The UK-based newspaper the Guardian has joined hands with the New York Times to give the US daily access to some of the classified documents leaked by the National Security Agency (NSA) contractor whistleblower Edward Snowden.
Following demands faced by the Guardian from the UK government when it was asked to hand over the files of Government Communications Headquarters possessed by it to them, the UK-based paper said it decided to enter into an agreement with the American paper.
The newspaper, in a statement, said, "In a climate of intense pressure from the UK government, the Guardian decided to bring in a US partner to work on the GCHQ documents provided by Edward Snowden. We are working in partnership with the NYT and others to continue reporting these stories."
Unlike British journalists, their American counterparts are protected by the first amendment, giving them free speech and not allowing the government seeking pre-publication injunctions or "prior restraint", according to the Guardian.
The Guardian feels that through this collaboration it can reveal about mass surveillance by keeping the documents leaked by Snowden on GCHQ out of government’s reach.
Confirming the partnership, the New York Times’ executive editor Jill Abramson was quoted by the Reuters as saying, "We don’t usually comment on our reporting before publication, but in this case we will make an exception since it is already public. The Times is reporting on material from The Guardian as well as other matters related to Edward Snowden."
