Fins-IPG-26
American Library Association (ALA), Social Responsibilities Roundtable
(SRRT), Resolution on Equal Access to Senate and House Press Galleries
for Internet Reporters (June 1998). 


RESOLUTION ON EQUAL ACCESS TO SENATE AND HOUSE PRESS GALLERIES 
FOR INTERNET REPORTERS


WHEREAS it is essential for a healthy democracy that the public is
     well informed about the activities and policies of Congress;
     and

WHEREAS objective and comprehensive coverage of Congress can only
     happen when there is a free press; and

WHEREAS Congress has delegated the credentialling of reporters to
     the Senate and House Periodical Press Galleries, whose members
     are "correspondents, newsgatherers, or reporters"; and

WHEREAS in 1996, the Executive Committee of the Press Galleries
     denied press credentials to Vigdor Schreibman, a reporter
     whose work is published through the Federal Information News
     Syndicate (FINS); and

WHEREAS the Press Galleries issued credentials to Mr. Schreibman in
     1993, 1994 and 1995 as a correspondent for the "Electronic
     Public Information Newsletter" (EPIN); and

WHEREAS there has been no substantial change in Mr. Schreibman's
     functions, inasmuch as he has always issued his news columns
     and special reports in the name of FINS, distributed over the
     Internet and in print as a correspondent for EPIN; and

WHEREAS Mr. Schreibman's actions as a bona fide correspondent and
     newsgatherer, previously accredited by the Periodical Press
     Galleries and validated by his continuing work, are entitled
     to the protection of the First Amendment, which is a personal
     right independent of who he serves as a correspondent at any
     particular time; and

WHEREAS Mr. Schreibman has filed a lawsuit (Schreibman vs. Holmes)
     in the U.S District Court for the District of Columbia
     challenging the denial of his press credentials based upon the
     First Amendment to the Constitution command that "Congress
     shall make no law ... abridging the freedom ... of the Press";

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Social Responsibilities Round
     Table of the American Library Association recognizes the
     validity of Mr. Schreibman's claim to be a correspondent and
     news gatherer and supports his lawsuit as a means of resolving
     the constitutional issues that refusal of his credentials has
     raised;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that SRRT urges ALA to file an amicus
     brief supporting Mr. Schreibman's law suit.


Submitted to SRRT Action Council by Sanford Berman, June 27, 1998,
Washington, DC.


Copies to:     ALA Council
               ALA Executive Board
               ALA Executive Director
               ALA President
               ALA Intellectual Freedom Committee
               Library Press
               First Amendment/reporters' rights press

Passed by SRRT June 27, 1998