MPs from across the political spectrum have backed a News Media Association campaign to protect press freedoms in a new bill which is poised to become law.

The NMA, the trade body for the regional and national press, has been lobbying for greater protections for journalists being added to the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Bill.

As a result of the campaign, the law now exempts journalists from a new criminal offence of travelling to an area designated a terrorist threat to the UK and protects them from being prosecuted for viewing and researching material online related to terrorism.

The original version of the bill provided no specific protection for journalists from being prosecuted for these activities, and they would have had to rely on a vague defence of “reasonable excuse” instead.

The NMA worked with MPs and peers, in particular from the Conservative, Labour and Green parties to table amendments to protect journalists from the new offences.

In a statement, the NMA said: “The NMA initially identified the threats to press freedom and, throughout each stage of the bill’s passage through Parliament, lobbied for robust and specific journalistic safeguards.

“The NMA made representations to ministers who responded with improvements to the clause criminalising viewing terror-related material online.”

It added: “Having secured these changes to the Counter Terrorism and Border Security Bill, the NMA is now seeking amendments to the Crime (Overseas Production Orders) Bill, which will give both domestic and foreign authorities unprecedented powers to access the content of peoples’ emails, social media messages and other electronic communications.”