United States II

WHEREAS the American Society of Newspaper Editors recently drafted a resolution asking the U.S. Congress to include journalists in the U.S. Visa Waiver Program for visitors from friendly countries. WHEREAS the IAPA shares the ASNE’s concern over the detention and expulsion of foreign journalists from the United States in recent months WHEREAS the IAPA shares the ASNE’s concern that keeping journalists out of the United States damages the U.S. image as an open society WHEREAS Principle 5 of the Declaration of Chapultepec states: “Prior censorship, restrictions on the circulation of the media or dissemination of their reports, forced publication of information, the imposition of obstacles to the free flow of news, and restrictions on the activities and movements of journalists directly contradict freedom of the press” THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE IAPA RESOLVES to adopt the ASNE resolution calling on the U.S. Congress in its annual renewal of the Visa Waiver Program to add journalists to the many professions that do not need a visa for their stays in the United States. ......................................................................................................................................................... The American Society of Newspaper Editors (ASNE) resolution follows: Whereas Working foreign journalists are excluded from our country’s Visa Waiver Program under which visitors from 27 friendly countries can enter the U.S. for business or pleasure without a visa if they intend to stay for less than 90 days, Whereas In recent months numerous foreign journalists have been seized at our borders, rejected for entry and deported forcibly to their home countries because they did not have long-term visas, Whereas Working journalists have been excluded from the Visa Waiver Program historically because they could obtain long-term visas with ease and because Customs official routinely waived them in without long-term visas, Whereas Keeping foreign journalists out of the U.S. damages our country’s image as an open society, does nothing to enhance our border security and encourages other nations to make conditions more difficult for American journalists abroad Now, therefore: The board of directors of the American Society of Newspaper Editors calls on Congress in its annual renewal of the Visa Waiver Program to add journalists to the many professions who do not need a visa for short stays in our country.