WASHINGTON, July 23, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — National Press Club President Mark Schoeff Jr. released the following statement:
“The Justice Department’s decision to withdraw subpoenas targeting journalists at The New York Times is a welcome and necessary step to protect the public’s constitutional right to an independent press.
These subpoenas should never have been issued in the first place. Compelling journalists to reveal confidential sources sends a chilling message to those who seek to inform the public and threatens the very foundation of press freedom.
Every American should understand what is at stake when the government turns its investigative powers on journalists. It is not routine. It is an extraordinary intrusion that strikes at the heart of the First Amendment and your right to information about your government.
The greatest danger was not the subpoenas themselves, but the message they sent: That sources could be exposed, that whistleblowers should remain silent, and that the American people might know less about the actions of their own government.
A strong democracy depends on a press that can report freely, hold power to account, and inform the public without intimidation.
We urge continued vigilance to ensure that journalists can do their jobs without interference and that protections for source confidentiality are upheld consistently.”
About the National Press Club
Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world’s leading professional organization for journalists and a leading voice for press freedom in the U.S. and worldwide.
Contact: Beth Francesco, Executive Director of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, media@press.org
SOURCE National Press Club