National Press Club

8/8 Silencing journalists weakens democracy at home and abroad. The court has made clear that you don’t get to turn off a free press when coverage becomes inconvenient.”

7/8 While we welcome the court’s decision, we stand firm that VOA journalists must be allowed to perform their work independently and without political interference. We call on the administration and Congress to curb any policy or practice that limits that editorial independence.

WASHINGTON, Wednesday, March 18 – @NPCPresident @MarkSchoeff issued the following statement today following U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth’s order to restore @VOANews operations⬇️

6/6 Sunshine Week reminds us that government transparency is a cornerstone of democracy. The removal or suppression of federal data erodes that principle and deprives Americans of information they have every right to access.”

5/6 When those datasets disappear, consequences ripple far beyond the newsroom. Journalists must have the ability to track disparities, expose wrongdoings, and explain complex issues in ways that help people make informed decisions.

WASHINGTON, March 16, 2026 – @NPCPresident @MarkSchoeff issued the following statement today to mark the start of Sunshine Week, which helps educate the public, journalists, lawmakers, and others on the right to know, and advocates for transparency and public access to government data in the U.S. states and federal government.

If the Pentagon believes the public deserves to be informed, it should allow journalists to bear witness, not restrict them when the images are inconvenient.”

Independent photojournalism is a cornerstone of a free society and an essential part of documenting history as it happens.

WASHINGTON, March 11, 2026 – @NPCPresident Mark Schoeff Jr. issued the following statement today following a report from the @wapo stating that the Pentagon barred news photographers after images of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth were deemed unflattering: