Press Freedom, Murder, and American Foreign Policy
Updated Sept. 25, 2024
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or of the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”
Istanbul, Turkey, October 2018
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The Incident and Its Aftermath
The assassination of Jamal Khashoggi, The Washington Post, April 2019- Jamal Khashoggi’s murder was a human rights violation by Saudi government, State Department says, USA Today, March 2013
- Turkish officials say a Saudi murder squad is behind journalist’s death, CNN, October 2018
- White House declines to submit report to Congress on Khashoggi killing, The Washington Post, February 2019
- Saudi Crown Prince Is Held Responsible for Khashoggi Killing in U.S. Report, The New York Times, February 2021
- Five years after Jamal Khashoggi murder, lots of geopolitics, little justice, The Washington Post, October 2021
Consider how the stories below amplify the context of Khashoggi’s murder and American policy in the region.
Related News and Comment
Killing Khashoggi was a warning shot, The Huffington Post, October 2018- Protests outside Turkish ambassador’s residence in Washington turn violent; 11 injured, The Free Speech Project, May 2017
- Cabinet member applauds lack of protests in Saudi Arabia, where protest is illegal, The Free Speech Project, May 2017
- Netflix pulls critical comedy episode from Saudi platform, The Free Speech Project, December 2018
- Saudi Court Issues Final Verdicts in Khashoggi Killing, The New York Times, September 2020
- Fiancée of slain journalist Jamal Khashoggi calls Biden’s trip to Saudi Arabia “a betrayal”, CBS News, July 2022
- 5 years after Khashoggi’s murder, advocates say the lack of justice is dangerous, NPR, October 2023
- Saudi Arabia: Still no justice for state-sanctioned murder of Jamal Khashoggi five years on, Amnesty International, September 2023
- 779 journalists were jailed in 2023, 547 will spend New Year’s Eve in prison, Reporters Without Borders, December 2023
The Role of Free Speech
- It Wasn’t Just Khashoggi: A Saudi Prince’s Brutal Drive to Crush Dissent, The New York Times, March 2019
- Netflix’s Bow to Saudi Censors Comes at a Cost to Free Speech, The New York Times, January 2019
- Laws Banning “Fake News”: A Growing International Trend?, Free Speech Today, June 2018
- Comparing Hate Speech Laws In The U.S. And Abroad, NPR, March 2011
- Evidence Is Growing That Free Speech Is Declining, Foreign Policy, December 2023
Point / Counterpoint
Is it the responsibility of the United States and international institutions to enforce Free Speech abroad? The incidents above, along with the arguments below, illuminate some of the fundamental tensions related to Free Speech abroad and foreign policy-related Free Speech conflicts in the United States.
- How the mysteries of Khashoggi’s murder have rocked the U.S.-Saudi partnership, The Washington Post, March 2019
- The U.N. Hates Hate Speech More Than It Loves Free Speech, Foreign Policy, February 2019
- Netflix Chose a New Market Over Free Speech. That Sets a Disturbing Precedent, The New York Times, January 2019
- The Problem With Making Hate Speech Illegal, Foreign Policy, August 2017
- 4 years after Khashoggi’s murder, assaults on press freedom are getting worse, The Washington Post, September 2022
- What does justice for Jamal Khashoggi look like? Unleashing free expression in Saudi Arabia., The Washington Post, February 2021
- American Has a Free Speech Problem, The New York Times, March 2022
Discussion Questions
- Should the United States export the First Amendment abroad? Put another way, should the United States make respect for Free Speech and press freedom a precondition for foreign policy?
- Is exporting the First Amendment a noble foreign policy objective or an example of cultural imperialism? How might different political systems and expectations affect interpretations of Free Speech abroad?
- Taking the Minhaj case as an example, do U.S. companies have an obligation to align their conduct with the spirit of the First Amendment when conducting business abroad?
- To what extent has Free Speech or the First Amendment embedded itself as an American cultural value? Has the U.S. government been too quick to compromise when dealing with the brutal actions of a country that is an oil supplier and arms purchaser?
- The Department of Homeland Security planned to create a list of journalists and media influencers, allegedly for national security purposes. Many journalists expressed serious concern over how the list might be used to intimidate or manipulate the media. How do we balance a free press with national security? In what other situations might this trade-off arise?
Activity
Click on these themes below: Foreign Policy + Violence/Threats
Discuss: What patterns emerge? Does this confluence of stories with these filters tell us about Free Speech issues in the United States? Free Speech and foreign policy?