Reacting to the news of arrests of journalists and personnel associated with NewsClick, the U.S. State Department reiterated its support for the media. Responding to a question on the arrests as well as the report (from the New York Times) that alleged NewsClick was part of a Chinese influence operation, Principle Deputy Spokesperson Vedant Patel said the State Department could not comment on the “veracity of the claims” that NewsClick had ties to the Chinese Government.

The U.S. Government has discussed with the Indian Government and others , “the importance of respecting the human rights of journalists” , including the freedom of expression.

“The US government strongly supports the robust role of the media globally, including social media, in a vibrant and free democracy,” he said.