“Journalism Is Not a Crime”

FRONTLINE is among the news organizations which have signed the letter below. It was sent to Secretary of State John Kerry this evening.

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. AdlernnPresident and Editor-in-ChiefnnReuters

Raney Aronson-RathnnExecutive ProducernnFRONTLINE

Dean BaquetnnExecutive EditornnThe New York Times

Bruce D. BrownnnExecutive DirectornnReporters Committee for Freedom of the Press

Kathleen CarrollnnSenior Vice President and Executive EditornnThe Associated Press

Steve CollnnDean, Graduate School of JournalismnnColumbia University

Stephen EngelbergnnEditor-in-ChiefnnProPublica

Jeffrey FagernnExecutive Producernn60 Minutes

Pamela B. FinennPresidentnnAmerican Society of News Editors

Susan GlassernnEditornnPOLITICO

James GoldstonnnPresidentnnABC News

Anders GyllenhaalnnVice President, News and Washington EditornnMcClatchy

Sara JustnnSenior Vice President, WETA & Executive ProducernnPBS NewsHour

Andrew LacknnChairmannnNBC News and MSNBC

Davan MaharajnnEditornnThe Los Angeles Times

John MicklethwaitnnEditor-in-ChiefnnBloomberg L.P.

Jason MojicannEditor-in-ChiefnnVICE News

Michael OreskesnnSenior Vice President of News and Editorial DirectornnNPR

David RemnicknnEditornnThe New Yorker

David RhodesnnPresidentnnCBS News

Robert J. RosenthalnnExecutive DirectornnThe Center for Investigative Reporting

Ben SmithnnEditor-in-ChiefnnBuzzFeed

Marty M. SteffensnnNorth America ChairnnInternational Press Institute

Mike WilsonnnEditornnDallas Morning News

Jeff ZuckernnPresidentnnCNN Worldwide