Under the leadership of former tvontario exec Bill Roberts, the North American National Broadcasters Association is stepping up pressure on the u.s. Congress to end the use of journalists as covers for international espionage, and is asking Canada and Mexico to take a stand.

nanba is calling for amendments to the Intelligence Authorization Bill before the Senate which continues to give the cia or other American agencies the ability to have its agents pose as journalists and to use journalists as agents of the nation with due presidential agreement and notice to Congress.

Although this fight has been in process since the House approved the Intelligence Bill in May, at the end of July, nanba was joined by the American Society of Newspaper Editors, the Radio Television News Directors Association, and the World Press Freedom Committee in sending a strongly worded letter to key members of Congress

‘As long as the possibility remains that any journalist may be seen as linked to an intelligence agency, all journalists remain at risk of harassment, personal attack, abduction and murder,’ the letter details.

‘Journalists in hazardous situations should not have to fear for their lives because others may believe they are not what they say they are,’ it concludes, winding up by urging amendments to the final legislation, which should be up before Senate by the end of the year.

Roberts makes the point of saying that the other two nafta partners, Canada and Mexico, have neither condemned the practice nor placed restrictions on their own intelligence services, and calls for all three governments to declare an absolute ban on the use of journalists as covers for spying.

nanba, a non-profit international organization incorporated in Canada, acts to provide a framework for the identification and problem-solving of international issues affecting broadcasting. Canadian membership includes the cbc, ctv and Netstar Communications. New members as of mid-August include DirecTv.