The Delicate Balance: Media, Security, and Freedom in a Post-9/11 World

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6:00 pm Reception
6:30 pm Panel Discussion

Journalist Barton Gellman of the Washington Post has defined the tensions between national security and press freedom succinctly: “The government tries to keep secrets and we try to find them out.” As we mark the 13th anniversary of 9/11, the Paley Center has convened experts to discuss how this traditional conflict between government and press has been complicated by sweeping efforts to enhance American counterterrorism prowess, notably detention of suspects, surveillance, and collection of data on citizens. The panel will consider many of the reports that have been or will be issued, including the Senate Intelligence Committee findings on interrogation of terrorist suspects after 9/11 and the final decision on the case of journalist James Risen, who has been fighting the Obama Administration about revealing his sources over a failed C.I.A. mission. The panel will also examine how reporters should deal with classified information in a digital age; the continuing debate over Edward Snowden’s release of NSA documents; and whether transparency comes with a cost to our national security.

Funding for this event has been provided by

Additional funding provided by The Fledgling Fund.