Law named for slain Southern California journalist Daniel Pearl

The family of a foreign correspondent slain on the job visited the White House today as President Obama signed into law the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act. It’s named after a Southland-born newspaper journalist killed in Pakistan eight years ago.

Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl was tracing the steps of suspected shoe bomber Richard Reid when Islamic extremists kidnapped and murdered him.

Democratic Congressman Adam Schiff of Burbank co-authored the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act. It requires the U.S. State Department to identify countries that crack down on press freedom or condone the killing of reporters.

Schiff says the law that bears Daniel Pearl’s name would not have prevented his death. "But what it will do is it will tell countries that allow these murders to take place and don’t go after the killers that we are watching very carefully what they do and it will have an impact on our relationship."

The Committee to Protect Journalists says 59 reporters — 32 in the Philippines — were murdered last year.

Daniel Pearl’s parents, sisters, widow and 8-year-old son Adam attended the Oval Office ceremony. Adam, who was born after Daniel Pearl’s death, received a yo-yo and M&M’s with the Presidential seal.