. secrecy regime has expanded with no overall vision, limiting the press, restricting political dissidents, and keeping citizens in the dark.

Following opening remarks from Jameel Jaffer (Knight Institute Executive Director), Sam Lebovic (Knight Institute Senior Visiting Research Scholar 2023-2024; George Mason University) will talk about his forthcoming book, State of Silence: The Espionage Act and the Rise of America’s Secrecy Regime (Basic Books, November 2023). A panel will then discuss the contemporary politics of the Espionage Act, including its use in the prosecution of former President Trump, the ongoing efforts to extradite Julian Assange to the United States, and the prospects for reforming the act to reduce the harms it poses to American democracy.

It will take place in-person at Columbia University. RSVP to learn more.

Event Contact Information
Adriana Lamirande
[email protected]