By — PBS NewsHour PBS NewsHour Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/news-editors-show-support-for-jason-rezaian-in-letter-to-john-kerry Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter News editors show support for Jason Rezaian in letter to John Kerry World Jan 8, 2016 6:34 PM EDT Twenty-five news editors from some of the most influential media organizations in the U.S. are calling on Secretary of State John Kerry to work toward the release of imprisoned Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian. In a letter sent Friday, the media executives take their plea for Rezaian’s release to the U.S.’s top diplomat. Read the letter below: Dear Secretary Kerry: Journalism is not a crime. Yet Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian has been imprisoned by Iran since July 2014 for doing his job. Iran has never offered any evidence that even makes a pretense of justifying this imprisonment. We know you agree that Iran should release Jason and on behalf of our organizations and journalists around the world, we are writing to urge you to maintain your efforts to forge a path to that release. Americans are fortunate to live in a nation that respects the role of reporters and the tenets of journalism. As journalists, we understand how central an informed citizenry is to a well-functioning democracy. The need for information does not stop at the water’s edge. Many of our organizations employ journalists who, like Jason, operate in countries, like Iran, that do not always hold a high regard for the free flow of information. We understand the risks involved, and accept them in fulfilling our commitment to provide Americans and audiences worldwide with the information they need to make informed decisions. At the same time, we depend on the United States and other democratic countries to stand behind the values that Jason represents. Independent journalism is recognized as a fundamental human right. Iran should recognize this, too, and free Jason. The United States has considerable leverage with Iran right now to press that point, and we urge you to continue to do so. Sincerely, Stephen J. Adler President and Editor-in-Chief Reuters Raney Aronson-Rath Executive Producer FRONTLINE Dean Baquet Executive Editor The New York Times Bruce D. Brown Executive Director Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Kathleen Carroll Senior Vice President and Executive Editor The Associated Press Steve Coll Dean, Graduate School of Journalism Columbia University Stephen Engelbert Editor-in-Chief ProPublica Jeffrey Fager Executive Producer 60 Minutes Pamela B. Fine President American Society of News Editors Susan B. Glasser Editor Politico James Goldston President ABC News Anders Gyllenhaal Vice President, News and Washington Editor McClatchy Sara Just Senior Vice President, WETA and Executive Producer PBS NewsHour Andrew Lack Chairman NBC News and MSNBC Davan Maharaj Editor The Los Angeles Times John Micklethwait Editor-in-Chief Bloomberg L.P. Jason Mojica Editor-in-Chief VICE News Michael Oreskes Senior Vice President of News and Editorial Director NPR David Remnick Editor The New Yorker David Rhodes President CBS News Robert J. Rosenthal Executive Director The Center for Investigative Reporting Ben Smith Editor-in-Chief BuzzFeed Marty M. Steffens North America Chair International Press Institute Mike Wilson Editor Dallas Morning News Jeff Zucker President CNN Worldwide By — PBS NewsHour PBS NewsHour
Twenty-five news editors from some of the most influential media organizations in the U.S. are calling on Secretary of State John Kerry to work toward the release of imprisoned Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian. In a letter sent Friday, the media executives take their plea for Rezaian’s release to the U.S.’s top diplomat. Read the letter below: Dear Secretary Kerry: Journalism is not a crime. Yet Washington Post journalist Jason Rezaian has been imprisoned by Iran since July 2014 for doing his job. Iran has never offered any evidence that even makes a pretense of justifying this imprisonment. We know you agree that Iran should release Jason and on behalf of our organizations and journalists around the world, we are writing to urge you to maintain your efforts to forge a path to that release. Americans are fortunate to live in a nation that respects the role of reporters and the tenets of journalism. As journalists, we understand how central an informed citizenry is to a well-functioning democracy. The need for information does not stop at the water’s edge. Many of our organizations employ journalists who, like Jason, operate in countries, like Iran, that do not always hold a high regard for the free flow of information. We understand the risks involved, and accept them in fulfilling our commitment to provide Americans and audiences worldwide with the information they need to make informed decisions. At the same time, we depend on the United States and other democratic countries to stand behind the values that Jason represents. Independent journalism is recognized as a fundamental human right. Iran should recognize this, too, and free Jason. The United States has considerable leverage with Iran right now to press that point, and we urge you to continue to do so. Sincerely, Stephen J. Adler President and Editor-in-Chief Reuters Raney Aronson-Rath Executive Producer FRONTLINE Dean Baquet Executive Editor The New York Times Bruce D. Brown Executive Director Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press Kathleen Carroll Senior Vice President and Executive Editor The Associated Press Steve Coll Dean, Graduate School of Journalism Columbia University Stephen Engelbert Editor-in-Chief ProPublica Jeffrey Fager Executive Producer 60 Minutes Pamela B. Fine President American Society of News Editors Susan B. Glasser Editor Politico James Goldston President ABC News Anders Gyllenhaal Vice President, News and Washington Editor McClatchy Sara Just Senior Vice President, WETA and Executive Producer PBS NewsHour Andrew Lack Chairman NBC News and MSNBC Davan Maharaj Editor The Los Angeles Times John Micklethwait Editor-in-Chief Bloomberg L.P. Jason Mojica Editor-in-Chief VICE News Michael Oreskes Senior Vice President of News and Editorial Director NPR David Remnick Editor The New Yorker David Rhodes President CBS News Robert J. Rosenthal Executive Director The Center for Investigative Reporting Ben Smith Editor-in-Chief BuzzFeed Marty M. Steffens North America Chair International Press Institute Mike Wilson Editor Dallas Morning News Jeff Zucker President CNN Worldwide