A petition asking the Obama administration to protect...

A petition asking the Obama administration to protect journalists' “right to report” in the digital era was launched by the Committee to Protect Journalists Wednesday (http://bit.ly/1rMWbig). The petition seeks three commitments from the administration: a presidential directive banning the “hacking and surveillance” of journalists and media organizations; putting limits on “aggressive prosecutions” of journalists and whistleblowers; and preventing the “harassment” of journalists at all U.S. borders, it said. The petition was signed by individual reporters, news organizations and free speech groups, including The Associated Press, Bloomberg News and the Electronic Frontier Foundation, it said.